Highway Swerve

    Forget about the ice, the snow, the wind, and all that this winter. No: The real problem with winter 2014 is the potholes.

    Montauk Highway, which bears the bulk of this area’s traffic, is the worst of it. Deep pits lie in wait for tires and rims. Many offer a telltale clue: striped lines a layer down suggesting that the last time the road was paved something wasn’t done quite right.

    You can tell the locals from the visitors by the apparently odd way they steer, going half onto the shoulder or slowing for no apparent reason in advance of an unavoidable patch. These days, a swerving vehicle in front of you does not mean the driver has downed a few too many Budweisers.

    Last we heard from the state, help is on the way sometime this spring. A Department of Transportation resurfacing effort is supposed to begin in the next few months. Between now and then, though, expect a whole lot more of the Montauk Highway swerve. Our advice? Slow down, never tailgate, keep your eyes open and those tires at the proper inflation. It’s likely to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.