Hit the highway: Stretch of road near Dorintosh voted worst in Sask.

A stretch of Highway 4 near the village of Dorintosh has been given a dubious distinction.

It’s the worst road in Saskatchewan, according to people who use the province’s highways and byways.

The Canadian Automobile Association polled drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians from April 7 through Tuesday to get their take on bad roads in the province. On Wednesday, the CAA revealed voters had named that area of Highway 4 the worst of the worst.

Dorintosh is about 190 kilometres north of North Battleford.

Three Regina-area roads made CAA’s list: Eighth Avenue North (which finished second in the voting), Grant Drive (which placed sixth) and Highway 33 (which placed seventh). Grant Road finished eighth in the 2019 balloting as well.

In Saskatoon, 52nd Street East finished fourth in this year’s voting and 20th Street West was ninth.

The rest of the top 10 comprised Highway 9 at Hudson Bay (third), Highway 340 near Hafford (fifth), Highway 13 around Shaunavon (eighth), and Highway 35 at Weyburn, Highway 3 near Hudson Bay and Highway 9 at Canora (three-way tie for 10th).

“Potholes and crumbling pavement remained as the No. 1 problem reported during this year’s CAA Worst Roads Campaign,” the association said in its release.

“Vehicle repair bills resulting from encountering potholes can be costly, but potholes are not the only problem when it comes to poor road conditions. Other pavement problems like cracking, rutting, and foundation damage can result from moisture, traffic, and poor drainage.”

In a recent report, the CAA said the average Canadian driver pays an extra $126 per year due to bad roads. In Saskatchewan, that cost on average is $97 per year.

“Repairing roads before they can deteriorate saves money for drivers and governments,” the CAA concluded.