Sudbury’s pothole season is here as freeze/thaw cycle begins

The recent spate of warm weather, followed by a freeze up, means pothole season is off to an early start in Sudbury.

The warmer weather and sunshine at this time of year is a welcome sight for many, but the freeze/thaw cycle also means it’s pothole season.

City and contract crews are out on area roadways making temporary repairs that will be fixed permanently during construction season.

We caught up with city contractor Comet Construction making stop after stop along Regent Street, filling potholes.

The city said the material being used right now is a temporary fix.

“As much as we can predominately use recycled asphalt and depending on availability of resources, we may have to switch to cold mix but they are both what we consider temporary solutions,” said Dan Thibeault, Sudbury’s manager of LIS Tech Support Services.

“And then in the summertime, we try to go back to those spots, properly cut out those locations and fill them with a hot mix for a more permanent solution.”

Thibeault said the freeze/thaw cycle is what causes the pavement to weaken.

“During the day when it is warm like this, the snow is melting, creating some water,” he said.

“Water would penetrate the cracks in the road and then at night when the temperature dips below zero, that water freezes and expands and then causing the road to start failing. And then that gets exaggerated by traffic driving over those spots weakening the asphalt.”

In 2024, crews repaired 56,000 potholes across Greater Sudbury, which has 3,000 kilometres of paved road.

The city confirmed it does have a claims process for damage to vehicles caused by potholes.

It referred us to its website where claims can be made.

The city’s website states people should consult their insurer first and that claims to the city must be made within 10 days from the date of damage.