MOOSE JAW — City administration plans to purchase two machines to help repair potholes, with that equipment capable of filling those pesky divots even during the winter.
During its Dec. 16 regular meeting, city council voted unanimously to purchase a KM T-2 asphalt recycler machine from Acheson, Alta.-based Industrial Machine Inc. for $102,890 as part of a sole-source contract. Moreover, it approved $30,000 for a KM International KM 2-18X infrared heater that administration would acquire through requests for quotes.
Also, administration must establish and communicate measurable performance indicators for pothole and excavation repairs by May 1 and must report the results of those indicators and efforts to recycle asphalt by Q4 2025.
Both machines will be funded through the sale of other equipment.
As of Dec. 16, equipment sales had generated $215,000 in revenue, while total sales by Dec. 31 were expected to be $222,586.89. Those additional funds would be directed to the equipment reserve account for future purchases.
Potholes, potholes, potholes
City crews fill 5,000 to 8,000 potholes annually, and while they complete this work year-round, they are limited by snow cover on roads and the availability of hot-mix asphalt, a council report said.
In 2024, crews filled more than 5,100 potholes, completed 86 excavations and other significant repairs, and performed limited rehabilitation on the Thunderbird Viaduct, the report continued. Crews used 1,822 tonnes of hot-mix asphalt during this year’s construction season, while from January to April, they filled — albeit temporarily — 1,083 potholes using 250 tonnes of cold mix.
Therefore, roughly 21 per cent of potholes were filled with cold-mix material, while cold-mix asphalt represented 12 per cent of all materials used.
The machines
An asphalt recycler heats and remixes recycled or reclaimed milled asphalt, allowing crews to apply the material on roads, and with the unit trailer-pulled, crews can take it to sites and deliver 3.6 tonnes per hour when fully operational, the report said.
This machine would allow the city to produce asphalt for $24 per tonne instead of $145 per tonne, produce asphalt to reflect scheduling and quantity needs year-round and reuse recycled material.
In 2024, the city used 2,072 tonnes of hot- and cold-mix asphalt for roughly $300,440. Meanwhile, it retained roughly 10,000 tonnes of milled and reclaimed asphalt from road renewal projects that it can use in the future.
Meanwhile, an infrared heater quickly and safely heats existing asphalt, resulting in hot, reworkable, dry and clean asphalt that ensures the new asphalt can adhere to the pavement down to 5 C, the document continued.
“Reheating existing asphalt will minimize the need for new material and significantly improve the quality of work that roadways can deliver,” the report added.
Administration comments
“Basically, we’re running our own mobile (heating) plant … . We’re able to create our own supply. That can be fed from the recycler direct to the ground or from the recycler to our pothole trucks,” said Bevan Harlton, director of operations. “And — barring snow — (we’re) closing off that six-month period where we don’t have the plant online.”
Harlton agreed that using an infrared heater made it easier to apply stronger, longer-lasting patches that could be applied earlier in the year.
Meanwhile, staff would undergo significant training to use it safely since this was new equipment. However, Harlton was unsure whether the machine could be used on the Thunderbird Viaduct because it weighed 9,950 pounds, while the bridge had a 10-ton limit.
Council’s comments
Coun. Dawn Luhning questioned the number of potholes crews filled this year, whether city hall knew if those repairs were effective and whether it was following up on complaints generated throughout the year. In light of the number of potholes filled, she also expressed frustration about an attempt she made in June 2023 — but failed to pass — to have the city hire a contractor to repair more of the pavement divots.
Harlton replied that the municipality hired a contractor this year to provide supplementary road repairs.
“With ratepayers, it doesn’t matter what caused the hole in the road. They want it fixed,” he said. “So that’s something we will continue into next year.”
Harlton added that his department could bring forward a report about how it assesses roads and key performance indicators (KPIs) used to repair roads.
Coun. Chris Warren appreciated that administration was using new technology to enhance service levels and was using recyclable material, considering residents were “super interested in road repairs.” He also appreciated hearing that administration may use KPIs to prioritize where repairs occur, how many potholes are filled annually, the amount of tonnage used and repair timelines.
“We all know some of the benefits (using KPIs for road repairs),” he said, such as communicating priorities to staff and citizens, measuring results, identifying challenges, gaps or successes and using data to make better decisions.
Said Coun. Patrick Boyle, “The more we can get done sooner … is better for everybody … . I think there’ll be a measurable difference in what you’ll see on the streets and roads.”
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.
