No matter how carefully drivers try to avoid them, potholes are back on New York roads as winter takes hold. For many, that familiar thud over broken pavement raises the same question: Are my tires still OK?
Potholes form when moisture seeps into small cracks in the pavement, then freezes and thaws repeatedly, breaking up the surface under the weight of regular traffic. When it’s not snowing, state and local highway crews focus on basic maintenance.
“That’s part of what we do during the winter when it’s not snowing,” said Scott Cook, a public information officer for the state Department of Transportation’s Capital Region office. “We’re out there doing road maintenance, things like filling potholes, fixing guide rails.”
Still, the damage adds up for many drivers.
“I’ve had a few tires that have had to be replaced because I hit a pothole,” driver Mark Spain said.
Fellow driver Linda Marsh added that her sister had to buy two new tires and rims because the potholes were so bad.
There is some relief on the horizon. The 2026 state budget includes an additional $800 million to address rising construction costs in the DOT capital plan, with the goal of strengthening state and local roads and bridges for years to come.
“Hopefully, you’re going to see increased production. It’s going to put people to work,” said Mike Elmendorf, president and CEO of the Associated General Contractors of New York State. “And the hope is that with that work, you’re going to see roads that are in better condition, fewer potholes.”
Fewer potholes could mean fewer surprise repair bills for New Yorkers.
“I just hope that people can realize that these kind of issues cost people money and it just compounds,” Spain said. “So hopefully someday it’ll get fixed.”
As state and local crews keep working through the winter, drivers are urged to slow down and be cautious, especially with holiday traffic increasing and those hidden craters waiting just beneath the slush and snow.