Barrie road crews out filling potholes

It's the time of the year drivers grip the steering wheel a little tighter and try to dodge what seems to be an endless number of potholes.

"Oh god, this is the worst road in Barrie," said Paula Harper of Foster Drive near Yonge Street in Barrie on Thursday.

"Trust me, you drive down that road, and if you can do more than 20 miles per hour, good luck without putting your suspension out everything out," Harper said.

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Barrie road crews are working to fill the countless potholes across the City.

"The big holes are the ones we want to get first because those are the ones that, you know, ruin the tires and stuff," said City of Barrie's Alex Higgins.

Crews were laying the hot mix on Thursday.

"It's that tough part of the year for us when we get the freeze-thaw and plows going over the potholes pulling up stuff, and just that time of year, you get a lot of water in them, and they break up with all the traffic," said James Willis, City of Barrie.

Many auto repair shops have already had customers with damaged vehicles because of potholes.

"Rim repairs, tire repairs, tire blowouts, replacement rims, steering and suspension are all common issues this time of year," said James Quinney, owner and operator of Southview Too Firestone in Barrie. "I'm already booking in April and mid-April."

The City deals with several resident complaints every year about bad potholes.

The complaint list can be long, and drivers are warned to slow it down and be prepared for the bumpy ride until crews can get to them.

"It's a non-stop thing. They go all year round when it's snow on the ground. We can't really do much. The holes are covered up, and once the snow melts and all that kind of stuff, we can get on with it," said Willis.

The City encourages residents to contact Service Barrie about nasty potholes.