Montreal crews working to repair potholes, clear sidewalks after freezing rain

The City of Montreal says it's working to make getting around the city safer after the freezing rain by salting and sanding sidewalks and patching potholes.

The City of Montreal says it’s working to make getting around safer after the freezing rain and snow that hit the city this week.

The plan involves sanding icy sidewalks and patching new potholes that have sprung up.

Some boroughs are in better shape than others, as roughly 1,000 workers navigate the approximately 11,000 kilometres of roads on the island.

Potholes are a particular menace, and the city urges residents to report them immediately.

“The call goes directly to the foremen in the boroughs,” said Outremont borough mayor Caroline Baun. “They prepare a map and all the boroughs have all the tools to patch the holes.”

Residents can report a pothole online or by calling 311.

Braun says the situation is similar across the island.

Temperature variations or water infiltration under the asphalt are two ways potholes can be caused.

The particularly dramatic cocktail of snow, rain, and then very cold temperatures left a disastrous and potentially dangerous mess on the city’s sidewalks and roads to end 2025.

“This is in a delay of a few days,” said Braun. “We had to take out the snow before the rain would become ice because it could break all the machines we had. So we were running on, a very short period of time. Some boroughs are better. Absolutely. In the last few hours, it’s becoming way better in Montreal.”