‘Brutal winter’ leaves Toronto roads battered as city launches 3rd pothole blitz

The City of Toronto has launched its third pothole repair blitz of the year as crews work to address intense road damage, according to Mayor Olivia Chow.

“This has been a brutal winter, and so far this year we have already filled 75,000 potholes,” Chow said in a news conference Saturday.

She said the city has increased its road repair budget by 34 per cent compared with 2022, with $6.2 million now allocated toward pothole repairs.

“We are filling 44 per cent more potholes since 2022 because we put in a lot more money,” Chow said.

Despite the increased funding, Chow noted that crews have faced challenges due to inconsistent weather conditions.

“Right now, it is not at all stable. It’s -5 [C] one day and then 10 degrees,” she said, adding that crews were limited in February due to conditions.

The city says crews are not only filling potholes but also reshaping and preparing road surfaces to improve longer-term durability.

“Just fixing potholes isn’t enough,” Chow said. “We will accelerate the pothole fixes as the weather stabilizes.”

Residents are being encouraged to report potholes, as the city expands its use of artificial intelligence to identify and prioritize repairs.

“We have accelerated our AI program through 311 that can detect and identify [potholes] so we can send a crew,” Chow said.

The city also did this in 2025, after another harsh winter created rough driving conditions and potholes, although this year’s blitz remains one of the biggest ever.

— with files from Global News’ Lexy Benedict

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