Crews working to fix potholes across Toronto Saturday for city's first repair blitz

The City of Toronto launched its first "pothole repair blitz" of the year on Saturday, with crews working away to fill as many potholes on expressways, major roads and neighbourhood streets across the city.

"Hundreds of workers are out on the streets of Toronto filling potholes, making your ride, your drive, your walk, a lot smoother," Mayor Olivia Chow said at a news conference Saturday.

"It's important for the city to get back to basics. For far too long, basic services have been neglected because we just haven't had the financial means to fix things."

City workers will be out on the roads from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m., according to news release on Friday.

Drivers and cyclists should expect minor delays as crews work to repair the potholes, the city noted.

"The public is asked to be safe by respecting work zones and giving crews space while they make repairs," the release said.

The city said workers regularly patrol potholes outside of the concentrated blitzes it carries out across Toronto.

"This remains a priority for the City and the team continues to take advantage of warmer weather to get the work done," the release said.

"More repairs have been possible this year, in part because of a milder winter. However, a milder winter with more freeze-thaw cycles also increases the number of potholes on city streets."

More than 22,000 potholes have been filled in so far this year, marking a year-to-date increase compared to the past three years, officials said.

The proposed budget for the city's pothole repair program for 2024 is roughly $5 million, up from last year's budget of $4.6 million.