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.
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.
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
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.