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Warmer Weather Causes Pothole Problems For City Drivers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The pothole problem pops up every spring across the Tri-State Area, but with the season's temperature swings, the crop is worse than usual.

Pulling over to check his tires after bumping over a pothole, Baidy Hanne told CBS2's Natalie Duddridge he was driving up 10th Avenue in Midtown when the crater crept up on him.

"It was like a 'thump' sound pretty much. We were driving, and out of nowhere -- boom!" he said.

Potholes cost each driver who hits one hundreds of dollars in repairs.

"It was a big pothole, and at the time, my two tires gone," Fiaz Hussain said.

Usually, the spring thaw triggers regional pothole repair campaigns. But this year, they're starting early. Over the past weekend, New York City crews patched up 5,000 potholes.

Despite the blitz, they have a long way to go.

"Too many, too many bumps. They have to fix it up," one man said.

"Fix 'em, fill 'em better," another added.

New Jersey is bad, too. Chopper 2 spotted all kinds of cracks and crevices along Route 21. The Department of Transportation said it fixes more than 200,000 potholes a year.

The DOT reminded drivers to move over when they come across repair teams. In return, they'll do their best to limit lane closures, especially during rush hour.

The DOT also said this winter's fluctuating freezing and thawing have made this season particularly bad.

The city urged drivers to call 311 every time they hit a pothole to report it. Authorities say the average repair time is about a day and a half.

Baidy Hanne said it's just a Band-Aid.

"They're not fixing it properly, they're doing like quick fixes on it," he said.

But a lot of drivers say at least those temporary throw and go patches will save them blowing a tire.

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