Residents in Mississauga’s east end are concerned that “significant potholes” are making at least two main roads unsafe for drivers and others who use the routes.

Ward 3 Coun. Chris Fonseca said Wednesday at city council a number of roads in that part of Mississauga, “in particular Tomken Road, basically from Dundas Street right up to Eastgate Parkway, and then also Bloor Street,” are dotted with “significant potholes.”

Many of the potholes, which were caused by the cold temperatures this past winter, are located in the middle of the road and are not only deep, but lengthy as well, the councillor added.

Fonseca asked senior City of Mississauga staff how they’re prioritizing pothole repairs, which are being carried out across the entire city as part of the municipality’s annual spring maintenance plan/cleanup.

Ward 3 Coun. Chris Fonseca, shown here at Wednesday’s city council meeting, says she’s concerned about “significant potholes” found on major roads in Mississauga’s east end.

She said she wanted to know if there’s a maintenance schedule to which she could refer residents “to make sure their concerns about the potholes are being addressed.”

Fonseca also pointed to potholes on major routes Cawthra Road and Dixie Road, which will continue to be overseen by the Region of Peel until July when Mississauga takes over responsibility for regional roads.

She asked staff if it’s the region or city that’ll be fixing the damage on those two busy routes.

Sam Rogers, the city’s commissioner of transportation and works, told Fonseca residents should continue to call the city’s 311 line to report potholes.

From there, they’ll be repaired as quickly as possible, he said, noting city crews prioritize the fixing of potholes based on the threat to road safety they present.

Rogers added the city will also repair damage to Cawthra and Dixie roads — in addition to other Peel roads — on behalf of the region.

He said staff will soon compile more detailed information on pothole repairs completed to date and forward to councillors.

Sam Rogers, the City of Mississauga’s commissioner of transportation and works, said earlier an “awful winter” damaged roads and created many potholes.

Among major components of the city’s annual spring maintenance and cleaning effort, which kicked off a couple of weeks ago, is the filling in of the usual hundreds of potholes that pop up on roads across Mississauga during winter.

This past winter, Rogers said earlier, has been “awful” and with that “comes a lot of damage to roads, including potholes.”

In addition to pothole/asphalt repairs on roads and bike lanes, the city’s spring cleanup and maintenance program also includes:

Sidewalk inspection and repair.
Sod damage repair — damage caused by snow-clearing operations.
Litter cleanup on roadways, catch basins and drains.
Street sweeping and hard surface flushing on curb-facing sidewalks, traffic islands, hard-surfaced boulevards, roads, curbside gutters and on-street bike lanes.
Illegal sign removal.

“Winter’s been tough on our roads,” city officials said earlier this spring, noting while their significant pothole repair program gets underway each year as the weather warms up, “we repair potholes year-round when temperatures are warmer and the weather allows for it.”

Anyone who spots a pothole is urged to report it to the city online or by calling 311.

The common road hazard can cost drivers many hundreds of dollars each in car repairs and can cause collisions as well.

According to the Canadian Automobile Association (Ontario), which each year produces a top 10 list of the “Worst Roads in Ontario,” pothole damage to a vehicle can cost from $500 to $2,000, depending on the car model, to repair. The most recent average repair cost is $933, the association added.

Furthermore, a recent survey conducted by the CAA shows nearly half of respondents have experienced vehicle damage because of poor roads. The survey also found that cracked pavement remains the most dominant road-related issue (88 per cent), followed by potholes (84 per cent) and congestion (81 per cent).


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