Potholes Off Long Island Expressway Causing Headaches

BROOKHAVEN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Pothole problems on Long Island have officials in one town saying the craters in their roads are particularly bad. They say on- and off-ramps are riddled with holes and patchwork fixes and they say the state should fix it.

David Kenney had just left the Long Island Expressway for the exit ramp near his home.

"Driving down the street and 'BAM.' That's it," Kenney said, showing CBS2's Jennifer McLogan the damage done to his car.

Just off the expressway, on Route 112, A1 Collision has been bombarded.

"We have people, at least five or six a day, come in with cracked rims and broken tires because they hit the potholes and cracked their aluminum rims," tire repair manager Steve Celauro said.

Workers have been out filling and fixing the road, but angry motorists said despite repeated complaints the state is not keeping up.

"I'm getting a lot of phone calls. My office is getting a lot of phone calls, which led to the letter that I sent the state DOT," Brookhaven Town Council Member Daniel Panico said.

Panico wants the state to inspect and pave the majority of exit and entrance ramps along the LIE and Sunrise Highway, "not run through a minefield of potholes."

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Drivers told McLogan the cold patch repair is clearly not working. Driving off or on to ramps at 55 mph can be teeth jarring, suspension breaking and can cause blowouts.

"The first snow, it's all going to freeze together. With the water, it is going to be ripped up by the plows," one driver said.

New rims can run you $300-$400, but with the holiday season upon us, many don't have the money for such an expense.

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The state Department of Transportation told CBS2: "While these areas are not on the current (NYSDOT) capital program, we expect to make improvements there in the future."

"One of the things that people come to expect from government is when they are driving on roads that are paid for through municipal taxes, that the roads are going to be safe," Panico said.

Drivers say patching is temporary. They want the exit and entrance ramps totally repaved.