Spring Operations
The nature of road maintenance changes with the seasons throughout Muskoka. Each spring, as snow plowing, sanding and salting come to an end, our roads crews adjust the way our road network is maintained. Moving away from winter control to repairing the effects of freeze-thaw cycles and increase in water levels on our roadways becomes an emerging priority. As the District, Towns and Townships look to repair winter and spring damage to the roadways, we also put weight restrictions in place on certain roads to provide some additional protection as we move through the spring frost melt.
| How do potholes form? |
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Every spring, we see an increase in potholes throughout the province. Potholes typically form in areas of the road where water has been able to penetrate through cracks in the pavement. When this water freezes, it expands and can cause the cracks to widen. As vehicles drive over the weakened pavement, the weight and impact can cause chunks of the pavement to break away, eventually creating a depression or hole in the road surface. Over time, traffic and freeze and thaw cycles can further worsen the damage, creating larger and deeper potholes. Potholes are typically repaired with a cold-mix, temporary patch during the winter and early spring until hot-mix asphalt is available. Once the asphalt plants are up and running for the season, we look to provide more permanent repairs through complete road resurfacing, localized base and surface repairs or fixing any areas with longer lasting material to get us through summer. Engineering staff at the District drive our entire road network each spring to review road conditions throughout the District and assist in the development for short, medium and long-term repair strategies. A list of our larger capital and maintenance plans for 2023 and any 2022 carry-over work is available on our website at: https://www.muskoka.on.ca/en/roads-and-transportation/road-construction-and-closures.aspx |
| What are half-loads? |
| Spring half load restrictions, known commonly as half-loads, are measures put in place during the spring thaw period while frost comes out of the ground. During this time, warmer temperatures cause the ground to thaw which means the road base is saturated. This can weaken the road surface and make it vulnerable to damage from heavy vehicles- particularly in low-lying, swampy areas. Half-loads, limit the weight of vehicles allowed on certain roads and highways during the spring thaw period. The restrictions are typically put in place from late winter through early spring, depending on local conditions and weather patterns. Exemptions from spring half load restrictions may be granted for emergency vehicles, farm equipment, and other essential services. Violating the restrictions can result in fines and other penalties. Spring half load restrictions are an important measure to help protect roads and highways during the vulnerable spring thaw period, ensuring that they remain safe and usable for all road users. More information on which roads have half-load restrictions as well as when they are in effect can be found here: https://www.muskoka.on.ca/en/roads-and-transportation/load-restrictions.aspx |
| How do you know when it's time to fix a pothole? |
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Maintenance on our municipal roadways is governed by Ontario Regulation 239/02 - the Minimum Maintenance Standards (or MMS). These standards refer to the set of guidelines and requirements established to ensure the safe, efficient and economical operation of our roadways. Levels of service for each roadway is based on the MMS Road Class which considers both the posted speed limit and traffic volume. Higher speed, higher volume roads require more frequent inspections and have shorter repair timelines when compared to lower speed, lower volume roads. The MMS outline the minimum level of maintenance required for roads, including everything from snow and ice removal to regular pavement repair and maintenance. The specific requirements and guidelines included in the standards include such things as:
Having these maintenance standards in place allows us to ensure that roads are maintained to a safe and effective standard, reducing the risk of accidents and minimizing damage to vehicles. These standards also help to establish a baseline level of maintenance that can be expected by drivers and other road users, which can help to improve overall road safety and usability. |
Updates
No new updates as of May 2023.
Other Seasonal Operations
| Summer Operations | ||||||||||||
Summer OperationsUpdatesNo new updates as of May 2023. |
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| Fall Operations | ||||||||||||
Fall OperationsUpdatesNo new updates as of May 2023. |
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| Winter Operations | ||||||||||||
Winter OperationsDistrict road crews and our partners from the Area Municipalities and Fowler are hard at work clearing and plowing District roadways across Muskoka. Due to conditions, our winter maintenance operations are going a little slower than usual. We are deploying additional equipment, and existing trucks and plows will also extend their work to provide additional support to help get the work done as quickly and safely as possible. We thank drivers for their patience, as it takes significant time for our crews to travel and clear the 730 kilometres of District roadways to the maintenance standards required. Crews are hard at work to get this work done.
Updates
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