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
DEVELOPING Latest updates on the major wildfires burning in Canada
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
Toronto man killed his mother and decapitated her — but it wasn't murder, lawyers argue
A ‘lifetime of abuse’ led Dallas Ly to snap and repeatedly stab his mother inside their Leslieville apartment in 2022 but he never intended to kill her, his defence lawyers argued during at his murder trial in Toronto on Thursday.
He had dreams of running for Canada in the Olympics, then he learned his family would be deported
A burgeoning track star says his dream of going to the Olympics is being derailed by a deportation order after Immigration officials rejected his family’s claim for asylum
Father charged with second-degree murder in daughter's stabbing death southwest of Montreal
A father has been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his 34-year-old daughter in southern Quebec.
Teen died from eating a spicy chip as part of social media challenge, autopsy report concludes
A medical examiner says a Massachusetts teen who participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge died from ingesting a substance 'with a high capsaicin concentration.'
Kidnapped by her father and kept in a crawl space: Court documents reveal Montreal horror story
A Montreal father who kidnapped his daughter who has autism and lied to police when they asked where she was should serve three years in prison, a Crown prosecutor said.
Ontario calls on Toronto to drop 'disastrous' drug decriminalization request
The province’s health minister and solicitor general are urging Toronto to rescind its request to decriminalize simple possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use, calling the proposal 'misguided' and 'disastrous.'
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.