Residents wonder when roads will be repaved as potholes continue to plague LI
After hearing from frustrated drivers, News 12 took a closer look at what’s being done to address the growing problem — and helped prompt a quick repair in one Levittown neighborhood.
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Residents across Long Island say dodging potholes has become part of their daily commute, with some craters stretching several feet wide and lurking beneath rain-filled puddles.
After hearing from frustrated drivers, News 12 took a closer look at what’s being done to address the growing problem — and helped prompt a quick repair in one Levittown neighborhood.
Viewers from communities like Franklin Square, Lynbrook and West Islip sent in photos showing broken pavement and deep holes swallowing sections of roadway. In Levittown, residents described the intersection of Water Lane North and Homestead Lane as particularly hazardous.
“Anywhere you go now, you have to watch, make sure there’s no puddles,” Levittown resident Ed Phillips said. “Because if you go racing through a puddle, you’re going to hit a pothole.”
Resident Doug Tons called one of the holes near his home “a real crater.”
“I wouldn’t even drive through it with my truck,” said George Bruzzi, who lives nearby.
Bruzzi said the damaged corner “has been like that for a while.”
News 12 reported the issue to the Town of Hempstead. Road crews quickly arrived to begin patching the holes.
“They came right away. Less than an hour from the last time I talked to you,” Bruzzi said as workers poured asphalt into the damaged roadway.
Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti attributed the surge in potholes to recent severe winter weather, explaining that freezing and thawing cycles can quickly break apart pavement. He said the town aims to address complaints within 48 hours.
“We’re trying to get these potholes filled as quickly as possible,” Ferretti said.
While residents welcomed the rapid response, questions remain about how long the temporary patches will hold and when the street will receive a full resurfacing.
Ferretti said repaving typically cannot begin until sustained temperatures reach at least 40 to 45 degrees — meaning major roadwork likely won’t start until April or May.
“You can’t repave a road properly under a certain temperature,” he explained. “We need sustained temperatures above that mark before you can do that.”
Town officials say Hempstead plans to repave approximately 100 miles of roadway each year. Meanwhile, pothole repair crews are scheduled to resume work on Tuesday in the Town of Islip.
