These are the top 10 worst potholes in Calgary, by complaints
'I don't recall it ever being this bad,' says one frustrated motorist
If you've been driving recently from 16th Avenue exiting onto Bowness Road or Shaganappi Trail N.W., you've likely heard a loud bang and felt a bump: potholes in those locations rank among the top 10 most complained about in Calgary.
Stats compiled by the city show that between Jan. 1 and March 20, there were 28 complaints to 311 about potholes at 16th Avenue and Bowness Road N.W. while potholes at 16th Avenue and Shaganappi Trail N.W. generated 17 reports.
The most complained about pothole in the city — with 36 complaints — is also on 16th Avenue N.W., in the 4100 block, which is in the community of Montgomery.
- Is there a pothole causing consternation on your commute, send us a photo to [email protected], post it to www.facebook.com/cbccalgary or Tweet @CBCCalgary
City crews will begin fixing potholes in April after the snow and ice control program has wrapped for the season. Before then, workers will do a temporary patch to reported potholes on major routes which are deemed a safety hazard.
"Anytime we are aware of potholes and have crews available to do that work, we are out there," says Bill Biensch, roads maintenance manager for the city.
He says the city is capable of fixing around 500 potholes per week and they're generally done at night.
- Check out a map of potholes around the city ranked by volume of complaints
- Calgary's freeze-thaw cycle turns some homes into lakefront property
Biensch says it seems like there are more this year than in previous years.
"We are seeing more all at once this year," he said.
"This year we've seen significant accumulation of snow and we've had potholes developing but they been covered in snow. Now as we see this first big melt of the season, we've got potholes all over the place that we are still trying to play catch up with."
Annette Wagner lives in Tuscany. She says she's never seen some Calgary roads so bad.
"I take 16th Avenue to work every day and I avoid certain lanes. It's just horrible. Crowchild Trail is disgusting as well. It's horrible in all lanes. I don't recall it ever being this bad as it has been this year," she said.
"It would be nice to have them done, especially the really big ones, because you are going to have rim damage, tire damage. It is going to be really bad on the vehicles."
Donna Hilton agrees.
"It's pretty horrendous. I am lucky I've got a big truck but it would be pretty terrible if you were in a little car. They've filled in a few in at the moment, but not many."
Here are the 10 most complained about potholes in the city so far this year:
1. 4106 16th Avenue N.W.
2. 16th Avenue at Bowness Road N.W.
3. 16th Avenue at Shaganappi Trail N.W.
4.16th Avenue at 29th Street N.W.
