Pothole woes sink in with Sudburians

Like flowers in the springtime, potholes are once again blooming on streets across Sudbury.

And it's sparked the annual debate about whether the potholes are worse than in years past.

Donna Cyr, an office administrator with City Taxi, seems to think so.

"So far it seems like it’s just a little worse than last year, we've had a lot of vehicles in for repairs — a lot of k-frames, broken coil springs and leave springs, which are indicative of the roads being in pretty rough shape," Cyr said.

Greater Sudbury roads director David Shelstead says it’s too early to tell where the potholes of 2012 rank.

He said their numbers show that 2008 was the worse year, with some major Sudbury streets — including Lasalle and Paris, Falconbridge Road and the Kingsway — getting re-paved since then.

"So, the more road work we do, the less potholes you'll see," Shelstead said. "So, that's the benefit. You may get delayed by construction during the summer, but the benefit will be in wintertime, springtime conditions [when] you'll get less potholes on your routes to and from work."

Rite of spring

Even if the city had an unlimited roads budget, potholes would still appear every spring, said Shelstead.

Cyr added that most drivers, and customers, take this annual rite of spring in stride.

"I think that Sudburians are definitely in that state of mind," Cyr said.

"They know that nothing's going to change. Winter comes, the frost comes, the potholes come. It's just part of the cycle of life in northern Ontario."