‘An emergency situation’: Montreal invests $471K for 8-day pothole repair blitz

The countless potholes plaguing Montreal drivers this winter has become an “emergency situation.”

That’s according to Claude Pinard, the president of the city’s executive committee, who says help is on the way.

The City of Montreal announced around $471,000 is being put toward fixing the problem. Ten contracts are being given to three different companies for repairs over eight days.

“What comes next is that we keep on working on it every day. So, there’s a blitz happening in the next eight days,” Pinard explained.

The city will also be handing out $2.5 million to the boroughs to patch up residential roads, awarding more money to boroughs they say need extra repairs.

City officials previously said they have been lacking the manpower to keep up with repairs. Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada revealed last month that 23 per cent of Montreal’s road equipment is either damaged or missing.

And this winter has been particularly bad for the roads.

In the first five weeks of 2026, the City of Montreal has already logged 4,000 pothole reports – that’s five times more than in 2025.

“They’re not potholes, they’re craters,” one person told CityNews.

“They’re not doing maintenance, that’s the problem,” added another.

“Every time they fix (them), they come again,” said a third.

Even Mayor Martinez Ferrada herself was a victim; she got two flat tires on Notre-Dame Street earlier this week.

READ: After mayor’s double flat tire, Notre-Dame Street gets potholes filled

Traffic expert Rick Leckner warns the damage is already being felt on the city’s major arteries, especially on roads like Notre Dame, often dubbed Montreal’s worst.

“Drivers slow down. They break suddenly. They change lanes,” Leckner said.

CAA-Québec says there was a 73 per cent increase in calls linked to pothole damage this January compared to this time last year.

Six per cent of those calls required vehicles to be towed.

“We look at their tire. And when we take it out, oh my God, you got some damages on your brakes, you got some damages on the suspension. We have to put your car on the tow and bring it to the nearest repair shop,” said Nicolas Ryan, the director of public affairs at CAA-Québec.

CAA estimates it will take the province $21.5 billion to get Quebec’s roads in shape.

And with how tough this winter has been, they say the worst may not be over.

“Brace yourself for a tough springtime,” Ryan said.

“It’s time for a conversation in Quebec. What are we going to do about it?”