The weather has stopped the pothole-filling process. Crews can't do anything to fix them because of the conditions.
That's because when the ground is wet the cold patch does not hold as well. So instead of filling them, crews are salting bridges and sharp turns.
They will be hitting Okemos Rd. and other busy roads once the temperatures drop. Ingham County Road Commission Director of Operations, Tom Gamaz, said that is where their manpower is focused on during this weather.
"Right now our priority is winter maintenance, making sure we don't get icy conditions. Once we get through this snow event we'll go back to pothole patching," said Gamaz.
And after the warm weather we have been experiencing, drivers now have another barrier to look out for in this weather.
Gamaz said, "most of us drove through this winter and just had the snow and ice to deal with. Now you got the potholes to add to this situation, so just be extra careful driving and use caution."
Caution because potholes cannot be filled effectively at this time with the weather. "It doesn't always bond the best, it has to be three inches or deeper, a shallower one the patch would just bounce out, and the water in there wouldn't allow to bond to the existing asphalt," said Gamaz.
It's important to give salt trucks plenty of room because they are large pieces of equipment that don't move very fast.
