Road Maintenance
 The Roads Operations Branch assists in the safe and efficient transport of goods and people through interconnecting roads between urban and rural areas. Many services are performed in managing over 3,400 kilometers of Regional roads. This is accomplished through daily maintenance activities, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the road infrastructure.
Contact Us
For issues regarding road maintenance operation, pot holes, missing, damaged, deteriorated signs, catch basins or storm sewers, please contact us at:
Phone: 905-830-4444 ext. 5200
Toll Free: 1-877-464-9675 ext. 5200
Email: dispatchto@york.ca
During the summer months the Region schedules grass cutting along the road system to assist in the safety of pedestrians and vehicles, and to beautify the Region. The number of cuts during the summer season is determined by the classification of road. Urban: 14 cuts per year
Semi Rural: Five cuts per year
Rural: Two cuts per year
To assist our personnel please ensure that all personal property is well away from the road (preferably on private property), and children and pets are kept away from the machinery.
In rural and semi-rural areas grading the shoulder of the road is part of our preventative maintenance routine. This type of maintenance protects the edge of the pavement and eliminates any distortions such as wash boarding, ruts and potholes.
In rural, semi-rural and some urban areas, ditches are part of the road right-of-way and handle storm water. It is the responsibility of the Roads Operations branch to schedule maintenance and ensure efficient drainage of the road surface.
Ditches have a tendency to fill-in over time, primarily due to natural erosion and vegetation. Problems in this area are most noticeable in the spring months when the ground is thawing. During the spring months the road ditches are monitored regularly, and depending on the severity of problem areas, emergency maintenance is scheduled on an as required basis.
A regular scheduled maintenance program of the ditch system usually involves re-trenching the ditch to clear the overgrowth of vegetation and obtain a positive water flow away from problem areas.
 Part of maintaining water flow involves driveway culverts. Once a culvert has been installed and approved by the Region, it is the Region's responsibility to maintain. Maintenance involves scheduled clean outs, repairs and even replacement of damaged culverts but, does not include installation of culverts for new entrances or entrance improvements required by the property owner. Submission of an entrance permit application to our permits section would be required. Application and information may be obtained from the permits area of this section or email us at permits@york.ca
Where road-side ditching is taking place motorists should use caution and obey all traffic safety devices, signs, and flag persons.
The Regional roads network is patrolled daily. It is during these patrols that missing, damaged or deteriorated signs, that have not previously been reported, are identified.
Deterioration of a road surface is caused by several reasons including seasonal climate changes, drainage, and heavy vehicle use. Some of the more visible effects are cracks and potholes.
 Part of our routine preventative maintenance is crack filling and sealing. The crack is cleaned and filled with an asphalt crack sealing compound. This will stop water from entering the sub-grade and prevent premature deterioration of the road surface.
Potholes are created when water penetrates the top layer of asphalt through cracks in the road. After the moisture expands and contracts, sections of the pavement are forced up. The weight of the vehicles going over the section of road breaks the pavement and the asphalt is forced out. This is the most visible during the spring months.
The repair of potholes, cracks and other road defects takes place primarily in the spring, but it is ongoing as problems arise.
During these maintenance operations, safety devices and signs are set up to re-route traffic around the work zone. Please obey these devices and signs and allow are maintenance staff room to work.
The majority of all lines and surface markings on the road surface are applied by Regional staff. Hired contractors are used to aid Regional staff in completing pavement marking application. All lines and surface markings are placed in accordance with the Ministry of Transportation, Ontario Traffic Manual, Pavement, Hazard and Delineation Markings, Book 11.
Markings are applied as early as April and continue on until approximately the end of November. Application of painted lines over the whole regional road system takes place at least once a year. Thermal plastic applications are re-applied less due to the durability of the plastic.
From time to time mailboxes may get damaged by our snow plowing operations. In the event of a damaged mailbox, the owner is responsible for the replacement and installation of a new mailbox.
The Roads Operations Branch must be notified in a timely manner to investigate the incident to be eligible for reimbursement on the replacement of a mailbox, to a maximum of $75. This can be done by calling our dispatch office at 1-877-464-9675 ext. 5200.
If it is determined that your claim is valid, please complete the Mailbox Claim Form, with the original receipt attached, and forward it to this office for approval.
Once approval has been granted, the claim form will be processed for the reimbursement of the expense. The complete process takes approximately four to six weeks, from the time of receiving the claim form.
Bridges - Maintenance, Repair and Rehabilitation
The Roads Operations branch has an annual bridge maintenance schedule for the cleaning and washing of bridge structures. This is essential to the life cycle of the bridge. By removing winter salt/sand the life of the bridge is extended and expensive structural repairs are prevented. Power washing is also used in the removal of graffiti.
Bridge inspections and condition analysis is done on a scheduled bases to ensure that they are structurally sound. Through this, it is determined if the bridge requires repair or rehabilitation and in some cases even replacement.
In the event that deficiencies are found, further investigation is scheduled through our Roads Transportation, Projects branch to determine the scope of work required to bring the bridge back to the required standards. Once everything is in place the project is tendered out and the work done accordingly.
Starting in April roads, boulevards and medians are swept and flushed clean of dirt accumulated during the  winter months. This type of planned maintenance is mostly done in the urban and semi-urban areas, as well as problem areas such as intersections, where pavement and gravel meet.
Sweeping by the Roads Operations group is also done, as required, for the cleanup of motor vehicle accidents, spills, and Regional road construction.
Mud tracking onto a regional road from a development site, if possible, should be avoided. However, it is the responsibility of the Developer or general contractor of that site to ensure that the road is kept clear of mud and debris at all times for the safety of the travelling public.
In urban and some semi-urban areas the ditch system has been replaced with catch basins and storm sewers to handle ground water runoff.
As part of our maintenance program catch basins are cleaned on an annual basis to prevent debris, sand and silt from being transported through the storm sewer system and contaminating our rivers and streams and lakes. It is at this time that deficiencies are identified and scheduled for repair. Deficiencies may include cracked lids or frames, pavement or ground collapsing around the catch basin, or improper draining of the catch basin. |
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