Spring thaw brings new round of potholes in Michigan

Potholes aren’t sudden defects, but the end result of a sustained structural failure. Water infiltrates the asphalt, freezes and expands, then contracts as it thaws, creating internal fissures. Over time, that repeated stress fractures the pavement from within, and traffic delivers the final blow. Then we’re left with these gaping holes causing issues for drivers. MDOT has a total annual budget of about $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion. Roughly 20% of non-winter maintenance goes to potholes.