A report hailing new road expansion has been getting attention at city hall, but a recent spate of sinkholes have some wondering if the city should instead focus resources on repairing existing streets.

"Keep up with the broken ones instead of fixing new ones, making new ones and neglecting the old ones," said Derrick Nepinak, a cyclist.

He said sinkholes, such as one reported Monday at Redwood Avenue and McGregor Street, show the city needs to do a better job maintaining existing streets.

Earlier this year, city council voted to fast track a $60 million plan to extend the William R. Clement Parkway from Grant Avenue to Wilkes Avenue, with work slated to start in 2016 rather than 2021.

A new interim report says that the expansion could reduce traffic on side streets in the area by 20 to 30 per cent during peak times.

Doreen Giesbrecht has lived in Charleswood near the proposed extension for decades. She said traffic is heavy on her street and she believes the new roadway is needed.

Some critics, however, feel the city's priorities are misguided and point to two other sinkholes that formed in just over a month, prior to the one near Redwood and McGregor.

Critics say the city should fix existing roads first and also move forward with a pledge to finish the bus rapid transit line.

Paul Hesse from the Rapid Transit Coalition said the city should focus on extending rapid transit past Jubilee.

"But the city needs to find money for that, so it can't balance all off these walls at the same time," said Hesse.

Other Winnipeggers, however, said the city shouldn't stop progress because of a few sinkholes and should push forward with new road extensions.

City councillors on board with the expedited parkway project said it's needed to support the city's inland port known as CentrePort because it's part of an overall freeway-system concept that also involves expanding Chief Peguis Trail.

While the interim traffic report has now been brought forward, a final traffic-study report from city staff will be presented with recommendations to councillors in December.

- with a report from CTV's Jeff Keele