The Somers Highway Superintendent said Monday that the department typically responds to "hundreds" of potholes around town every year and crew members work on a daily basis repairing several potholes on Somers streets. Several Somers residents recently took to Facebook to complain about all of the potholes plaguing Somers and Yorktown streets.
Chiaverini said he encourages the calls and that the department will continue an initiative to repair potholes every day of the year.
“We do what we can with the money we’re given and in the next couple of weeks we will use that information to analyze what are the worst ones and we’ll get them done,” Chiaverini said. “When people call them in to us, we usually are able to repair them within a day or so.”
Potholes erupt when water slips through cracks in pavement and freezes, expanding and widening the cracks to form holes, according to the New York State Department of Transportation. Asphalt cold-patch mixtures are used as a temporary fix to fill potholes in winter, and permanent pavement repairs are usually done during the warmer construction season. But Chiaverini said they will not wait until warmer weather if potholes are severe.
“With most winters, we’re filling potholes every day,” he said. “I think it’s been pretty normal this year but we get reports of new ones every day. We’re not behind on them but we are filling them every day.”
State Sen. Greg Ball (R,C,I-Patterson) recently announced that the 2013-2014 budget will include $75 million of increased funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), according to a press release.
“It is so important that we provide proper funding for our States crumbling infrastructure. This funding will allow us to put New York back to work by fixing our roads and bridges,” Ball said in the release. “I am happy to have worked with my colleagues to deliver this a 21 percent increase in CHIPS funding, the first increase in five years.”
Westchester is set to receive about $13.7 million in the 2013-14 budget, which is roughly a $2.3 million increase from the $11.4 million allocated in 2012-13, according to the press release. Chiaverini said he looks forward to having that money in-hand.
“I would like to thank Sen. Ball for helping get us this funding,” Chiaverini said in the release. “One of the best investments we can make is in our infrastructure. This additional funding allows us to make a greater investment into our roadways in Somers.”
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