The County preserves and repairs urban and rural roads to ensure safe travel for all road users. Methods include pothole patching, crack sealing, microsurfacing and blade patching. 

Pothole patching 

Once the snow has melted, the County continuously monitors and identifies potholes that require repair.  

To help prioritize the work, potholes are fixed in the following order: 

1. High-speed, high-traffic roads 
2. Collector roads (bus routes) 
3. Residential streets 

Pothole repairs in early spring are a temporary fix. Permanent solutions will not work until the weather is consistently warmer and the roads have dried out—typically beginning in May.  

Highways are maintained by the province 

The province of Alberta is responsible for repairing potholes and other road issues on provincial highways within Strathcona County. Examples include Highway 16 (Yellowhead Trail), Highway 21, Highway 14, Highway 824 and Highway 630 (Wye Road east of Highway 21). Service on these roads is carried out by government contractors. 

Repair methods 

Repair methods to help extend the lifespan of a road surface before rehabilitation is required include: 

• Crack sealing – Fills cracks with a sealant to prevent water from getting into the road, which can cause more damage. 
• Microsurfacing - Applies an oil coating on top of asphalt roads to help extend the life of the road.   
• Blade patching – Applies a thin layer of asphalt over a large area to fill potholes and seal the surface.

Annual maintenance and rehabilitation programs 

When a road requires more than just surface repairs, the County prioritizes and schedules the work as part of an annual program: 

This includes: 

• Rural Road Rehabilitation program – Roads within rural subdivisions and Class II grid roads 
• Gravel Road Rehabilitation program – Dust-controlled and loose gravel roads 
• Residential Road Rehabilitation program – Roads and sidewalks within Sherwood Park 
• Arterial Road Rehabilitation program – Asphalt and concrete improvements on major roads within Sherwood Park 

Further information: