Road repair blitz: Toronto sending out double the crews to fill potholes

The ice is melting across Toronto, and there’s been a surge of potholes, so the city is sending out more crews on a road repair blitz.

After the recent period of freeze/thaw weather, the City of Toronto says it is responding to the potholes by having crews on extended hours on Thursday and Friday this week. Additionally, they will launch a pothole repair blitz on Saturday.

According to the City, on a typical day, 25 crews are out repairing potholes, but during the blitz, 55 crews will work on filling potholes across Toronto, including on the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway.

Drivers are advised to expect minor delays and to give crews space while this work is conducted.

“Potholes are a nuisance when driving and biking, and can damage tires. Winter takes a toll on our roads, especially when we experience extreme swings in temperatures like we’ve experienced lately,” said Mayor John Tory in a statement. “Our crews will take advantage of the break from the snow to focus on filling as many potholes as they can to help keep our roads in good condition.”

Potholes are created when water penetrates the top layer of asphalt through cracks in the road, and when the moisture freezes and expands, sections of the pavement are forced up. The city said that the weight of vehicles going over this section of road then breaks the pavement and the asphalt is forced out.

With the weather forecast is calling for milder conditions, more potholes are expected on the streets in the coming weeks.

So far, the city has repaired 6,041 potholes this month. These repairs are part of a comprehensive road maintenance program, which allows the city to spend approximately $171 million annually on road repairs, rehabilitation and maintenance work, including between $4 and $5 million to fix potholes.

Anyone who comes across potholes can report them to the city online or by calling 311. When reporting, you’ll be asked to provide the location and the estimated size of the hole.

By the numbers

Number of potholes filled for period of January 1 to 17 for past four years:
• 2018 – 6,041
• 2017 – 7,753
• 2016 – 4,804
• 2015 – 7,479

Number of potholes filled annually for past three years:
• 2017 – 199,032
• 2016 – 181,286
• 2015 – 251,142

See also

• New report shows Toronto Island flooding in 2017 cost the city $8.45 million
• Amazon reveals short list of 20 cities for its next headquarters
• City looking at waterfront transit plan that would cost around $2 billion