An annual pothole repair push is ramping up in Somerville after what officials call “a particularly brutal winter,” while the repaving of streets and other wanted road improvements are mentioned as budget priorities in memos filed with mayor Jake Wilson by five city councilors. The notorious Highland Avenue, where promised repairs have taken years to develop, was singled out by councilor Naima Sait.
“I know people are eager for this to happen. I’d love to see it happen,” Wilson said in an interview Friday.
March is the busiest month for reports of potholes, and reports have already run high in early 2026, said officials with the city’s Department of Public Works in a Tuesday email. Residents submitted more than 1,200 pothole reports last year using the 311 phone system – a 38 percent increase over the prior year – and the department closed more than 1,300 requests (including a backlog from the previous year).
Potholes form when water seeps into cracks in pavement and into the underlying soil, weakening the road surface. Freezing temperatures cause that water to expand, and the weight of traffic breaks the asphalt apart, leaving holes that can grow larger if left unrepaired. The freeze-thaw cycles of New England winters make spring one of the busiest times of year for DPW pothole crews, staff said, and March is when freeze-thaw cycles peak.
Residents who spot a pothole, especially larger or more hazardous ones, are encouraged to submit a 311 report, which can be done via phone (dialing 617-666-3311 if the caller is outside the city) or by email, app, on the Web or through social media.
“Of course, potholes are just spot repairs. The city also steadily works to resurface full roads, upgrade full streetscapes and repair sidewalks,” staff said in the email.
Information about paving and sidewalk management is at somervillema.gov/paving.
Wilson noted that the eastern part of Highland Avenue had a partial repaving that has spared people in cars from “feeling like you’re driving on the surface of the moon there.”
The western part of Highland will be a more expensive rethinking of road use that must be figured out for “where it slots in, in terms of a capital improvement capital investment plan,” Wilson said. It also requires utility work first and a whole engagement process with businesses along the avenue – none of which should stop residents from reporting potholes on Highland for a quick fix.
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