To the delight of many drivers, road crews began their efforts to renew New York City roads this weekend, kicking off pothole-filling blitz at 6 a.m. Saturday.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn announced the citywide initiative following a harsh winter freeze-thaw cycle that damaged asphalt and worsened road conditions.
“It’s like Swiss cheese… you’re trying to avoid these potholes, they’re just so bad,” said Bronx resident Eric Epps. “It’ll pull you into another lane, you’ll almost get into an accident.”
More than 80 NYC DOT crews will roll out across all five boroughs at sunrise, armed with asphalt. The city expects to fill thousands of potholes in a single day, with more repair blitzes planned in the coming weeks.
Since Jan. 1, DOT crews have already patched more than 50,000 potholes, more than 10,000 just in the past week, and they’re averaging a response time of about two days.
The blitz lines up with the start of the city’s annual resurfacing season, which includes miles of fresh pavement. DOT plans to resurface 1,150 lane miles this year, helped by the fact that New York City is one of the rare places that operates its own asphalt plants.
“While most New Yorkers are still asleep, 80 DOT crews will take to the streets to repair potholes in a five-borough blitz,” Mayor Mamdani said. “In a single day, they’ll fill thousands of potholes that pop up every year as spring arrives and our city streets begin to thaw. Safe, accessible streets are a basic promise of city government, and after a historically brutal winter, I’m incredibly grateful to the DOT teams who are not wasting a moment of time in delivering the street improvements we need.”
“New Yorkers have braved a rough winter, and we can see and feel the resulting potholes from wear-and-tear on our roads,” Flynn said. “That’s why the men and women of NYC DOT are doubling down on repair efforts in recent weeks and will step it up this weekend with a five-borough, 80-crew blitz. We appreciate New Yorkers’ patience on the roads as we complete this critical work and encourage the public to report road defects to 311.”
Pothole season reliably arrives with spring, when freeze thaw cycles and soggy roadways turn pavement into crater fields.
Drivers should expect some delays Saturday as crews fan out across the city. Anyone who spots a pothole can report it to 311.
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