Montreal gets record number of pothole claims in 2022

Pothole season approaching It's not spring yet, but potholes are already abundant on Montreal's roads.

Though there's no data on the number of curse words uttered by drivers who broke an axle, punctured a tire or otherwise damaged their car going over a pothole in Montreal, the city logged a record number of claims in 2022.

According to data provided to CTV News from the City of Montreal, a total of 1,116 complaints were filed last year. Of them, 256 resulted in payments worth $103,157.

The prior record was in 2019 when 893 claims were made, with 102 payouts worth $35,194.

The year before that, 828 claims were made, resulting in 228 payouts worth $104,286.

The city said, however, that the data is not necessarily a reflection of the road conditions.

"Several factors may explain the increase in the number of claims received over the years, such as increasingly easier access thanks to online services or the emergence of cars with low-profile tires, which are more vulnerable to impacts, but also the weather conditions, which vary from one year to the next and which may be more conducive to pothole formation," said city spokesperson Hugo Bourgoin.

Bourgoin added that the city has potholes in its sights and plans on spending $880.6 million over in paving programs over nine years to extend the lives of pavements and prevent potholes from emerging.

He said that last year, crews paved around 96,800 potholes for $2.8 million, which is up from 60,320 in 2021.

Montreal is looking to break the 100,000 mark in 2023.

"We estimate that 110,000 potholes will be sealed this year (budget of $3.5 million)," said Bourgoin. "To achieve this, the City of Montreal is plugging potholes manually, but also mechanically, using Python 5000 devices that can plug 300 potholes each in one day."

Those wanting to report a pothole can contact 311 or use the city's online portal, where they can also add photos and schedule a personalized follow-up.