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SINGAPORE: Ms. Zuraida Abdul Rahman Gulam and her family were on their way home from a late dinner on Sunday night (January 10) when they literally hit a pothole in the road.
While driving in the left-most lane on the Pan Island Expressway toward Tuas, Ms. Zuraida’s husband ran into a pothole just before the Tampines exit. The loud thump set off an “intense” commotion, Zuraida said.
“It was a road, and that made it even more terrifying to have hit something at that speed, with that kind of impact and noise,” the 40-year-old cabin crew told CNA.
“If it weren’t for the car’s downward motion, it could have been mistaken for a fall landing on top of the car.”
Ms. Zuraida said that her two children sitting in the back were “stunned” and kept asking if they had hit something. By then it was drizzling, the roads were wet, and there was more to come.
As her husband exited and approached the first left turn on Tampines Avenue 1, the road surface, which was covered in puddles, became even more difficult to see. That’s when he hit another pothole.
“I really thought my husband hit a rock or a fallen branch,” Ms. Zuraida said of the second jolt. “We were grateful that we made it home safely.”
When they got home, they saw that the left front tire was flat and the wheel rim was dented and cracked.
Ms. Zuraida’s husband took his father’s car and returned to both potholes to take pictures, eager to see what could have caused such damage. One of the photographs shows that the second pothole was large enough to fit a medium-sized umbrella.
The size of the pothole along Tampines Avenue 5 relative to an umbrella. (Photo: Facebook / Zuraida Abdul Rahman Gulam)
WET WEATHER AND FORMATION OF WELLS
Ms Zuraida’s account comes as Singapore is experiencing a period of rain since late last month due to monsoon storm surges in the region. The wet conditions contribute to potholes, civil engineers told CNA.
The Land Transportation Authority (LTA) said on Friday (January 15) that the number of potholes detected in January so far is double the monthly average detected in 2020, attributing this peak to “prolonged wet weather” in recent weeks.
The potholes in the roads begin as cracks in the road surface, which occur as part of normal wear and tear, the authority told CNA.
“These do not normally cause problems: motorists can continue to travel safely and LTA repairs these cracks as part of our regular highway inspection, maintenance and resurfacing regime,” he said.
But with the prolonged heavy downpour in recent weeks, more water is seeping through these cracks, LTA said.
“The continuous movement of vehicles on the road pavement causes water to seep more into the cracks, causing the cracks to widen,” he explained. “In some cases, they turn into potholes.”
READ: Cracks along Adam Road caused by water that had ‘collected on the side of the road’: LTA
These cracks expose the road’s base layer of dense granite stones, said transportation engineering consultant Gopinath Menon. The stones are “scattered by moving vehicles, creating holes in the road,” he added.
Continued pressure from vehicles further weakens the road’s already damaged foundations, causing potholes to “get bigger and bigger,” said Rajan Krishnan, chief executive of construction company KTC Group.
After encountering two potholes, Ms. Zuraida said they ended up spending S $ 700 to replace the tire and all four tires because they were only sold in one set, and it was almost impossible to find a replacement tire with the same size, color and tires. specs.
She has reported the incident to LTA.
“I really hope the LTA can and would compensate (for) the damage,” he added. “Everywhere, people post similar incidents.”
A series of photos was posted on the ROADS.sg Facebook page on Wednesday, showing potholes at different locations, from Sims Avenue to Shenton Way.
The post has attracted more than 1,900 shares and 700 comments, with some netizens saying they have seen potholes in other areas and lament the current state of Singapore’s roads.
GrabFood passenger Mr. Mar, 27, told CNA he hit a pothole Saturday night when he was shipping his 15th order of the day to Pasir Ris amid a torrential downpour.
Mr. Mar, who only wanted to be known by his first name, was walking down Tampines Avenue 7, near the old Tampines Junior College, when he felt a “sudden thud.” He managed to stabilize his motorcycle and prevent it from skidding.
“Visibility was poor and the pothole was full of water,” he said, relieved that both he and his motorcycle were unharmed. “Luckily, nothing happened.”
The LTA said that all reported road defects are generally rectified “as soon as possible.”
“LTA will first temporarily repair the pothole for safety, assess the condition of the road and organize a more permanent solution, such as localized resurfacing of the road after the rainy season,” he added.
HOW THE PHOTOS ARE SET
To fix the potholes, Krishnan said workers must first cut the asphalt surface and excavate the base to clean all the water.
“Then they will put in a new base, compact the stones properly and reseal them with asphalt,” he said. “Small potholes can be fixed in a couple of hours.”
However, Mr. Menon said this process is difficult to carry out during heavy rains.
Highway maintenance crew tending a pothole at the junction of Paya Lebar Road and Sims Avenue on January 12, 2021. (Photos: CNA reader)
When asked if there was any way to prevent potholes from forming in the first place, Krishnan said that “they will surely happen here and there”, given that Singapore has thousands of kilometers of roads.
“There is no perfect situation anywhere,” he said.
“Roads are subject to a heavy traffic load every hour of the day … so even the smallest cracks can grow very fast, especially during rainy weather when there is water everywhere.”
READ: LTA to add safety features, resurface road along PIE near Upper Bukit Timah after skid accidents
Despite that, Menon said the quality of road surface materials and construction techniques have improved over the years, resulting in a more durable road surface.
“Potholes are rarely seen on our roads and when they do appear, highway inspection teams make sure potholes are quickly patched,” he said.
SLOW DOWN
With the recent wet weather, motorists should slow down in rainy conditions in case they encounter potholes that have not been repaired, said the Chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council, Bernard Tay.
“There may be other potholes very close to each other,” he said, noting that visibility is already poor. “You can’t drive at normal speed.”
Mr. Tay advised motorists to maintain their vehicles properly, including the windshield wipers and tires. Tires with the wrong pressure could cause more damage when hitting a pothole, he said.
READ: Comment: What happened to caution and kindness on the roads?
As for motorcyclists, Tay encouraged them to wait under a rain shelter or to be “very careful” as potholes are especially dangerous for their vehicles.
“If they go through it suddenly, it could throw the vehicle out of balance and cause them to hit the road,” he said. “You have to be alert on two wheels.”
Slowing down will also minimize any potential damage from going over potholes, he said, noting that not all insurance policies will cover the cost of the resulting repairs.
Tay encouraged drivers to report potholes to LTA so they can be repaired. “They can be a danger to anyone,” he added.
LTA urged members of the public to report road defects through feedback channels such as the LTA website, the Snap & Send feature on the MyTransport.SG mobile app, or the Municipal Services Office OneService app.
“We would like to seek the understanding of commuters and motorists as we work with our contractors to expedite repair work,” the authority said.
“We would also like to take this opportunity to remind motorists to drive safely, especially during the prevailing wet weather conditions.”
