Freeze-thaw leads to bumpy roads, potholes on P.E.I. roads

Some P.E.I roads may feel a little bit bumpy after a recent freeze-thaw cycle, with some rough spotsanda wash board effect, where vehicles go through a series of up and down bumps in the road.

"Just part of life in a northern climate," said Paul Johnston, the manager of Public Works for the City of Charlottetown.

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Johnston said frost in the ground, combined with water in the soilcan cause heaving it affects some areas more than others.

His department is monitoring a few spots here and there, but he said while it may feel bad for drivers, overall city road conditions are decent.

"I think they are pretty good, there are some defects here and there," he said. He said the lack of snow may also make cracks in the road more visible to drivers.

"If anybody has an isolated location that they want to let us know about, they can call the Public Works office and we'll go take a look," said Johnston.

'They're pretty bumpy all over the place'

Kerry Smith said he's noticed the bumps. He has a flooring installation business and spends a lot of his day driving.

"They're heaving really bad I find this year," he said, adding he's slowed down his driving so as not to damage his van.

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"They're pretty bumpy all over the place really, a lot of the side roads and stuff."

He tries to slow down so asnot to damage his van.

More to come

Johnston said real pothole season typically comes in March, and roads are expected to level out once the frost leaves the ground.

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