Winter Storms Prove Costly [AUDIO]

This past winter was very tough on New Jersey's snowstorm budget, and the money continues to move out the door to help with weather-related road repairs.

Testifying before a budget committee on Monday, state Department of Transportation commissioner Jim Simpson said in terms of weather events, nothing over the last 15 years compares to the winter of 2013-2014.

"Requiring a response by DOT, salting and/or plowing, we've had 50 separate events and really bad conditions," Simpson said.

Through April 21, department spending on storm-related expenses reached $138 million, which equals approximately the same amount spent on the past three winters combined.

"We went through 496,000 tons of salt, twice the amount we used last year," Simpson added.

The harsh weather has also resulted in a higher-than-usual number of potholes. In a normal fiscal year, the department would spend $2 million on filling 160,000 potholes. As of April 24, according to Simpson, more than 230,000 potholes had been filled at a cost of $2.7 million.