Where are the worst roads in northern Ontario?

From crumbling asphalt to potholes to poor signage, the annual Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) Worst Roads campaign to influence local and provincial governments to fix damaged and aging roadways is now open for voting.

A photo of a pothole in North Bay, Ont. on Mach 24, 2023. (File photo/Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)

In 2023, Algonquin Boulevard East in Timmins earned the not-so-coveted first place in CAA’s worst roads in the region list – for the second year in a row. Fielding Road in the Greater Sudbury community of Lively was second, Premier Road in North Bay third with two other Sudbury streets rounding out the top five.

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Some Timmins residents told CTV news that they feel Algonquin Boulevard still tops the list.

“I helped encourage people to vote for it to be the worst road, keeping it on there,” said Timmins city councillor Steve Black.

“Since that time, we’ve got some funding and are starting to chip away at the large amount of work that needs to be done.”

North Bay residents taking a walk or driving down Premier Road are frustrated with the pothole problem.

“It never seems to go away,” said Peter Bodle, who lives on Premier Road, in a recent interview with CTV News.

CAA is again calling on all levels of government with the Worst Roads campaign to address problem areas and have roadways properly repaired or repaved.

"Poor roads affect us all. They make us late, cause delivery delays, contribute to congestion, and most importantly, can endanger those who use them," said CAA on its website.

“Obviously there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done on the highways,” said Black.

“So, I won’t be surprised if we’re still on the top 10 list for a couple more years.”

Black added that the Worst Roads List helps communities advocate for more government funding.

“Voting for Ontario's Worst Roads helps shine the spotlight on where more work is needed,” said the association.

“Over the years, we have heard about potholes, congestion, poor road signs and other safety concerns.”

Bad roads are more than annoying for motorists; they can be expensive. According to a CAA survey, on average, vehicles damaged by potholes cost $852.

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CAA has run the campaign for more than 20 years now.

The campaign runs until April 19 and is open for those wishing to vote on CAA's Worst Roads.

CAA’s data shows that more than 80 per cent of its members are worried about the state of their local roads.

After the nominations are gathered, the top 10 worst roads in the province will be revealed to the public.

– With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Eric Taschner