Ottawa brings in reinforcements to fill potholes – the Python Pothole Patcher

The City of Ottawa says it has secured two Python 5000 machines to fill potholes. (City of Ottawa/X)

The City of Ottawa is rolling out the ‘Python Pothole Patcher’ to help fill potholes that have formed on city streets this winter.

The city’s Roads and Parking Services team began focusing on filling potholes last week, as the city works to repair the damage caused by the 37 freeze-thaw cycles this season.

• Ottawa’s pothole season is here

Staff say to help crews fix potholes, “we’ve brought in reinforcements,” with two Python 5000 machines arriving in Ottawa.

“The Python Pothole Patcher can fill a pothole in less than two minutes,” the city says, adding the machines will work 12-hour shifts in different areas of the city over the next few weeks.

“With the operator working safely from inside the cab, workers are protected from oncoming traffic as the work can all be completed without the need of stepping foot outside of the vehicle.”

The city notes the freeze/thaw cycles are “wreaking havoc on our roads, sidewalks and winter cycling network.” Potholes are formed when water seeps into small cracks or holes in the road, and when the temperatures drop the water under the road freezes and expands pushing up on the road, creating larger cracks.

The city says it expects several freeze-thaw cycles over the coming weeks.

“Residents can expect to see our pothole crews across the City. Ottawa winters are hard on our infrastructure, and this year in particular, we are anticipating an increased number of potholes,” the city said. “We appreciate your patience as we transition between different winter maintenance activities and prioritize and deploy resources to complete our operations.”

As of March 7, more than 8,000 potholes had been filled on Ottawa roads since the start of the year.