Victoria drivers fed up with potholes in the city could find fewer of them in the future thanks to AI.
The City of Victoria is conducting a pilot program using pothole-finding software to scan roads for damage to help locate and fix potholes as they develop.
The city says it assesses conditions on its 279 kilometres of roads every three years and the software program will help increase the number of potholes that are repaired.
“Whether you cycle, take the bus or drive, safe, resilient and quality roads are a priority for the city,” said Philip Bellefontaine, the city’s director of engineering and public works, in a statement. “Last year, we paved more than any other year in the city’s history and are set to pave even more in 2023. We are always looking for innovative ways to increase efficiency and better prioritize our road repairs and this new software suite is another tool we have to keep our road network in good shape.”
Most road repairs use 100 per cent recycled asphalt from the city’s own asphalt plant to “reduce costs, carbon emissions and the reliance on newly extracted material sources,” said a news release.
Potholes occur when asphalt is weakened by the freezing and thawing of water in the roads and cracks under the weight of moving traffic. Seasonal road damage, coupled with more frequent and extreme high temperatures and the age of much of Victoria’s road network has negatively impacted the overall condition of roads.
The public is encouraged to report potholes to public works by calling 250.361.0400 or emailing pw@victoria.ca.
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