'Pothole repair blitz' happening this weekend across Toronto, city says

If you're on the road in Toronto this weekend, chances are you'll be seeingcrews out in force conducting whatthe city is calling a "pothole repair blitz."

Mayor John Tory announced the operationFridaymorning at the yard on EasternAvenue where the city keeps its salt trucks and snow removal equipment, saying double the usual number of repair crews will be on the job Saturday and Sunday.

"We've been hearing a lot about it because this particular weather pattern this year has been a recipe for potholes," Tory told reporters.

The weather pattern Tory is referring to is the rapid freezing and thawingthat'sbeen plaguing the city this winter, creatingmore potholes than usual.

• Deep freeze, then quick thaw could mean more potholes, water main breaks, city warns

Potholes are createdwhen water gets intocracks of the pavement. When temperatures drop below freezing, the water turns to ice and expands, gouging holes in the asphalt.When the thaw sets in,the road is weakened as cars drive over the pavement andpushit down.

"They are more frequent in the spring because you get the thaw. That is why this weather, this particular winter, has been a recipe for potholes because we've had the very cold weather," said Tory.

Typically, the cityhas25 crews out on the road repairing potholes, Tory told reporters, but this weekendthatnumberwill more than doubleto 55.

"The objective is to have a pothole filled within four days of it being reported and that's a standard that they try to adhere to. And obviously, depending on the numbers, depending on blitzes like the one we're going to have this weekend, they can get ahead of or get a bit behind on it."

This time last year, 7,700 potholes were patched and so far this year, 6,043 potholes have been repaired. Typically, the city fillsabout 200,000 potholes a year.

Asking the public to report potholes

Tory is encouraginganyone with information about potholes to report them to the city. Crewswill assess the potholes and repairthe biggest and most serious ones first.

"The bottom line depends on the reporting," said Tory."The city sees some of these as they are out doing their patrols and as they are out fixing potholes, they will fix the ones that they come up with."

"They need the information from you."

To report a pothole, the city says to call 311, email 311@toronto.ca or click on this link.

When reporting a pothole, the city wants residents to provide the following details:

• The location of the pothole, such as the nearest cross streets and a street address, if possible
• The pothole's exact location on the roadway, e.g., in the eastbound curb lane
• The estimated size of the pothole.