Asphalt or concrete? Winnipeg councillor wants firm answers on better road material

It may not solve Winnipeg's roadcondition problems, but St. BonifaceCoun. Matt Allard wants to know which is better material asphalt or concrete.

It's not just a rhetorical questionAllard asked for a report on the subject from city bureaucratsat Wednesday's meeting of the public works committee.

The query was promptedby a decision to use the softer, more pliable asphalt for road work atLagimodiere Boulevard and Fermor Avenue.

"What we heard is asphalt is almost always cheaper, in terms of the cost today and also maintenance costs. So that's what we want to get in writing," Allard said after the meeting.

"I had some questions from my colleagues, so I want to get the answers."

Concrete, Allardwas told by city engineers, is better for some projects for technical reasons.City staff also told the committee life-cycle costs for asphalt are often less than those for concrete.

Allard wants to know specifically where concrete is more appropriate to use than its malleable road surface cousin.

"Road construction is like an art and a science, and [there's] the Winnipeg gumbo, winter, freeze-thawenvironment I think if you are looking for a black-and-white answer, I don't know that you will get one," Allard said.

City staff have four months to give some concrete answers.