Do we have the worst paved roads in Canada?

[copynpaste]

We can all agree the roads in Calgary are terrible. Deep potholes everywhere, so many uneven roads that are just clunky as hell. Take a look at Deerfoot (our biggest freeway), its horrible compared to the other main freeways in say Van or T.O. Clunk clunk, clunk clunk every 40ft. Just look at inbetween Glenmore and 17Ave S turnoffs heading south, the third lane is about 5inches lower than the other lanes. Absolutely ridiculous. Or how about the Centre St and McKnight N intersection?

It cant be good for the car! No wonder why body shops are so busy in this city cause the terrible roads here are destroying our tires and suspensions. People can try to deny it but horrible road conditions will single handedly destroy a car over time.

[Type_S1]

Originally posted by copynpaste
We can all agree the roads in Calgary are terrible. Deep potholes everywhere, so many uneven roads that are just clunky as hell. Take a look at Deerfoot (our biggest freeway), its horrible compared to the other main freeways in say Van or T.O. Clunk clunk, clunk clunk every 40ft. Just look at inbetween Glenmore and 17Ave S turnoffs heading south, the third lane is about 5inches lower than the other lanes. Absolutely ridiculous. Or how about the Centre St and McKnight N intersection?

It cant be good for the car! No wonder why body shops are so busy in this city cause the terrible roads destroy our tires and suspensions.

On glenmore its called construction :facepalm:

But yes calgary has shitty roads I would have to agree.

[TYMSMNY]

It's because they were repaving that section, that's why that right lane is "lower".

Our weather here in Calgary doesn't help either... warm, cold, warm cold all within a few days. Unless there is a replacements for asphalt... don't see much changing. I would've thought someone would've thought of something new for making roads by now.

[Isaiah]

At least we're better off than the US:


Paved roads, historical emblems of American achievement, are being torn up across rural America and replaced with gravel or other rough surfaces as counties struggle with tight budgets and dwindling state and federal revenue. State money for local roads was cut in many places amid budget shortfalls.

In Michigan, at least 38 of the 83 counties have converted some asphalt roads to gravel in recent years. Last year, South Dakota turned at least 100 miles of asphalt road surfaces to gravel. Counties in Alabama and Pennsylvania have begun downgrading asphalt roads to cheaper chip-and-seal road, also known as “poor man’s pavement.” Some counties in Ohio are simply letting roads erode to gravel.
Source: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/why-paved-roads-are-being-converted-to-gravel/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OTB+%28Outside+The+Beltway+%7C+OTB%29

[Vanner]

^ Actually there IS a replacement for asphalt... but is rather tad more $$. I've read somewhere that the new type is partly made with rubber participles or something - can't remember?. I believe many places in European countries has such roads. Not sure about how much difference between the 2 types in paving? I knew California and some states have concrete highways there. They last longer in better shape ... but never see that in city streets, I wonder why?

Yes, I've noticed many roads in Calgary are lousy ... I guess the road crew are too busy with their pet projects! :D

[hampstor]

The grass is always greener on the other side.

[Scuderia]

Originally posted by copynpaste
We can all agree the roads in Calgary are terrible. Deep potholes everywhere, so many uneven roads that are just clunky as hell. Take a look at Deerfoot (our biggest freeway), its horrible compared to the other main freeways in say Van or T.O. Clunk clunk, clunk clunk every 40ft. Just look at inbetween Glenmore and 17Ave S turnoffs heading south, the third lane is about 5inches lower than the other lanes. Absolutely ridiculous. Or how about the Centre St and McKnight N intersection?

It cant be good for the car! No wonder why body shops are so busy in this city cause the terrible roads here are destroying our tires and suspensions. People can try to deny it but horrible road conditions will single handedly destroy a car over time.

That wouldn't make body shops busy.

[boarderfatty]

Originally posted by Vanner
^ Actually there IS a replacement for asphalt... but is rather tad more $$. I've read somewhere that the new type is partly made with rubber participles or something - can't remember?. I believe may places in European countries has such roads. Not sure about how much difference between the 2 types in paving?

Yes, I've noticed many roads in Calgary are lousy ... I guess the road crew are too busy with their pet projects! :D

They did but it didn't work out very well. a few roads in the Edmonton area had it but have since been replaced with regular asphalt. The biggest problem was the use of old rubber. Old rubber does not bond to anything, you cannot melt it down etc. So it ends up falling apart more quickly than normal asphalt.

On a side note I find Edmonton has pretty terrible roads just as bad or worse than Calgary for the most part.

[bourge73]

nope it could always be worse, just thank the big guy upstairs you dont live in Winnipeg.....

[jzz30dk]

i agree deerfoot sucks right now but it will be nice once its all done

[jjmac]

Yep...my car needs an alignment due to the uneven paving on Deerfoot.

[Supa Dexta]

Originally posted by Isaiah
[B]At least we're better off than the US:

Hardly.

I was amazed at how much road work was on the go down there this summer, and how nice the highways were, thru the 19 states I went thru anyways..

Also calgary isn't too bad compared to some rural roads, especially in the maritimes..

[adam c]

calgary roads are a god send compared to some of the roads in edmonton

[Isaiah]

Originally posted by Supa Dexta


Hardly.

I was amazed at how much road work was on the go down there this summer, and how nice the highways were, thru the 19 states I went thru anyways..

Also calgary isn't too bad compared to some rural roads, especially in the maritimes..
Did you read what came after the part you quoted?

[Scuderia]

Originally posted by Supa Dexta


Hardly.

I was amazed at how much road work was on the go down there this summer, and how nice the highways were, thru the 19 states I went thru anyways..

Also calgary isn't too bad compared to some rural roads, especially in the maritimes..
:facepalm:

[mac_82]

After living in Edmonton and Toronto, Calgary doesn't know how good they have it.

[kevie88]

Originally posted by mac_82
After living in Edmonton and Toronto, Calgary doesn't know how good they have it.

Agreed.

[88CRX]

Calgary > Edmonton > anywhere in Saskatchewan

[TYMSMNY]

Originally posted by mac_82
After living in Edmonton and Toronto, Calgary doesn't know how good they have it.

or worse... Montreal.

[nismodrifter]

^Agreed. People need to stop complaining about how bad it is.

Roads in SK are HELL... especially in the spring time when everything starts to thaw out. The potholes keep growing and growing until they start eating up cars. Crazyness.

[Alak]

Originally posted by Supa Dexta


Hardly.

I was amazed at how much road work was on the go down there this summer, and how nice the highways were, thru the 19 states I went thru anyways..


I remember driving through Idaho this summer and it was rutted so bad, you could let go of the wheel and the car would follow the road like rail tracks.

However, I noticed alot of road works in the interstate portions of the major cities, and the highways wern't bad. Whats that cheap road they use called? I donno but its LOUD on the tires. I also noticed alot of the secondary roads that run along the interstates looked like fresh ashphalt too.

[4bier]

growing up in northwestern ontario the roads here are gr8 compared to there

[riander5]

Don't complain about Calgary till you have lived with sask roads

[revelations]

I still think roads in Saskatoon and Regina are BETTER than in Winnipeg - even our rental SUVs were taking a beating after spending a week there.

Oh and the left turn lanes in Winnipeg - hope your passenger side mirror is the fold-away variety.

[Redlyne_mr2]

We actually have nice roads here in Calgary compared to other Canadian cities.

[adam c]

i don't know if it's me or what, but i have a hard time with traction in vancouver, especially if the roads are wet, been there with 3 different cars and i can slide with ease

[black13]

yea I used to complain about Calgary roads but compared to Edmonton and places, plus considerering the extreme weather we have, its not bad.

Deerfoot should be nice once its finished and they're fixing mknight near center as well so its getting better.

The SE industrial area is the worst though, especially the train track crossings on glenmore/52/etc...

[revelations]

Originally posted by 4bier
growing up in northwestern ontario the roads here are gr8 compared to there

You mean like around Red Lake and Geraldton? Those highways are paved better than some race tracks....

[Hash_man]

Originally posted by 88CRX
Calgary > Edmonton > anywhere in Saskatchewan

Was just going to say this... Was in Sask last weekend and holy shit are roads bad. Driving on a 35 series tire in sask is scary stuff.

[4bier]

Originally posted by revelations


You mean like around Red Lake and Geraldton? Those highways are paved better than some race tracks.... thunder bay,fort, nipigon all over that region

[revelations]

Originally posted by 4bier
thunder bay,fort, nipigon all over that region

Ya we spent a few days in tbay. Roads werent great in the city, but nothing compared to Winnipeg for example....

[jsn]

:werd: after visiting saskatoon, I don't think I can find anything to complain about in Calgary.

[ReflexFX]

Lol, whitemud in edmonton was a shitshow last time I went to edmonton a few weeks ago

[sevewone]

I never thought deerfoot was THAAT bad, old bowness was really the worst in my mind. Id have to agree about the Winnipeg comment, they have the WORST roads...used to live there..and whever I visit, its as if they have 3 people working on all the roads in the city.
As long as you dont have an oil pan an inch from the ground, just swerve for potholes!

[Zhariak]

I used to think the roads here were bad until I went to Regina and Saskatoon.

I was scared for my vehicle!

[Jay911]

Originally posted by copynpaste
Do we have the worst paved roads in Canada?

Know how I know you've never, ever been to Newfoundland?

[CapnCrunch]

I'd be happy if they figured out how to make the manhole covers flush with the pavement.

[bourge73]

my hometowns ahh, ya they are bad but seriously winnipeg is close to 3rd world.

[Muji]

The real cost of fuel ought to include the real cost of maintaining proper roads. One wonders what the ratio is? Anyone who thinks the roads in Canada are third world, has never beed to any developing country. One can blame heavy vehicles for plenty of the crap highways and city roads. And we need these trucks for our goods, so what to do?

Double the price of fuel and get the roads repaired.

In Canada we have the greatest extreme in weather conditions, like our buildings, our roads and cars take a beating. This is why car makers use Canada for testing purposes, hot, extreme cold, etc.

Best roads I have found, Japan and Germany, that includes major and minor roads.

[heavyD]

I think the OP needs to do some travelling as Calgary roads are above average for North America especially considering our climate.

The only real annoyance to me is that it's impossible to go anywhere without running into road construction. The city rips up long stretches leaving protruding manholes for weeks/months before they get around to paving. You have to pay attention if you are running low profile tires on expensive wheels.

[beyond_ban]

There isn't much we can do about our roads to make them better considering how crazy our weather is here. Sure, if you are driving through Arizona or California you are going to have pretty amazing roads, but they also do not see the ridiculous changes of temperature and the freeze/thaw that we get here.

All things considered, our roads are pretty good.

[sillysod]

Our roads actually are pretty good, however I have never seen a city that drags shit out so long.

YOu go to the US and they pave something like deerfoot in a night.

Here they start, say fuck it for what 2 months now? and then when they get a round to it they will finish.

I had to take the rims off my car because that fucking lip on deerfoot fucked up a sidewall on one of my tires. :banghead: How can they just leave it like this for months? I'm surprised nobody bit it on a bike yet there.

[adam c]

Originally posted by sillysod
Our roads actually are pretty good, however I have never seen a city that drags shit out so long.

YOu go to the US and they pave something like deerfoot in a night.

Here they start, say fuck it for what 2 months now? and then when they get a round to it they will finish.

I had to take the rims off my car because that fucking lip on deerfoot fucked up a sidewall on one of my tires. :banghead: How can they just leave it like this for months? I'm surprised nobody bit it on a bike yet there.

again, go to Edmonton, they have been working on the whitemud bridge for at least 2 years now, in the time it took calgary to make the ring road that we have now, it took edmonton to build 1 interchange on the anthony henday

[kenny]

Originally posted by Jay911


Know how I know you've never, ever been to Newfoundland?

:rofl:

I rented a car there and wondered why they kept recommending I upgrade to a jeep or SUV. Giant potholes everywhere.

The roads in Calgary are really good compared to many cities. I think our freeze/thaw cycle forces our roads dept. to constantly repave our roads, and thus they are always pretty smooth whereas other cities just let their roads fall apart before they are repaved.

[lesreynolds]

Originally posted by sillysod
Our roads actually are pretty good, however I have never seen a city that drags shit out so long.

YOu go to the US and they pave something like deerfoot in a night.

Here they start, say fuck it for what 2 months now? and then when they get a round to it they will finish.

I had to take the rims off my car because that fucking lip on deerfoot fucked up a sidewall on one of my tires. :banghead: How can they just leave it like this for months? I'm surprised nobody bit it on a bike yet there.

lol on that note I was riding my bike from my GF house in the south and saw that lip and I was thinking to myself well fuck this could go very good or very very badly. Then just when I was about to attempt the merge the road evened out and I was able to get into the middle lane. Needless to say I was saying my praises because I was puckering up my ass for a painful event.

[88CRX]

Originally posted by sillysod

Here they start, say fuck it for what 2 months now? and then when they get a round to it they will finish.

I had to take the rims off my car because that fucking lip on deerfoot fucked up a sidewall on one of my tires. :banghead: How can they just leave it like this for months? I'm surprised nobody bit it on a bike yet there.

This!

How can they or why are they leaving so damn long to finish!

[Kennyredline]

Originally posted by kenny


:rofl:

I rented a car there and wondered why they kept recommending I upgrade to a jeep or SUV. Giant potholes everywhere.

The roads in Calgary are really good compared to many cities. I think our freeze/thaw cycle forces our roads dept. to constantly repave our roads, and thus they are always pretty smooth whereas other cities just let their roads fall apart before they are repaved.
Nova Scotia is the same; the patches on the asphalt are like rings in a tree, you can tell what year the hole was re-filled....

[adam c]

what i don't understand is why they are repaving it again, IIRC they just did this 3 years ago, i still remember the stupid signs

"Expect Major Delays, Sorry but this has to be done"

[civic_stylez]

Originally posted by 88CRX


This!

How can they or why are they leaving so damn long to finish!

Cant pave wet roads!!! Its the weather thats fucking everything up...

[sputnik]

Originally posted by riander5
Don't complain about Calgary till you have lived anywhere else in Canada

Fixed.

[speedog]

Originally posted by adam c
what i don't understand is why they are repaving it again, IIRC they just did this 3 years ago, i still remember the stupid signs

"Expect Major Delays, Sorry but this has to be done" Umm, south end of Deerfoot where they're paving has been always concrete except for a little section just around Peigan Trail. This will be the first pavement this particular south section of Deerfoot has ever seen.

[codetrap]

Originally posted by sillysod
Our roads actually are pretty good, however I have never seen a city that drags shit out so long.

YOu go to the US and they pave something like deerfoot in a night.

Here they start, say fuck it for what 2 months now? and then when they get a round to it they will finish.

I had to take the rims off my car because that fucking lip on deerfoot fucked up a sidewall on one of my tires. :banghead: How can they just leave it like this for months? I'm surprised nobody bit it on a bike yet there.

Really? How did it fuck up your sidewall?

[sillysod]

25 profile tires.... went up the bump and heard the rim touch.

When I got to work big blister on sidewall. Replaced the tire the next day and went to the winter wheels until this is fixed.

[Swank]

Originally posted by CapnCrunch
I'd be happy if they figured out how to make the manhole covers flush with the pavement.

Or better yet, build the manholes in the middle of the lane instead of inline with where your wheels go. I play manhole slalom all the time and am baffled why better planning couldn't have gone into their placement.

[911fever]

no you don't, go to Winnipeg :rofl:

[copynpaste]

Originally posted by CapnCrunch
I'd be happy if they figured out how to make the manhole covers flush with the pavement.

I agree and not have them stick out 4 ft. :thumbsdow


Originally posted by sillysod
25 profile tires.... went up the bump and heard the rim touch.

When I got to work big blister on sidewall. Replaced the tire the next day and went to the winter wheels until this is fixed.

where on deerfoot is this lip you speak of?


Originally posted by Swank


Or better yet, build the manholes in the middle of the lane instead of inline with where your wheels go. I play manhole slalom all the time and am baffled why better planning couldn't have gone into their placement.

Ive never understood this either. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that manholes should be in the middle of the lanes and not right where the tires drive over. Im always looking for them and driving around not over them. People always think im wierd but i dont care. You constantly hit those 3ft high or 3ft deep manholes and you will need new suspensions in no time.

[Isaiah]

Originally posted by copynpaste
where on deerfoot is this lip you speak of?
Where on Deerfoot is there NOT a 2.5" lip between the lanes?

[inline6turbo]

I really have never understood all the threads complaining about our roads and how "Bad" they are.

I've driven over half our country and a large majority of the united states and am very thankful for our roads and all the projects to better them.

You whine about terrible intersections for years, then when they dig it up and make overpasses you whine about construction and traffic.

You whine about potholes and rutted roads then whine about the lip from lane to lane when they repave it.


You haven't seen terrible roads until you go to Winnipeg, where I grew up. Roads were so bad their tree roots would rise clear out of the pavement and remain that way, untouched, for decades. Curbs barely exist in the old residential areas, just broken pavement turns into grass. Don't even try to rollerblade down the sidewalks unless you're trying to miss school due to a broken leg.


Whine less, travel more, be thankful for what you have.

[tenth]

x100 on Winnipeg being many, many, many times worse than the roads here. Calgary's roads are in great shape for Canada.

[911fever]

the GTA has twice better roads than Calgary, but I think it's because our climate is warmer here. Winnipeg is the worst by far.

[Cooked Rice]

It's actually not that bad. We just all like driving slammed cars, riding on coil overs with spring rates meant for a F1 circuit.

[Hakkola]

Originally posted by Isaiah

Where on Deerfoot is there NOT a 2.5" lip between the lanes?
No kidding, you'd have to be blind to see it, unless you're staying in the far left lane where all the construction is, there must be a few km of this lip in either direction.

[blueToy]

Originally posted by inline6turbo



Whine less, travel more, be thankful for what you have.



That pearl of wisdom deserves another showing . Thanks !


As for the roads , there are many variables that come into play . Sometimes the designers and engineers make mistakes . Sometimes its the surveyors or builders . I've worked on roads where all the gravel we laid down failed , but we still used it for political reasons , and to be honest they still seem to be holding up well .

A few other things as well .

Money . This city has had a lot of good times , and lots of times where budgets get very thin and lean . Obviously , when times are crappy , those with the power try and save money by cutting corners , and in the long run , we end up suffering the effects . Sometimes , its new graduates that work for developers who scrimp and try to maximize profits . End results are roads that look good when finished , but over time they fall apart .

Weather . Its been said before , Calgary and most of our country suffers from major freeze and thaw cycles . Not only is it bad for roads , but makes building them very difficult . Expensive too compared to other countries where the weather is more moderate .

Geography . Calgary is located in a area that , although you don't see it , some roads are built on old marshes , bogs or even muskeg like areas . Some areas have a natural high water table , and even with extra base material , they still turn to crap after a few years . The Deerfoot is a good example . A huge section of it has a high water table , and they never designed or built a proper drainage for it . Hence , concrete that buckles every 40 feet . The retrofit to fix the problem after it's built and being used is costly , not to mention most folks have zero patience when it comes to road construction , so we live with a subpar road .

Another thing I learned along the way , is that some folks in the power don't want perfect roads . Now to be honest , this didn't happen in Calgary , but in some cases it may still apply here . I questioned a decision to repair a road a certain way ( to make it better ) and was told straight out they don't want to make it perfect because then folks go faster and it makes it more dangerous and they'd end up with more crashes . . I told them to lower the speed limit , but they just said they don't have the manpower to enforce it and folks mostly drive not to the speed limit but to how fast the road will let them go before they they either scare themselves or crash . So ... let the road turn to crap and most folks just slow down naturally for fear of either wrecking their car or crashing . Crazy ....

One more . Weight limits for trucks and even buses have increased in a big way over the last thirty years and some road weren't designed or built for it . I'm sure we've all seen the buckling asphalt , especially at intersection and or hills .


So , if you're still awake , probably the biggest factor for crappy roads in this city is money , or lack of it . We should just all be happy we don't have the tolls that some cities do . I'd be all for it if they had no speed limits on them like in Germany , but , sadly , that will never happen in this super conservative town .