‘Challenging’: Regina road crews working to address ruts caused by mid-winter thaw

The freeze-thaw cycle has threatened to play havoc with roofs and foundations in Regina, and it’s causing problems on residential streets with rutting as well.

Residents across the city have been seeing deep rutting on residential roads as the weather softened up snow and ice. Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski said crews have been doing their best to deal with the roads.

Read more:

• VIDEO: Prince of Wales extension possible part of plans for Regina’s Arcola corridor
• Regina to seek provincial permission for alternative ways to raise funds
• ‘Take the math seriously’: Regina City Council approves final budget, nearly 11% tax hike

“When we get these freeze-thaws, it is incredibly challenging to keep up with, the types of ruts that come from that,” he explained, adding that it’s not an easy thing to manage.

Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski said rutting on residential streets isn’t easy to manage. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

Daryl Massier, Regina’s roadways seasonal operations manager, said the city runs its ice-shaving program when the ruts start to become an issue.

“We use an underbelly plow, and it goes around the city streets actually shaving the tops off the ruts,” he said.

The road crews have so far been prioritizing the work to focus on the roads with the worst ruts.

“For things like the outskirts of the city that get more wind, and hence get more snow, we kind of concentrate on those and then work our way into the city,” explained Massier.

He said the crews will go out and do the roads they know need to be addressed every year, calling them “frequent flyers,” but he noted that the city will also address service requests if someone calls in to report an area that’s particularly bad.

“We send our team out to inspect, and then they put them on the list accordingly,” said Massier.

He said ruts reported by residents will likely be addressed within a few days.

–with files from 980 CJME’s Geoff Smith