NYC Officials To Drivers: Give Pothole Repair Crews A Brake

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- City officials are warning drivers to look out for workers patching up the hundreds of thousands of potholes left behind by the brutal winter.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg told WCBS 880's Paul Murnane the city has filled nearly 200,000 potholes since December.

"Cold weather, snow, a lot of salt and plows -- it does take its toll on the roadways," she said.

Listen to NYC Officials To Drivers: Give Pothole Repair Crews A Brake

Last year, crews repaired about 500,000 craters.

Galileo Orlando, DOT deputy commissioner for roadway repair and maintenance, described the season as being compressed.

"The weather sort of broke later in the season," he said. "So while there's less numbers of potholes, it's all happened at once."

As the weather warms up, more crews are out working to repair roads.

City workers urged motorists to consider their safety.

"We don't stop traffic just to stop the traffic," one employee said. "There's a reason why we're stopping it."

Rob, a DOT worker, said he knows the dangers of the job first-hand. He broke his ankle when a driver backed into him.

"We're just out there working," he said. "It can turn so quick. A split second turns everything."

Slowing down from 60 mph can take 300 feet or more, Murnane noted.

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