County Road 49 and Victoria Road voted in again on worst roads in Ontario lists

County Road 49 has again topped the CAA Worst Road list for the Eastern region – with the County’s Victoria Road in fourth place this year. County Road 49 also placed third in votes for the top worst road in the province.

Ontarians have spoken, through the 2025 CAA Worst Road contest and for a second consecutive year, the worst road is Aberdeen Avenue in Hamilton. Frustrations with potholes and poor road maintenance have kept this road in the number one spot. It first debuted on the top regional list for Hamilton in 2021 and moved onto the provincial list in 2023.

In second and third place are Barton Street East in Hamilton, and County Road 49 in Prince Edward County, two roads that have previously appeared on the CAA Worst Roads top 10 list six and seven times, respectively. Both roads are expected to receive significant upgrades and are in the planning stages – but in the case of County Road 49, face funding shortages. The province announced it will give nearly $20 million toward the fix which is estimated to cost more than $50 million.

“County Road 49’s continued appearance as CAA’s worst roads list sends a clear message to the federal government that it needs to step up and support this rehabilitation project,” said Mayor Steve Ferguson. “The Ontario government has provided $20 million and we need the federal government to join us. The municipality has done all it can and this project is ‘shovel-ready.’ Having all of the financing in place before this project moves ahead is critical so that we can undertake this work in the most cost-effective manner possible.”

In the Eastern region category results, County Road 49 as worst road was followed by Glen Road in Belleville, Water Street in Peterborough, Victoria Road in the County and Queen Street in Kingston.

Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice-president of government and community relations, CAA South Central Ontario says the CAA continues to urge all levels of government to prioritize road safety with stable funding to do so.

This year, participants nominated more than 2,400 different roads from 208 municipalities, up respectively from 2,000 roads from 145 municipalities in 2024 – a 20 per cent increase in roads nominated and a 42 per cent increase in the number of municipalities with roads nominated. Municipalities are responsible for approximately 140,000 kilometres of roads across the province.

“For over two decades, the CAA Worst Roads campaign has given Ontarians a voice to spotlight unsafe roads in their communities and push for much-needed repairs,” says Di Felice. “This list provides a powerful snapshot to governments on where to prioritize budgets and move up road repairs, and we know that the public supports these efforts.”

CAA research shows that 26 per cent of survey respondents expressed dissatisfaction with road work projects, stating that they take multiple seasons to complete. However, 85 per cent are willing to put up with the inconvenience of construction in exchange for long-term improvements.

Ontarians shared their primary reasons for selecting a road, with 84 per cent citing potholes, followed by poor road maintenance (77 per cent) and traffic congestion (15 per cent).

Ontario’s Top 10 Worst Roads for 2025

1. Aberdeen Avenue, Hamilton
2. Barton Street East, Hamilton
3. County Road 49, Prince Edward County
4. Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto
5. Hurontario Street, Mississauga
6. Leveque Road, South Frontenac
7. Highway 50, Caledon
8. Sider Road, Fort Erie
9. Gardiner Expressway, Toronto
10. Sheppard Avenue West, Toronto

Worst Roads by Region
Toronto – Eglinton Avenue West
Hamilton – Aberdeen Avenue
Halton-Peel-York-Durham— Hurontario Street, Mississauga
Central—7th Line, Innisfil
Eastern— County Road 49, Prince Edward County
Niagara— Sider Road, Fort Erie
North— Panache Lake Road, Greater Sudbury
Southwest—Banwell Road, Windsor
Western— Dundas Street, London
Ottawa— Carling Avenue