City of Montreal says pothole season is ‘exceptional’ and worse than usual

Crews from the city of Montreal were out Wednesday trying to fill as many potholes as possible before the next snowfall.

“It’s exceptionally bad. It’s exceptional this winter,” city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin said. “I would say that there’s roughly twice the number of potholes we used to see at the same period of the year.”

Potholes seem to be popping up everywhere, including near the Ville-Marie tunnel. Several cars hit potholes and had to be towed, which made for a difficult rush hour Wednesday morning.

“There was a closure of two out of three lanes for around four hours today to really take the time to do some work that’s going to be long-lasting,” Louis-Andre Bertrand, a spokesperson with Transports Quebec, said.

Potholes have become a major issue for drivers.

“It’s everyone’s number one priority,” Debbi Marsellos, CJAD 800 traffic reporter, said. “It’s what everyone is talking about and that’s what they’re worried about when they get on the roads too.”

The city plans to spend $60 million in 2026 on paving and resurfacing roads. Last year, it spent more than $85 million.

Alan DeSousa from Montreal’s executive committee says there’s an envelope going to the boroughs to help pay for road maintenance.

“It’s something that was well received and $25 million extra to the boroughs will allow them to deal with many of the issues that fall within their jurisdiction, i.e. local roads and road repairs,” DeSousa said.