More potholes are popping up on Mid-Michigan roads

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - If it seems like you’re dodging more potholes this year, it’s because you are. The Michigan Department of Transportation said it’s getting more complaints this year than ever before.

Read: Pothole season begins, brings costly damages to Michigan

And MDOT crews are out filling potholes like these just as fast as they can. MDOT said it is battling large temperature changes, which is creating more potholes than what we normally see.

Potholes happen when snow and water seep in the cracks in the pavement, freezes and expands during the cold, and leaves gaps and holes in the roads in the spring. It’s such a problem, Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered MDOT to speed up pothole repairs.

This means the department is using all resources possible, including overtime to fill even more holes.

Related: Michigan counties call for more money to fix roads

“We’ve got a lot more people out there doing it and lucky for us, all of our garages are at 100 percent capacity so we have the manpower to get it done,” said Aaron Jenkins, MDOT spokesman.

Some drivers said they want to see more than just patching.

“Patching does nothing. Except for making it worse. All that does is freeze and then expand, making more cracks and potholes. They really need to just redo all of these roads,” said Ayinde Pulliam.

More potholes are good for auto repair shops across Lansing. Mechanics told News 10 they are seeing more people who need more than just a new tire and rim.

“The most common one has been like ball joints and control arms. But when that breaks, it causes damage to other parts of the vehicle which increases the cost of the repair,” said Sam Postema, Auto Lab.

You are encouraged to report potholes to the agency which takes care of the road.

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