New Yorkers Requested to Report Potholes on State Roads

1-800-POTHOLE Toll-Free Hotline Facilitates State Agency Response

ALBANY, NY (02/15/2011)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Acting Commissioner Joan McDonald and New York State Thruway Executive Director Michael Fleischer are today reminding motorists to report potholes on the State's highway system by contacting 1-800-POTHOLE (1-800-768-4653), the state roadway hotline for reporting these trouble-spots. The toll-free service is available across upstate New York and in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Potholes found on county, town, city and village streets, or private roadways should be reported to the appropriate owner.

"Potholes are a reality of winter that comes each year usually toward the end of the season when temperatures warm up, but the State Department of Transportation is already on the lookout for these nuisances," said Acting Commissioner Joan McDonald. "Since potholes are caused primarily by the freezing and thawing cycle, and since this winter has steadily stayed cold, we do not expect a spike in the number of potholes on New York roadways, however, we are asking motorists to let us know when they encounter them by calling 1-800-POTHOLE. Monitoring the roads for potholes, and repairing those we know about is part of the Department's maintenance program, but additional information we receive from the public is very helpful in this effort."

Thruway Authority Executive Director Michael R. Fleischer said, "Thruway Authority crews are constantly on the look out to identify and correct those portions of the road that need repair. The Authority is pleased to participate in the 1-800-POTHOLE hotline that encourages customers to join in the Thruway's efforts to provide safe and efficient travel."

Motorists are asked to call 1-800-POTHOLE (1-800-768-4653) to report potholes on any State-owned highway, including the Thruway, except in New York City, where motorists can report potholes by dialing 311. Operators are standing by to receive calls to the hotline, which are then directed to the closest NYSDOT or Thruway Authority maintenance facility. Maintenance crews are then dispatched to attend to the pothole as soon as weather conditions and other factors permit.

Callers will be asked to provide detailed information regarding the location of the pothole, including: the name of the community or county it's in; highway route number; closest mileage reference marker number; closest exit number; the direction of travel; and the nearest landmark or crossroad. People who report potholes and want to be notified of their repair should leave their names and addresses for follow up. Motorists reporting potholes from cell phones are reminded either to use hands-free units when calling or safely stop their vehicle and call.

Potholes are formed primarily due to the infiltration of water into pavement through surface cracks, and generally occur due to the freezing and thawing of pavement. Cold weather causes the water to freeze, creating a bulge in the pavement. When the temperature warms above freezing, the pavement surface then returns to its original level. The process repeats itself during subsequent freeze-thaw cycles when potholes can become worse and more numerous. Heavy traffic also contributes to the creation of new potholes and the worsening of existing ones.

NYSDOT employs aggressive preventive maintenance practices designed to seal pavements and prevent the seepage of water. NYSDOT estimates these highly efficient, cost effective practices save New York State more than $1 billion annually in avoided highway rehabilitation projects.

To fill potholes during the winter, NYSDOT uses high performance asphalt cold patch mixtures that are formulated specifically for this purpose; more permanent pavement repairs are made during the construction season. These cold patch mixes have been tested and proven to be the most effective solution for winter pothole patching by the National Research Council's Strategic Highway Research Program, a comprehensive research effort directed by federal and state transportation officials.

Because NYSDOT maintenance crews periodically repair highway damage throughout the State, motorists are asked to slow down and pay special attention to highway maintenance and construction work zones. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone, and, in accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of the driver's license.

For more information about NYSDOT's pothole repair program, please visit https://www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/programs/pothole-rpt.

Motorists also are reminded to check 5-1-1NY, the state's free travel information service, for up-to-the-minute road conditions and links to train, bus, subway and air service information by calling 5-1-1, or by visiting www.511ny.org. The 5-1-1 system should not be accessed on mobile devices while driving. NYSDOT encourages drivers to check conditions before traveling, to have a passenger access 5-1-1, or to pull over at a safe location to access the system during travel.

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