Your spring nightmare

Winter is slowly relaxing its bitter grip and as it does, spring makes a very welcome appearance. Spring tends to bring a feeling of peace and revival to everyone; the air warms and it won’t be long before gardeners and sun worshipers alike rejoice. Another sign of spring that none of us will celebrate is the advent of new potholes in the road. As snow and ice clear off the highway, you’ll notice more and more the damage the last season has brought. As winter goes through its many cycles of freezing and thawing, water can leach into pavement and wreak havoc. At first it doesn’t seem like there’s much to get upset over, but as time goes on, the cracks and tiny pits on our roads start to develop into bigger and far more problematic holes. Once the pavement has been weakened by water and ice, it doesn’t take a whole lot of pressure and wear from traffic to create holes in the roads that oftentimes drivers simply can’t avoid. Potholes can also be caused by pavement that isn’t of sufficient thickness, or improper drainage.

Years ago potters would dig under roadways to reach the clay underneath; it was cheap and only required a little labour to obtain. It was the perfect resource for making their clay pots. When wagons and coaches went over these roads, they recognized who had made the many holes and dubbed the term “potholes”, which is a term still in use today.

Potholes can create a whole variety of problems for drivers. Most times, the holes are found in high traffic areas, meaning that the driver can’t slow before going over them, or trying to veer safely around them. More than one driver has veered only to cause an accident or at the very least, give the driver in the other lane heart palpitations! If you do hit a pothole, and especially if you happen to hit it at high speeds, you could be looking at a fairly hefty repair bill. Tires can easily be damaged; treads can be torn off or the sharp edges of the damaged pavement may even cause your tire to be punctured. Your vehicle might suffer damage to the suspension, costing drivers their hard earned dollars in repairs at the auto body shop.

It helps to have pavement surveyed and for municipalities to keep an eye on small damage that might lead to large potholes. The faster the little cracks and holes are repaired, the less chance there is that future problems will arise. Proper drainage should be installed and maintained as well. The best help for potholes is to have them repaired and keep roads paved by a professional service that will ensure the job is done efficiently and with longevity in mind.

We can provide you with a proper assessment of the road problems and offer a timely and good quality solution so that your roadways stay in good condition and are safe for drivers. Call today.