'Severe pothole' on Glenmore Trail damages numerous vehicles, snarls traffic

Traffic was congested along a section of Glenmore Trail Tuesday morning as drivers dealt with what police described as a "severe pothole" that damaged numerous vehicles.

Calgary police responded to the situation, along with tow trucks.

"The severe pothole on Glenmore Trail has resulted in many cars getting damaged," Calgary police told CBC News in an email. "We are there assisting with traffic."

Punit Somaya was one of the drivers who hit the pothole. He spoke to CBC News while waiting for a tow truck. He said he had been waiting for two hours.

He said the pothole was obscured by a large puddle and he couldn't change lanes due to traffic, so he just drove through the water, not realizing what lay beneath.

"I feel like it's the city's fault. Like, they should've done a better job of maintaining the puddles so that drivers on the highway don't have to face this," he said.

"It's really atrocious, the tax dollars that we pay and this is what the city gives back to us."

In a statement, the city said Glenmore Trail from Crowchild Trail to 14th Street S.W. is currently being resurfaced and scheduled night-time work was underway, but heavy rains overnight and into the morning have affected the area.

"The city has reduced traffic access along this stretch of road as we continue to investigate," the statement said. "Repairs are being planned for today and this evening. However, ongoing rain is causing some delays. The city and its contractors do work around weather and some rainfall is manageable, however Monday evening's rainfall was quite significant."

Resurfacing a road includes removing the top layer of old pavement, then repairs, followed by final paving. The road can be open to traffic in between stages, the city explained.

Drivers with damaged cars are able to file claims online.