Tire-thudding season: Inside New Jersey’s race to fix potholes
As winter damage takes its toll on Garden State roads, NJDOT crews are ramping up repairs—working quickly, often in live traffic, to make commutes smoother and safer.
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It’s the jolt every New Jersey driver dreads, that sudden thud when your tire hits a pothole. But what you may not see is the race to fix it.
“The ultimate goal at the end of the day is to repair as many potholes as we possibly can and make the ride for our commuters smooth and safe," says NJDOT Central Region Operations director, Amy Marino.
At the center of the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s pothole campaign are the crews themselves.
They scan roads, respond to complaints and work fast to make repairs.
Marino says pothole repairs are critical this time of year.
“Pothole repair is a response all year long however, at the end of the winter season is really when we have to focus on the repairs because the winter weather is really what does a good amount of damage to the highway.”
Alongside Route 33 in East Windsor, News 12 was walked us through the repair process step by step.
First, the damaged pavement is cleaned out.
Loose debris is removed to create a solid, clean base.
Then, crews use a sticky-tacky tar to coat the inside of the hole.
Next, hot asphalt is poured and raked to smooth out the hole.
It’s then compacted and pressed down to seal the patch into place — all in a matter of minutes.
It may seem simple, but timing is everything. Crews often work in live traffic, balancing speed with safety.
Drivers are reminded to follow the move-over law and be mindful of crews on the roads.
NJDOT officials say the majority of the work happens now, when temperatures are above freezing.
“We can use the hot material, which is more permeant," Marino says. "When it's colder, and we do emergency repairs, we utilize something called a cold patch, which is typically more of a temporary repair.”
The number of pothole repairs this year is noticeably up compared to last year.
“Since December, we've already filled 87,000 potholes statewide. So we anticipate a significant increase, probably to the tune of about 15–20%," Marino says.
If you spot a pothole that needs fixing, reporting it is simple.
Call the NJDOT at 1-800-POTHOLE or use its online form to provide the route number, direction, mile marker or nearest intersection to help crews locate it.
