When will LI roads be fixed? News 12 gets answers from top transportation official
The damage has been visible across the region — from heavily traveled roadways to a large hole that recently opened in the bridge deck leading to Robert Moses State Park.
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Potholes continue to plague drivers across Long Island, prompting complaints, vehicle damage and safety concerns.
The damage has been visible across the region — from heavily traveled roadways to a large hole that recently opened in the bridge deck leading to Robert Moses State Park. The issue gained widespread attention after video of the hole on the Fire Island Inlet Bridge circulated online.
In response, New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said the state is investing more than $100 million to repair and resurface Long Island roads.
“It’s been an incredibly harsh winter — I think we can all recognize that,” Dominguez said. “Now we’re in a position where temperatures are warming up soon. We have a very aggressive pothole patch program.”
According to the commissioner, approximately 258 lane miles of roadway across Long Island will be completely resurfaced.
One of the more problematic stretches is a 5-mile section of Middle Country Road, where a Brookhaven councilman previously counted more than 100 potholes. Public officials have since called for the road to be repaved as soon as possible.
The state plans to begin that repaving project next year, but Dominguez said officials are now considering moving up the timeline.
“We’re looking at accelerating the larger resurfacing of that entire roadway,” she said.
As for the Fire Island Inlet Bridge, Dominguez attributed the deck damage to extreme winter conditions.
“Every road surface — whether it’s a bridge deck or piece of pavement — is really experiencing extreme conditions,” she said.
A rehabilitation project for the bridge is scheduled to begin in 2027. In the meantime, a metal plate has been installed over the hole.
Dominguez emphasized that the bridge is inspected annually and will undergo another inspection before Memorial Day. She said if inspectors determined the structure to be unsafe, it would be closed immediately.
The bridge will also be inspected again over the summer to determine what additional work may be needed next year.
