Hamilton crews launch massive weekend blitz to repair thousands of potholes

For many Hamilton drivers, potholes are more than a nuisance — particularly big, bad ones that can cause damage to vehicles. This weekend, city crews are hitting the streets in a major pothole blitz aiming to fix thousands in just one day.

For drivers in Hamilton, this is a daily obstacle and sometimes a costly one. Fixing it starts with cleaning out the damage, then filling it with hot mix asphalt.

Asphalt is used rather than cement, as Mark Priest, Hamilton’s roadway maintenance superintendent, explains.

“It would not adhere to an asphalt road so we use like-for-like material,” Priest said.

Then comes the process: a rake to spread it, a compactor to lock it in and a roller to smooth it out level with the road. This is done over and over again as crews take on thousands of potholes across the city.

Crews have been out since early morning as part of Hamilton’s first springtime pothole blitz.

“We are working for a 12-hour period from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. We target to do 2,000 potholes today. We have about 12 crews working across the city of Hamilton,” Priest said.

The damage is largely caused by the freeze-thaw cycle. Water seeps into cracks, freezes, expands and breaks the pavement apart.

“The reason we like to do it in spring is because temperatures have warmed up — that’s the best time to do it,” said city manager Marnie Cluckie. “We can put material down that really lasts and make sure that those pothole fixes stick.”

WATCH MORE: Potholes plague Hamilton, Niagara roads as winter damage mounts

This weekend, Mayor Andrea Horwath joined crews at Balmoral Avenue North and Barton Street, and Kenora Avenue at Barton Street East — areas getting much-needed attention.

“We’ve heard really clearly from residents that they’re getting frustrated with the shape of the roads — so am I, everybody is. So we’re here to say this blitz is gonna make a big difference,” Horwath said.

One resident said they think the work is good and told crews to “get to it.” But for some drivers, these quick fixes don’t go far enough.

“They just keep going through the same motions, you know, they open and close, open and reopen and that’s because they’re not fixing the streets properly,” another resident said.

On Barton Street East, resident Brandi Ross says the damage adds up.

“I’ve had to repair my struts every year since I got my car,” Ross said.

The city says it cannot do this alone. Residents are urged to report potholes at myhamilton.ca or call 905-546-CITY.

Once a pothole is reported, the city says crews can respond within days, with high-priority hazards fixed even faster, especially on busy roads.

On average, Hamilton repairs between 70,000 and 90,000 potholes each year.

“We had a similar pothole blitz in February and in that situation we had 2,500 potholes repaired. So we are striving to achieve the same amount,” said Vince Sferrazza, Hamilton’s director of transportation.

This year, the city is spending about $3.5 million on pothole repairs as part of a much larger $150-million infrastructure plan. For drivers, the goal is simple: fewer potholes and fewer repair bills this spring.

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