Water main repair makes a mess of intersection
When the fix for a sinkhole in an intersection is to plunk down a pylon, it’s the same as doing nothing about it.
The city’s ongoing water main replacement program is making steady progress on upgrading pipes that deliver water to residential areas, including the Scarborough Bluffs.
Some of the oldest water mains are upwards of 100 years old and in dire need of replacement, but even pipes in areas built in the late 1950s have exceeded their bestbefore date. Among them are streets in Guildwood, where a Toronto Water contractor spent last fall excavating Dearham Wood to replace the original water main that has served the community for nearly 60 years.
We live in the area and endured the dust, noise and inconvenience. And like our neighbours, we cheered when it wrapped up and the trench dug to get at the pipes was finally filled with temporary asphalt.
But it wasn’t long before a sinkhole formed in the asphalt patch, and in the worst possible spot — right at the intersection of Dearham Wood and Poplar Rd.
Two of our neighbours who know we’re in the business of getting things fixed have complained to us about it, noting that the sinkhole developed in late No- vember but has yet to be filled in.
Given the proximity of the hole to the intersection, you’d think it would be a priority to fill it right away. So far, the solution is a traffic barrel, which is constantly knocked over by passing traffic and ends up at the curb.
Almost every day, a good neighbour who lives on the corner retrieves the orange-and-black pylon from the side of the street and covers the hole with it, to warn away drivers.
To make matters worse, a much larger hole filled only with gravel was left on the opposite side of the intersection, creating another obstacle for drivers. It is surrounded with pylons that are also starting to migrate.
Between the sinkhole and the larger excavation in the intersection, it’s only a matter of time before someone’s vehicle is damaged. Status: We’ve asked Toronto Water to send the contractor back to fill the sinkhole ASAP, and do something about the bigger hole in the intersection. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/ yourtoronto/the_fixer or call us at 416-8694823 email jlakey@thestar.ca. To read our blog, go to thestar.com/news/the_fixer. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.