It’s a rite of spring for Canadian motorists, especially on the prairies.The annual heave and thaw wreaks havoc on highways and byways turning them into veritable Swiss cheese: full of holes.But Manitoba drivers are driving a particularly rocky road this spring after reporting more than four times the number of insurance claims from pothole damage in February, with 406 claims. That compares to 86 in the same period of last year and more than the last five years combined.Barely halfway into March and Manitoba’s Public Insurance says there are almost 100 additional claims so far this month. Most claims are for tires, but the treacherous cavities can also cause serious undercarriage and suspension damage costing thousands of dollars..With this mild winter that we've had, it's just been wild this year." Manitoba Public Insurance.“They're terrible," MPI spokesman Brent Johnson told CBC. "Usually we get a break from pothole season when it's 40 below and there's not that freeze-thaw cycle. Maybe the patching crews can catch up on things, because we're not producing so many potholes.""It's just continuous and I feel for the crews because it must feel hopeless for them, but with this mild winter that we've had, it's just been wild this year." And it’s not just Manitoba. Saskatoon is launching a pothole blitz after a particularly ornery winter that saw it buried in snow and then washed away roads as it began to melt. The city has set up an interactive reporting portal on its website to address what it says is a matter of public safety, in addition to being a pain in the rear.In Toronto, more than 22,000 potholes have been filled so far this year alone..According to a 2021 report from the Canadian Automobile Association, poor roads cost Canadian drivers more than $3 billion per year or about $1,250 over the 10-year lifespan of a car — or more than $2,500 in Quebec, which has the worst roads in the country.“When roads deteriorate, Canadians pay twice: first through higher vehicle operating costs and then through higher government spending on restoring roads,” it said.Predictably, meteorologists are blaming climate change. The El Niño weather pattern brought a so-called ‘ridge in the jet stream’ for the first time in seven years, which pushes larger amounts of warm air onto the prairies.Unseasonably warmer conditions were exacerbated by intermittent cold snaps and a near continuous cycle of freezing and thawing."There are a number of issues caused by climate change that are impacting roads," says Hassan Davani an associate professor in San Diego State University's department of civil, construction and environmental engineering. "Additional thermal stress to the pavement materials can lead to cracks and potholes. We're also experiencing more extreme flooding events, which causes a higher velocity of stream flow over the roads, resulting in more severe erosion of the pavement.".That’s compounded if the roads are in already poor shape with ruts and cracks stemming from reduced road maintenance budgets to begin with. The CAA says roughly 45% of all roads in the country rated as substandard or poor.The problem will be made worse with the proliferation of EVs, which are heavier than conventional vehicles.To wit: tire manufacturer Michelin said conventional tires on electric vehicles consume tires 20% faster than on a gas-powered car — a figure commonly cited by EV makers as well — but Goodyear also has said they could wear up to 50% faster.It means that roads have to be designed to higher standards for typical wear and tear.“Different materials, different standards, different thicknesses of materials, stronger roads … that’s what’s becoming more obvious to us now, especially with the impact of climate change and especially with the impact of more severe storms,” University of Manitoba engineering prof Ahmed Shalaby told Winnipeg radio station 680 CJOB.
