Officials Seek Emergency Repairs After Potholes Cause Crashes on Middle Country Road

Potholes on Middle Country Road (NY 25) have been blamed for multiple crashes and for slowing emergency response, prompting Suffolk County leaders to press the state for immediate repairs and a faster resurfacing schedule. County Executive Ed Romaine and Legislator Nick Caracappa are calling on the New York State Department of Transportation to accelerate work on a stretch officials say is dangerously deteriorated.

Local witnesses and first responders describe a roadway that has worsened through winter conditions. Two cars overturned in Selden within 24 hours during the week of the recent coverage, and residents report near-daily collisions along the corridor. Bagel shop owner John Rose said, “Zigzagging, trying to avoid potholes, and when that happens, cars flip over.” Selden Fire Chief Scott Nowakowski warned that potholes impede ambulance movements: “The ambulance is trying to go around those potholes, not to damage our fire trucks and ambulances, and the vehicles just can't get out of the way and we can't get past them.”

Legislator Nick Caracappa organized a public event with residents, business owners and first responders along Middle Country Road between Highview Drive and Park Hill Drive. Caracappa urged “total resurfacing of Middle Country from 347 to County Road 83,” adding at the podium, “This could’ve been done years ago. It should get done this year. Good enough could always be better!” He also described the corridor as “a certain death trap. It's the ultimate obstacle course.”

Officials point to a broader safety profile for the corridor. An insurance comparison ranking placed Middle Country Road in the top 10 most dangerous roads in New York, and PIX11 described the stretch as roughly a 10-mile segment that is among the busiest and most hazardous local roadways. Centereach resident Patricia Poggi characterized the pavement as “like craters,” calling driving there “Horrific and horrendous ... pothole after pothole, after pothole, where you don’t even know if you’re going to make it out... Like it’s boom, boom, boom.”

The state transportation agency says it is working to move the project forward while maintaining interim repairs. The New York State Department of Transportation issued a statement that reads in part, “The New York State Department of Transportation understands the importance of Middle Country Road to the local community and is working at an expedited pace to commence the design on a resurfacing project on this roadway. In the meantime, NYSDOT crews are working to address potholes as they develop and perform maintenance as needed.” County Executive Romaine urged the agency to accelerate the work, noting that “Although the DOT has said this road would be paved in 2027, I urge them to move the date up as soon as possible. The number one rule of government is to provide a safe environment for the people. Middle Country Road needs to be addressed immediately.”

For drivers and businesses along NY 25, the immediate effects include damaged vehicles, traffic disruptions and concerns about delayed emergency care. Officials are pressing the DOT for a clear schedule and for more aggressive interim fixes while design and planning proceed. Similar winter pothole outbreaks elsewhere have demonstrated how quickly localized pavement failures can multiply into broader public-safety problems, underscoring the stakes for Suffolk County residents.

What comes next is a test of timelines and budgets: county leaders want repaving “as early as this year,” the state says design work is being expedited, and residents await a definitive project schedule and visible action on the ground.