For Halifax commuters, dodging potholes is a daily challenge — but one particular pothole has made the biggest bang.
According to data obtained through a freedom of information request with the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), a pothole on the corner of Jubilee Road and Oxford Street has the highest number of complaints in the city.
One of the complaints was made by Lauren Best-Janes, a Dalhousie University student who commutes to school every day.
“Oh, it was brutal,” says Best-Janes. “I always turn right onto Oxford from the lights at Jubilee to get to school, and one morning it just completely smoked my tire.”
The result? A flat tire and a damaged rim. Fortunately, Best-Janes was able to have the costs covered by the municipality.
“I mean that’s just Halifax, isn’t it?” says Best-Janes. “You’re constantly trying to save your car from getting swallowed by a big hole. But this one was really bad and definitely the worst one I’ve hit.”
Between Sept. 1, 2023, and Sept. 1, 2024, Halifax’s 311 municipal information service received 644 pothole complaints across the South End, North End and downtown areas. The Jubilee Road and Oxford Street pothole received 46 reports, the most in the area surveyed. A pothole at Barrington Street and South Streets followed behind with 35 complaints.
The records from the freedom of information did not account for other parts of the HRM. Across the municipality, over 3,000 pothole repair requests have been logged since Jan. 1, 2024.
Laura Wright, public affairs advisor for the HRM, says pothole repair priorities are determined by the pothole’s width and depth.
“Priority one potholes are considered at least 25 centimetres in diameter and eight centimetres in depth, and all other potholes are considered priority two potholes.”
Wright says road operation crews work year-round to identify and fix potholes, but the municipality relies heavily on residents to report ones they notice. In 2023, the municipality spent nearly $1.5 million on pothole repairs.
Despite efforts to repair problem areas, new potholes continue to form, particularly during the winter months. Sarah Evans, a receptionist for the Coast Tire & Auto Service on Young Street, says they receive cars with pothole damages almost every day, no matter the season.
“We see a lot of pothole-related repairs, and I mean a lot,” says Evans. “On average, probably two or three cars a day come in with damages caused by potholes.”
Evans says the cost of fixing tires can range anywhere from $100 to $500, depending on how severe the damages are. Residents can file a claim for compensation if the pothole responsible is on a municipal or provincial road.
The pothole on Jubilee Road and Oxford Street was repaired in September, causing additional frustration due to the construction.
“At least it was fixed! A month of sitting in construction is nothing compared to hitting that monster every single day and fearing for your tires,” says Best-Janes.
In April, Hot Country 103.5 posted a series of videos on TikTok looking for Halifax’s biggest pothole. One of the contenders was the pothole on Jubilee Road and Oxford Street.
“My boyfriend sent it to me immediately,” says Best-Janes. “The guy in the video was saying because it didn’t look that deep it couldn’t be bad, but I am here to attest it was definitely that bad.”
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