Potholes Pockmark Port Jeff

Winter may be winding down, but not without leaving its mark. Between the snowstorms and large temperature swings, the roads in and around Port Jefferson have become riddled with potholes.

While the village itself has stayed on top of pothole repair on Main Street, other secondary roadways are in much worse shape.

Potholes not only make for an uncomfortable driving experience, but also pose a danger to your vehicle. Shallow potholes can damage tires while deeper potholes pose a threat to suspension components as well.

If your vehicle has suffered damage as a result of a road imperfection, you may call Port Jefferson Highway Department at (631) 473-4733 or email the Suffolk County Department of Transportation via their website here.

Some of the worst potholes in town are on Old Post Road. They range in depth from 2 inches to as much as 6 inches. At 6 inches, the pothole can be quite damaging especially for cars with narrow wheels and tires.

Making matters worse, snowmelt and rainfall has filled many of these holes with water, making them difficult to spot. When the temperature falls below freezing at night, the water filled potholes become mini skating rinks that can cause accidents.

The village of Port Jefferson has acknowledged the issues with the roadways and recently released a statement regarding the purchase of new equipment to combat the problem. In a press release dated Feb. 24, the Port Jefferson Economic Development Council discussed the recent purchases.

The village purchased a self propelled Asphalt Paver for $86,450 and a Spray Patcher for $64,500. Both were “part of the purchase that will allow our Highway Department to cut and repair smaller sections of damaged roads, (such as the turnoff to Scraggy Hill Road from Old Post Road),” the statement said.

There has been no formal date announced for the beginning of these repairs. The press release notes that this cannot begin until the new crew receives “appropriate training.”

In an effort to prevent roadways from getting this bad in the future, the new purchases also include brand new snow removal equipment. Heavy snowfall is a tremendous contributor to road imperfections, as well as the use of antiquated snow removal equipment that can damage roadways as snow is removed.

The total cost for the new snow removal equipment is $83,682. Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant says that these purchases were made within the village’s budget and will not result in additional expenses to be passed along to taxpayers. 

Other roadways will have to wait before seeing repairs made.  The repairs needed for East Broadway, Pine Hill Road, Myrtle and High Street, Inwood Road and Dark Hollow Road will be up for bid this month. Currently, no company has been chosen to make these repairs and until this decision is made, nothing will be done.

If you would like to submit a complaint for a certain portion of roadway in Port Jefferson or have any other concerns, visit the Suffolk County Department of Transportation website.