Lorenzo Arenas estimates that business at his tire shop has more than doubled from last year. His shop is in the shadow of the Sources Boulevard overpass, and with potholes seemingly cropping up everywhere, he’s been working around the clock to repair the damage.
According to Transports Quebec, the wild fluctuations in temperature have caused potholes to spread at an alarming rate. They’ve launched a round-the-clock blitz to take care of the nuisances — especially on the western sections of Highway 20 and Highway 40, to the Ile-aux-Tourtes Bridge.
For some, like McGill student Alexander Beaumont, who spent the day hauling equipment in a rented truck, the ride was brutal. “You expect it on the city streets,” he said. “But it’s really hard to dodge if you’re going 70 kilometres per hour.”
Arenas said one customer recently rolled in to get a flat fixed and then came right back after a pothole flattened the replacement.
“People are angry,” he said. “They’re not angry with me, but they’re angry with the roads.”