Halifax sees thousands of pothole reports in early 2026

They’re the scourge of the streets every year, but this pothole season has been particularly rough in Halifax.

New data released by the Halifax Regional Municipality shows that thousands of pothole reports have been made by residents in the first few months of 2026.

The municipality says it’s had 3,203 reports of potholes between Jan. 1 and March 19. About half of those reports were “priority one,” meaning potholes that are at least 25 cm wide and 8 cm deep.

A municipal spokesperson said the number could include the same pothole being reported multiple times, and roadways in the Halifax region that are provincial responsibility, like highways.

“The municipality has seen an increase in reports of potholes from residents this year,” said Public Affairs Advisor Jake Fulton. “Staff believe that the more intense temperature fluctuations that the Halifax region has experienced this year have driven the increase. The repeated cycle of freezing and thawing increases the strain on our roads, making potholes more likely to develop.”

The data also shows 3,405 pothole repairs have been made in total this season. Repairs made during the winter months are usually temporary fixes, as crews use cold patch material to fill potholes and then return when hot asphalt plants are up and running in the spring, if needed.

People whose vehicle is damaged by a pothole, Fulton said, the first step is to determine if it happened on a municipal or provincial stretch of road. There’s an interactive online map that can help with that, or you can call 311.

“If your road is managed by the province, call 511 for further details. If the municipality manages your road, it is advised the driver call 311 to begin the claim process,” Fulton said. “The claim process begins when residents call 311 to report an incident.”

Once that report has been made, staff will typically connect in around 10 business days to carry on the claim process.

Crowdsourced pothole map to promote civic responsibility

Jason Turnbull, a resident of Cape Breton, created RoadRot, a crowdsourced map that shows where potholes exist across the province.

“I got fed up hitting the same potholes every day and realized there was no easy way to see where the worst roads were,” he said. “Municipal 311 systems take reports but don’t show the public what’s been reported or where, usually.”

In the first two weeks, he said there were over 120 reports across Cape Breton, and now he is looking for people to add data for other regions across the province.

“The site ranks the worst roads by city, and there’s a one-click feature to email your municipal, provincial, or federal representative about the potholes in your area. We track how many people have emailed about each pothole,” Turnbull said.

With additions from CityNews’ Rachel Morgan.