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Toronto’s pothole blitz is finally upon us with 190 city workers expected to repair nearly 7,000 holes on Saturday, according to the city.
The road repairs began Friday night and will continue until 6 p.m. Saturday, said the city on social media.
It comes after Mayor Olivia Chow promised to take action earlier this week to fill the “outrageously big” potholes that appeared following months of harsh winter weather.
With a shovel in hand, Chow joined crews — many of whom are extra city staff who responded to a callout for support — on Saturday to be a part of the action.
She thanked the workers who had stepped up on their weekend to help as “good citizens” of Toronto.
“Once I became the mayor, I saw these potholes and thought we need to put more money and more people in. Which is what we’re doing,” she said, adding the city has ramped up pothole action in the past two years.
In a statement Monday, the city said it is seeing a higher number of requests for pothole repairs this year than in previous years.
Chow said earlier this week crews filled about 5,000 potholes and were aiming to do 7,000 more during the weekend blitz.
WATCH | Toronto residents say city can do better to repair potholes this year:
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Pothole repairs were among the promises of Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow after taking office. Yet residents say the city could do a better job. CBC’s Lane Harrison explains why potholes may be quite bad this year.
Pothole repair blitzes are typically held in the spring when the weather thaws, which is also when potholes become more common, the city added.
Chow said the city is taking advantage of the milder temperatures on Saturday to address repairs before more potential snowfall.
She also encouraged residents to keep reporting potholes in their neighbourhoods to 311.
“If you see giant wheel-eating, alignment-killing potholes out there, let us know,” she said, adding workers are using 311 data to decide where to conduct repairs.
Toronto’s 2026 pothole budget is about $6.2 million, compared to $5.5 million last year, according to the city.
As of Monday, the city said it received 1,194 pothole claims — a 47 per cent increase from the same period last year.
It said claims for damages due to potholes are higher than normal due to winter conditions, and resolutions may exceed Toronto’s 90-day target.
The city says it has filled more than 23,000 potholes so far this year, compared to 33,100 in the same period last year. Last year, the city filled more than 257,000 potholes, according to public data.