11,448 potholes and counting: Ottawa crews busy filling potholes on city streets

A pilon alerts motorists to a large pothole on Colonel By Drive in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018.

City of Ottawa crews took advantage of the spring-like weather this week to target those pesky potholes forming on roads across the city this winter.

More than 70 crews were deployed over the past week to fill those craters before the arrival of the snow on Thursday night.

"Crews kicked it into overdrive before the start of this event to try and fill as many potholes as operationally possible," the city's winter operations update said on Friday, adding crews were redeployed on Thursday night and Friday to clear the snow.

"Pothole repair work will resume once staff are able to transition from responding to this event and the cleanup that is expected to continue into the weekend."

Since the start of the year, 11,448 potholes have been filled on Ottawa roads.

Potholes form when Ottawa sees freeze-thaw cycles. Water infiltrates into the pavement surface and will break up the asphalt as temperatures warm up during the day and cool down at night.

This winter, Ottawa has seen above-normal temperatures through most of January and February. A total of 126 cm of snow has fallen on the capital since Jan. 1.

The 11,448 potholes repaired so far this winter are more than the first two months of last year. City crews filled 10,523 potholes between Jan. 1 and March 7 in 2022.  In 2021, city crews filled 36,820 potholes between Jan. 1 and March 24.

If you see a pothole, you're asked to report it to the city of Ottawa by calling 3-1-1 or filling out an online form.