Ottawa's Pothole Problem Earns a Spot on CAA's Worst Roads List
Ottawa drivers who've winced their way through crumbling asphalt this spring won't be surprised to hear the news: the CAA has released its 2026 Worst Roads in Ontario list, and potholes are the key culprit sending local roads straight to the bottom of the barrel.
The Canadian Automobile Association's annual ranking shines a spotlight on the province's most battered stretches of pavement, and this year's edition makes clear that pothole damage is the dominant issue pushing roads onto the list. The survey relies on public nominations, meaning the rankings reflect the very real frustrations of everyday commuters and residents across Ontario — including plenty here in the capital.
Why Potholes Get So Bad in Spring
Anyone who's lived through an Ottawa winter understands the recipe for road destruction. Freeze-thaw cycles — where water seeps into cracks in the pavement, freezes, expands, and then thaws — are brutal on asphalt. By the time March and April roll around, roads that held together all winter can look like the surface of the moon.
Ottawa's climate is particularly punishing. The city regularly sees temperatures swing from well below zero to above freezing multiple times in a single week during shoulder seasons, accelerating the deterioration cycle faster than in milder parts of the province.
The Cost to Drivers
The damage isn't just an annoyance — it hits wallets hard. CAA estimates that pothole-related vehicle damage costs Canadian drivers hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Bent rims, blown tires, damaged suspension components, and misaligned steering are all common casualties of a bad pothole strike. In a city like Ottawa, where many residents depend on their vehicles for daily commutes to Kanata, Barrhaven, or Orleans, the financial toll adds up quickly.
The CAA has long used the Worst Roads campaign as a pressure tool — drawing public and political attention to infrastructure that needs urgent investment. The idea is simple: embarrass the roads onto the priority list.
What the City Is Doing
The City of Ottawa does run an annual pothole repair program, and residents can report problem spots through the city's 311 service or online portal. Crews are typically deployed through spring and summer to patch the worst offenders. However, critics and residents have pointed out for years that reactive patching is a short-term fix — what many roads need is full resurfacing or reconstruction, which requires significantly more funding.
With municipal budgets under pressure and infrastructure deficits growing, the gap between what needs fixing and what gets fixed remains wide.
How to Nominate a Road
If your regular commute feels more like an obstacle course, you can nominate roads for next year's CAA Worst Roads campaign at the CAA website. Public nominations are what drive the list — so if there's a stretch of road in your neighbourhood that's been neglected for too long, make your voice heard.
In the meantime, keep your eyes on the road and your hands firmly on the wheel. Pothole season isn't done with Ottawa just yet.
Source: Global News Ottawa / CAA Ontario Worst Roads 2026