Several vehicles suffer ‘significant’ damage from large east end potholes

Provincial police say that several vehicles have been damaged significantly after driving through large potholes in the east end.

In a post on social media, officers said that after the vehicles drove through the pothole on St. Laurent Boulevard near the Highway 417 eastbound on-ramp, they had damage to the tires and/or rims.

Constable Michael Fathi, and the media relations officer with OPP for the Ottawa division, was on scene near a transport truck that broke down on the off-ramp of the highway when he saw a vehicle also stopped on the on-ramp. Speaking to the vehicle driver, Fathi said the person was waiting for a tow truck after he drove through a particularly large pothole.

In about 10 minutes, Fathi said, five other vehicles drove through the same pothole and all needed to stop.

“If I stepped in the hole it would have come up to my calf,” Fathi told CityNews in an interview. “It was about 10 inches deep.”

It was also wide, he detailed, allowing a whole wheel to drop down in the hole and “shred a tire.” Another of the vehicles that was damaged had its aluminum rims bent from the hole. Fathi believes none of the drivers were speeding excessively, meaning they didn’t need to hit the hole quickly to cause serious damage to their vehicles.

A Ministry of Transportation personnel stayed behind the pothole with their lights on to prevent further drivers from going through the area until city staff could repair the road. Bryden Denyes, area manager of roads services, said that the pothole was filled after staff were told by OPP of the incidents.

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Denyes said that pothole repairs in the city are a priority for road crews this time of year. He asked the public to continue submitting service requests for potholes through the online portal, but if the hole is more urgent, people can call 311.

According to the city’s website, if a person believes the municipality has been negligent in maintaining its facilities that caused property damage or injury, they can submit a claim online.

“Please note that the review and resolution of all claims may take up to six months or longer, depending on the nature and/or complexity of the claim,” it reads.

A bad year for potholes

This year has been “particularly bad” for potholes, according to Fathi, who said recently he had driven through a hole in his personal vehicle that left him with a cracked rim.

The constant spring freeze-thaw cycle is to blame, officials said.

During a thaw, water can seep through cracks in the road. It expands when it freezes and puts upward pressure on parts of the pavement. As vehicles drive over those areas, their weight can cause breakage, forcing asphalt out and creating craters in the ground.

Some portions of the province have seen upwards of 14 cycles of freezing and thawing in March alone. Ottawa also uses salt on the roads, which melts ice and snow, letting more moisture seep into the pavement.

Worst roads in Ontario campaign

This year, potholes are the top reason people are nominating their local roads for the Canadian Automobile Association’s annual “Worst Roads” campaign in Ontario.

Teresa Di Felice, an assistant vice-president with the group, said 83 per cent of nominations are attributed to potholes.

“They’re really driving this year’s activity,” Di Felice said.

In 2025, Carling Avenue was the east region’s worst road.

With files from The Canadian Press.