Potholes Becoming Big Problem with Harsh Winter

New York motorists need to buckle up and hold on tight, because it’s getting bumpy out there. This year’s harsh winter weather is wreaking havoc on the city’s roads, causing thousands of potholes to emerge across the five boroughs.

The Department of Transportation has filled more than 45,000 street craters since the first storm hit in December, and more than 135,000 potholes since July, officials said.

“Mother Nature has thrown everything at us this winter, and we’re striking back,” said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who said the city has 40 crews filling 2,000 potholes daily.

“This work will continue throughout the winter to keep our roads in good condition.”

Transportation chiefs blame severe weather and fluctuating temperatures.

Potholes form when snow and rain seep into cracks in the road, then expand as the temperatures drop and water freezes. Asphalt starts chunking away as vehicles drive over it.

The full extent of the damage won’t be known until the snow thaws.

“This is the unfortunate side effect of this terrible season,” said Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Queens), who met with Sadik-Khan Friday to plug up a pothole in Kew Gardens.

His office receives a couple of calls each week from residents complaining about the quality of the roads.

“We keep getting hit with bad weather, and every snowstorm just chips away a little more,” he said.

Officials urged residents to call 311 to report badly damaged sections of tarmac, and the DOT said repair teams should respond within three days.

Bronx Firefighter Mike Shepherd, 43, said he has repeatedly called 311 about a 3-foot-wide, 5-inch-deep pothole in Windsor Terrace.

“It’s the size of Staten Island,” Shepherd said. “I don’t want to see a car hit this, swerve and hit someone. . . . It needs to be fixed permanently.”