A utility pole’s dangerous hole
It won’t be long before an aging utility pole on Kennedy Rd. falls over, if it isn’t taken down soon.
A lot of concrete utility poles eventually crumble around the base, usually from the wear and tear of street life, bumps from vehicles, scrapes from snow plows and erosion caused by road salt.
The damage looks alarming to the average person and makes them think it could topple at any moment, but the reinforcing rods that run the length of the pole hold it together much better than it appears.
However, when the crumbling reaches the point of no return, it’s only a matter of time before the pole becomes a safety issue and is in danger of snapping off at its base.
A.J. Kiviaho emailed us about just such a pole, on the east side of Kennedy Rd. at Norcap Ave., south of Finch Ave., and included photos that show a startling deterioration. “I think the pictures speak for themselves,” said Kiviaho, in a stroke of understatement.
We went there figuring it wasn’t as bad as it looked, which is usually the case. But up close and in person, the pole was in even worse shape than the photos indicated.
About half of it has disappeared, revealing a hollowed-out area inside, while two of the reinforcing rods that hold it together have rusted to the point that they’re broken.
The top of it supports traffic and pedestrian crossing signals, a street light and a street sign, which adds up to a lot of additional weight to be supported by the pole.
A button to activate the pedestrian crossing signal is also attached to it, but it must have been infected by the disease afflicting the pole; it didn’t work when we tried it.
Anew wooden pole that supports utility wires has recently been put up right next to it, and the plan may eventually be to transfer the signals, lights and sign over to it. If that’s the case, the sooner the better. Status: We’ve asked Toronto Hydro if it can take a look at the pole right away and maybe get rid of it. We also emailed James Chandler, who’s in charge of traffic signals, asking that the crossing button be repaired. 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 416-869-4823 email jlakey@thestar.ca. To read our blog, go to thestar.com/news/ the_fixer. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.