After this latest stretch of bitter cold temperatures, Mother Nature gave Mid-Michigan a break with a slight January thaw.
It is a break that not everyone is enjoying.
For road crews this is a busy time.
Time spent patching potholes caused by the roller coaster temperatures.
“The break from winter is welcome,” said Bill Conklin, director at the Ingham County Road Department. “What we worry about is that it will allow frost in our roads to thaw and for heavy traffic to break pavement where there is some frost heave.”
Road crews statewide are taking advantage of the January thaw by patching up what they can. Crews hope the up and down temperatures doesn't become too common in 2018.
“Ideally like northern Michigan counties, we like winter to come and stay until it’s going to be done with us for good so we only have to go through that once,” said Conklin. “But here in Mid-Michigan we typically have a lot of cycling of freeze and thaw and that can play havoc with our roads.”
If temperatures do continue to rollercoaster, the Ingham County Road Department is stocked up on supplies.
“As soon as it's available in the spring we try to get the hot material in there do a little more permanent repair,” said Conklin. “Certainly the cold patch material is used to react to potholes as they form.”
The salt supply is in good shape too.
“There is plenty of salt in the Michigan basin,” said Conklin. “Typically it is just a matter of mining it and trucking it to us and the delivery has been keeping right up with demand.”
Whether it's plowing or patching, don't forget to give these crews a "brake" on the road.
“I don't recommend passing unless it is a passing zone and they can adequately see around the work crew and to pass very carefully,” said Conklin.
Hitting a big pothole can do a ton of damage to your vehicle.
Keep an eye on your tires' sidewall for bulging as you'll want to get that fixed right away.
Check your rims for any kind of dents.
You’ll also want to check your undercarriage if you can for leaks or other damage.
Make sure you also take a listen to the exhaust system. If you hear a weird noise, it is not a good sign.
MDOT and local road departments want you to report potholes so they can get them on the repair list.
Click here to report a pothole to MDOT.
