Giant Pothole in Long Island City Causes Chaos

The city has finally addressed the enormous pothole in Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s former Long Island City neighborhood in Queens, but the situation is worsening. It’s causing accidents and seems to be expanding faster than the city’s budget deficit.

This massive pothole emerged nearly a month ago as a minor dip on a two-lane westbound road along Route 41—specifically between 23rd and 24th streets. By the time it was measured on April 22, it had morphed into a 6-foot-long, 5-foot-wide, and approximately 30-inch-deep hazard.

City crews filled the hole just two days later, but neighbors quickly reported that the asphalt patch began caving in within hours.

On a dimly lit street early Monday, a pickup truck swerved to avoid the crater and collided with a parked car, damaging both vehicles, according to witnesses.

The truck driver, known as “Hassan,” shared that he had to have his vehicle towed due to severe damage and had requested the city reimburse him. “The city is getting a lot of money from taxpayers, yet nothing gets fixed,” he remarked, adding that he left a note for the owner of the parked car but hadn’t heard back yet. “Every day is the same. There are more accidents—this could cost the city.”

The pothole is situated right in front of Q41, a 17-story mixed-use building in a transitional area that used to be industrial. Residents mentioned that city transportation department workers made two visits, taking pictures and attempting temporary fixes.

Q41’s doorman, Mohammad Hasan, took it upon himself to alert drivers to the danger. He started by placing traffic cones and yellow hazard tape around the hole, then put a shovel into the pit to make it more visible. When someone ran over the shovel, he resorted to spraying the pothole with fluorescent orange paint and positioned a broomstick with a red flag nearby.

“I wish this could be fixed, but it’s only going to get worse,” Hasan said, feeling as though he was out of solutions.

A resident made a sarcastic remark about Mayor Mamdani, reflecting on his recent helmet-wearing stunt to celebrate the city fixing the 100,000th pothole since he took office. “This is what sewer socialism looks like,” the resident said. “Big promises with no follow-through. When our doorman retires, who will keep us safe?”

After Monday’s incident, residents barricaded the street to prevent further accidents, but they had to replace the barricades repeatedly as vehicles knocked them down.

The president of Q41 Apartments, calling herself “Nastasya,” criticized the temporary fixes from the Department of Transportation and emphasized that ongoing potholes are significant safety risks. “Even if they aren’t directly causing accidents, they put people at risk daily,” she noted. “This needs a permanent resolution.”

Local residents are perplexed as the necessary repairs remain incomplete. “It’s in the middle of the road, with no lighting, so it’s hard to see at night. It’s extremely dangerous,” said Amy Chen, who works nearby.