Ottawa’s pothole season is here

City crews in Ottawa have already filled more than 8,000 potholes so far this year. CTV’s Josh Marano reports.

With temperatures fluctuating, Ottawa drivers and cyclists are dodging potholes in the roads.

The City of Ottawa says crews filled 8,286 potholes between Jan. 1 and March 6, 2025 and have responded to 562 service requests for potholes.

Deep potholes have been reported on streets such as Colonel By Drive. One particular hole near the tunnel to the University of Ottawa has already caught the attention of the city, with a cone placed in front to warn approaching drivers.

Temperatures in Ottawa have jumped up and down the last two weeks. Ottawa saw a high of 5.8 C on Feb. 24, followed by three more days with above-zero highs before temperatures plunged to a low of -23.6 C on Monday. The very next day, the temperature rose to nearly 1 C and we saw two more days of above-zero highs, topping at 4.9 C on Thursday. The temperature then plummeted again to -8 C Friday morning as a flash freeze set in.

Freeze-thaw cycles cause snow to melt, allowing water to seep into and under the road, where it expands upon freezing, creating cracks in the asphalt.

The city’s budget includes $12.3 million for filling potholes in 2025.

Every year, city crews fill more than 200,000 potholes across Ottawa’s 6,000 kilometres of roadway. Last year alone, staff filled 218,145 potholes, according to city documents.

The City of Ottawa said in a winter operations update that crews were deployed Thursday to begin filling potholes around Ottawa.

You can report a pothole on the road online.

The City of Ottawa asks residents to call 3-1-1 if the pothole issue is related to the following:

• Construction activity (square or rectangular cut in road)
• An immediate hazard to people or property
• Personal accessibility
• A traffic-related issue (such as traffic signals or traffic signs)
• Debris or potholes on Regional Road 174 between Blair and Trim