Brampton, Canada, January 26, 2016 – Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. (www.suresealpavement.com), the leading provider of asphalt seal-coating in Brampton and Peel Region, is weighing in on the impact this year’s mild winter is having on road conditions and repair.
Due to the warm temperatures this winter, the City of Toronto has received significantly fewer requests for pothole repairs. The lack of snow and road salt is believed to have greatly reduced the number of potholes forming on Toronto roads this winter. (Source: Lakey, J., “Mild winter leaves gap in pothole work: Fixer,” The Toronto Star, January 12, 2016, http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer/2016/01/12/mild-winter-leaves-gap-in-pothole-work-fixer.html.)
“Winter is the biggest cause of road damage,” says Lance Bradshaw, President and CEO of Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. “Everything from the snowfall to the freezing-and-thawing of pavement causes cracks and potholes to form. With this weather, it’s no surprise that there’s less damage.”
With the decrease in service requests, the City has diverted staff from some of their usual duties, such as clearing snow, and is instead having them perform regular road maintenance. City staff have been clearing storm basins, filling existing potholes, and sweeping the roads of debris.
“A mild winter is really the best time to be doing regular road maintenance,” says Bradshaw. “When you have heavy snowfalls or icy conditions, it’s much more difficult to do any road repair. You really have to take advantage of warmer weather, so that damage doesn’t get out of control when the weather does get worse.”
The City’s road operations manager, Hector Moreno, said that the mild winter will allow the City to catch up on the road repairs that need to be done. Toronto spends millions of dollars every year on road repair, although the amount dropped last year and is expected to this year as well.
“When you’re performing regular maintenance, you actually end up saving money,” notes Bradshaw. “It’s when road damage spirals out of control that the costs increase greatly. If the city or property owners take advantage of this winter, they could save money in the years ahead.”
In 2014, the City of Toronto had responded to and filled in 20,000 potholes. In 2015, that number dropped down to 8,700, indicating that the city was helping correct the surplus of road damage that has to be dealt with.
“There are so many roads, so it can be difficult for a government to correct every single pothole,” says Bradshaw. “However, the more they correct, the more savings they can expect down the road. This is why property owners should quickly deal with any pavement cracks or potholes they see in their lot or driveway.”
Bradshaw says that while the mild winter is the perfect opportunity to fix damage, the dry and warm conditions are good news in general for drivers and property owners throughout Ontario.
“The cold can cause cracks to form in the pavement, and when water seeps in, that’s where you start to get potholes,” says Bradshaw. “With clear skies and dry ground this winter season, people won’t have to worry as much, as long as they fix existing cracks, potholes, and other damages.”
As the leading pavement maintenance contractor in the GTA, Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. specializes in catch basin repairs, rebuilding, and repaving. They offer an industry-leading seven-year structural warranty.