Day-long Pothole Repair Blitz Underway In Toronto As Above-average Temperatures Settle In

City of Toronto crews are spreading out across the municipality on Saturday in an effort to get a handle on the number of potholes developing on local roads.

Municipal staff were set to begin the pothole repair blitz at 6 a.m. on Saturday. Officials said in a recent statement that the crews would “repair as many potholes as possible including resolving 311 pothole service requests” over a 12-hour period.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and senior City staff were scheduled to hold a photo opportunity at one of the repair sites Saturday morning.

Officials said more than 22,000 potholes have been filled in so far, marking a year-to-date increase compared to the past three years.

With Toronto currently experiencing above-average temperatures (the average daytime high is -2 C), City staff said it allows for more repairs to be done. However, with temperatures regularly rising above and dropping below the freezing point it means more potholes can develop.

The most common cause of potholes and road degradation is water going through cracks in the top layer of asphalt. When the water freezes and thaws, it causes the pavement layer to move up and the asphalt is then broken away due to vehicle traffic.

Under the City of Toronto’s current guidelines, a pothole that poses a safety risk on expressways is to be addressed within 24 hours of it being reported to 311. Municipal service standards call for potholes on arterial roads to be investigated within four days of a complaint being received.

After the City of Toronto announced the pothole repair blitz on social media platforms like X, residents pointed out areas in need of a fix such as Keele Street and Eglinton Avenue West.

Saturday’s pothole repair blitz is the first such event scheduled for 2024. Similar events are typically held throughout the year.