Pothole puts Montreal in international spotlight

Genevieve Beauchemin reports on a cycling incident that has ignited anger in Montreal over degrading roads.

A patched pothole has picked up international attention and has Montrealers grumbling about the state of the city’s roads.

The Grand Prix Cycliste, a cycling race where riders from around the world compete, was held in the city last Sunday.

At around the 120-kilometre mark, riders were climbing a road leading up to the majestic Mount-Royal. That’s when Dutch cyclist Pascal Eenkhoorn hit a rough patch in the road and went flying onto the asphalt, a crash that ended his race.

Pro cyclists navigate cobblestones in Europe and damaged streets worldwide, so some have chucked the accident as a bit of bad luck. But the image broadcast internationally got Montrealers talking.

“I saw it on television,” said Mivil Deschenes. “I do a lot of biking around the city, so I was not surprised.”

Montreal isn’t the only Canadian city contending with the issue, but the city’s pothole problem is legendary. Images from CTV News archives dating back more than half a century, show degrading roads and workers patching the streets.

Over the years, damaged axles and lost hubcaps have piled up and there have been serious injuries. Nearly all residents CTV News spoke with describe at least one run-in with a hole in the road.

“I constantly have to dodge them,” said Nicole Dunn, taking a walk on Mount-Royal today. “The city is constantly under construction, so I am assuming they are trying to solve the problem.”

Some experts have blamed Montreal’s climate, the thaw and freeze cycles, the type of road surface and the salt used for de-icing. Montreal’s auditor general has also added poor management of maintenance and upkeep to that list. A report earlier this year found that one out of three city roads is in bad, or very bad shape.

This weekend the city will stage a marathon, with 32,000 participants hitting the pavement.

“We want this weekend to be a fiesta,” said city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin. “In order to make sure everything goes smoothly, we patched all the potholes on the circuit.”

Still, he says, there are inherent risks to taking on activities like cycling and running on city streets. He also says the pothole where the cyclist fell on Sunday had been patched.

The road had been deemed suitable by organizers ahead of Sunday’s race.

When CTV News visited the scene, it confirmed the pothole had been filled, but the resulting patch had turned the pothole into a small bump in the road. Now some Montrealers hope that now-famous rough patch will send a message.

“It was like a cry for help,” laughed Deschenes who was riding nearby. “If somebody has a solution for us, we should listen.”