Sunken utility cover a danger for cyclists
Problems underground present an unseen hazard to drivers and riders on the surface level
When a utility cover sinks below the surface of the surrounding road, it’s a danger to drivers and cyclists alike.
The space beneath the road is full of stuff that makes the Naked City work: water and sewer lines, telephone connections, electrical hookups and TV and internet cables.
And the only way to access them is through the road or sidewalk, which is why roads that were paved a few months ago are often dug up, a legitimate outrage to taxpayers.
With so much subterranean infrastructure, something has to give, and it is usually the pavement. There is no other way to access the stuff below to make emergency repairs.
But problems can develop below the road that have a serious effect on the surface, such as a sunken utility cover on Osler St., at the “T” intersection at Cariboo Ave., near Keele St. and Dundas St. W.
Dorian Douma sent us an email about it, emphasizing that the utility cover has sunken so far below the surface of the surrounding road that it’s a danger to cyclists who don’t see it.
“So yeah, at Osler and Cariboo, there’s this manhole cover that’s sinking into the ground,” Douma said. “It’s especially dangerous to southbound cyclists. It’s almost sent me flying a few times.
“And I imagine it’s scraped up the bottom of a bunch of cars at this point. I always have to remind myself to watch out for it.”
We went there and found a cover above a utility chamber that had dropped about 15 centimetres below the surface of the surrounding road, creating a dip in the road that’s a big problem for drivers and particularly cyclists.
If a car going the 40 kilometres per hour speed limit hit it, the driver’s teeth might come loose. As for cyclists who didn’t spot it until the last second, they could end up face-down on the road. Status: Rob Burlie, who’s in charge of road operations in that area, emailed to say he has sent a note to field supervisor Joe Ferrari, asking him to figure out which utility is responsible and get them to fix it ASAP.