‘Bad day to be a pothole’: N.S. says new equipment will make asphalt repairs more effective

Public Works Minister Fred Tilley is pictured at a road maintenance announcement in Sydney River, N.S., on June 30, 2026. (Ryan MacDonald/CTV News Atlantic)

“It’s a bad day to be a pothole in Nova Scotia,” according to Public Works Minister Fred Tilley.

Tilley made the quip while announcing plans to modernize the province’s road maintenance program in Sydney River, N.S., on Tuesday.

More than 80 pieces of specialized equipment have been added to Nova Scotia’s maintenance fleet, including new gear the province says can handle asphalt in a way that leads to better, longer-lasting pothole repairs.

“The new way of handling asphalt is with hot boxes, which are insulated boxes that will allow crews to mix and transport the heated product to a job site for patching repairs,” explained the Nova Scotia government in a news release Tuesday.

“Previously, asphalt was loaded on a truck and would cool slightly on the way to the site. Keeping the temperature higher longer will make the asphalt repairs more effective.”

Other new equipment includes:

• front-end loaders with brush cutters that can do a better job reaching under guardrails and across shoulders
• skid steers with asphalt planers
• sweepers and compactor attachments for patching roads.

The province says each area of Nova Scotia will have a dedicated crew assigned to operating the pothole and cutting equipment, while summer students will help pick up trash along highways.

The total cost of the new equipment is $8 million.

The province says it has allocated $161 million for asphalt and resurfacing of highways and roads this year, including $26 million for summer maintenance.

With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page