Baltimore Drivers Brace for Brutal Pothole Season

Crews work to fix potholes, but new ones keep appearing across the city

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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Baltimore is already experiencing a severe pothole season, with crews working to repair the damage but new potholes continuing to pop up across the city. Drivers are taking it slow to avoid damage to their vehicles, with one describing the roads as feeling like "a wooden roller coaster" due to the constant bumps. Data from the Maryland State Highway Administration shows the issue is significantly worse this year compared to previous years, and the agency expects the situation to only get worse as the region enters the heart of pothole season.

Why it matters

Potholes pose a serious threat to driver safety and can cause significant damage to vehicles, leading to costly repairs. The worsening pothole problem in Baltimore highlights the ongoing infrastructure challenges facing the city and the need for more investment in road maintenance and repair.

The details

Crews have been working to fix potholes across Baltimore, with several visible potholes being repaired by the afternoon on Tuesday. However, drivers say new potholes keep appearing, forcing them to drive cautiously to avoid damage. One driver described the roads as feeling like "a bump. You can hurt yourself. And if a woman is pregnant, she can have her baby before her time." Data from the Maryland State Highway Administration shows the 2026 pothole season has already surpassed the total number of potholes patched in the previous year, and the agency expects the situation to only get worse as the region enters the heart of pothole season from now through the end of March.

  • From July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, the SHA patched 6,779 square yards of potholes.
  • The SHA has already surpassed that figure by nearly 200 yards, and it's only February 2026.

The players

Maryland State Highway Administration

The state agency responsible for maintaining and repairing highways in Maryland.

John Patterson

An employee at Cromwell Tools who described the roads in Baltimore as feeling like "a wooden roller coaster" due to the constant bumps from potholes.

Charlie Gischlar

A spokesman for the Maryland State Highway Administration who said the agency expects the pothole situation to only get worse as the region enters the heart of pothole season from now through the end of March.

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What they’re saying

“It's like riding a wooden roller coaster. It's just bump after bump after bump, all the way down Falls Road and all the way up Cold Spring (Lane).”

— John Patterson, Cromwell Tools employee (wbal.com)

“And we're not even in the heart of pothole season, so you can imagine it's going to be a busy year for crews out in the highway.”

— Charlie Gischlar, Maryland State Highway Administration spokesman (wbal.com)

What’s next

The Maryland State Highway Administration expects the pothole situation in Baltimore to only get worse as the region enters the heart of pothole season from now through the end of March. The agency will continue working to repair potholes, but drivers should remain cautious and report any new potholes they encounter to 311.

The takeaway

The worsening pothole problem in Baltimore highlights the ongoing infrastructure challenges facing the city and the need for more investment in road maintenance and repair. Drivers must remain vigilant and report potholes to help the city address this public safety issue, but long-term solutions will require a sustained commitment to improving the city's roads and highways.