The City of Toronto crews are patrolling for potholes today, after a rapid rise in temperatures this weekend created the ideal conditions for cracks to develop in the city’s streets.
Manager of Road Operations Hector Moreno said about 50 work crews will be out on the streets Monday as part of a pothole blitz.
“The frigid temperatures and the recent thaw we are experiencing right now has put a lot of stress on our roadways, so we will have between 40-50 crews out as of tomorrow morning hitting all of our expressways, mains, collectors and local streets…fixing the potholes,” Moreno told CP24 Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to remain just above the freezing mark until Tuesday, according to Environment Canada. The thaw comes after a cold snap across southern Ontario, with temperatures dipping below -20 C last week.
About 4,000 potholes in Toronto have been repaired so far this year, a drastic increase from the 1,500 potholes patched by this time last season.
“We do have crews out day-in and day-out, but we also rely heavily on the assistance of the general public,” Moreno said.
Residents can report potholes by calling 311 or by following this link.
Mild conditions have also prompted the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to issue a flood warning Friday morning, which will remain in effect through Monday.
However, a spokesperson for the authority said the risk of flooding had mostly subsided by Sunday.
“We didn’t get as much rain and snow melt as we thought we would, so the risk of river flooding has more or less passed,” Ryan Ness told CP24. “What still remains is melting snow and ice on properties and on roads that may not be able to flow into catch basins and into the drainage system and that can cause nuisance flooding.”
Moreno advises residents to remove snow and ice from catch basins in order to minimize the risk of flooding.
