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Whyte Ridge Road Maintenance

Aug 27, 2021

I’d like to provide an update on street maintenance. I know this is an issue ‘near and dear’ to residents throughout the entire city. It is also a topic that often needs a bit more explanation as to why some streets and not others.

Every year the public works department conducts a review of streets – and identify and categorize the street conditions and then go about prioritizing repairs. The Waverley West ward has two neighbourhoods with older streets, Whyte Ridge and Waverley Heights. These are the neighbourhoods the public works department is focusing on. I know many folks think more ‘focus’ is needed – but, as a City we have to spread the investments around. There are many many areas that have much older roads which are even in worse condition.

  • Waverley West currently receives approximately 3% of the residential street renewal budget.
  • The need for street renewals is generally limited to Whyte Ridge and Waverley Heights.
  • Streets Maintenance currently allot approximately 8.5% of the thin bitumen’s overlay program (maintenance) to Waverley West.

The Public Works Department also responds to calls from residents – about potholes, protruding rebar and other serious issues that can emerge over a winter.

PLEASE NOTE: these types of smaller maintenance repairs are often done later in the construction season. I.e.: the recent patching of a service road along Scurfield, and others that are occurring over the next few weeks. The goal is to get the bulk of the larger road construction projects well underway before smaller patch jobs occur.

The City rates the condition of all our pavements on a two to three year cycle. Several factors may be considered when prioritizing street renewals, including:

  • Street classification (regional, collector, industrial, residential or alley)
  • Surface type (asphalt, gravel, concrete)
  • Usage – i.e.: service roads are low priority compared to a regional road like Kenaston
  • Pavement condition
  • Renewal treatment (cost/benefit)
  • Pavement age
  • Coordination with other stakeholders (e.g. Water & Waste)
  • Bus route
  • Truck route
  • Proximity to schools / recreational facilities / retirement facilities
  • Available budget
  • Development in the area
  • Continuity of routes (e.g. extend a renewal to complete a section)

The success of a cost-effective pavement renewal program is the application of the right treatment to the right pavement at the right time.

In addition to renewing very poor pavements, the City applies less costly treatments to extend the service life of good and fair pavements rather than waiting until more expensive treatments are required. This is why sometimes you see a street that looks in good condition undergoing maintenance – it can be confusing when one street over you see another street in horrific condition. Some are life extending maintenance treatments and others require a complete reconstruction. Think of the different types of repairs that are made on your home or vehicle, ie: some are partial repairs, some are complete overhauls, and some are repairs to extend the life longer. Many factors are taken into consideration when determining the correct street maintenance – see an excellent overview here.

In the last three years, these Whyte Ridge streets have had significant maintenance treatments:

  • Wittenberg Rd from Fleetwood Rd to Scurfield Blvd
  • Pincarrow Rd from Scurfield Blvd to Eglinton Cr
  • Meadowbank Rd from Marygrove Cr to Columbia Dr
  • Marygrove Cr from Columbia Dr to Columbia Dr
  • Leamington Gt from Burlington Wy to Columbia Dr
  • Scurfield Bv from Columbia Dr to Portwood Rd
  • Pincarrow Rd from Scurfield Blvd to Eglinton Cr

I know there are others that require significant repairs, some of the cul-de-sacs are crumbling and will be considered for future renewals, some of the service roads are in very rough shape, and will be patched. The prioritization though is for streets that service great volumes of traffic.

If you have any questions or concerns, please ask. If you have some streets that are in rough condition, please report. There are street inspectors that travel around, but sometimes street conditions can rapidly change.