The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) will begin their annual statewide campaign to repair potholes across the state on Monday, March 4

With a more active winter this year and temperatures continually fluctuating between above and below freezing, the Department of Transportation expects to repair more potholes this season than last year.

Potholes are created by water seeping into cracks in the asphalt and then expanding when it freezes, so this type of weather pattern still takes a toll on state highways.

Although the DOT repairs potholes all week, they provide a special focus during the next few months, which means crews throughout the state will be allowed to close travel lanes where necessary, even during daytime hours.

Where possible, crews will limit their daytime work hours to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will try to avoid working in travel lanes carrying traffic during peak times.

NJDOT will be using Variable Message Signs to alert motorists of the campaign and, to the extent possible, of lane closures that could result in temporary travel delays.

As the weather warms up and asphalt plants reopen, DOT crews will start to perform permanent patch operations on particularly problematic sections of roadway.

In the past five years, NJDOT says they repaired an average of approximately 162,000 potholes per year. The average has steadily decreased over the past several years because of NJDOT’s emphasis on repaving our State Highways, improving the percentage of roads in good and fair condition from 47 percent in 2007 to 81 percent last year.

Since July 1, 2023, NJDOT has repaired about 93,500 potholes, with the busiest pothole repair season just starting.

Motorists may call 1-800-POTHOLE or go online to report potholes on state roads using a new mapping feature to help identify the exact location of the pothole.

To report potholes on county maintained roads in Ocean County, motorists can call 732-929-2133.