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NARRATOR: This winter has a lot of people dreaming about a beautiful Michigan summer.
But before we get there, we have to get through a less popular season: Pothole season.
As the ground warms and freezes and warms and freezes it takes its toll on the pavement.
JAMES LOGAN: There are some areas in Brighton we have to visit on a weekly basis
and we are continuously refilling the same holes.
It seems to be a neverending job.
NARRATOR: Moisture is a major culprit in the pothole process
and with historic amounts of snow that has blanketed the entire state this winter,
conditions are right for an historic pothole season as well.
This crew from the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Brighton Garage
had a rookie on the crew today as they tried to make headway
on the latest batch of potholes in Washtenaw County.
CREW MEMBER: ... a little above the surface of the road, because as cars drive on it...
KIRK STEUDLE: They'll pound it in? CREW MEMBER: Yup.
NARRATOR: MDOT Director Kirk Stuedle got a ground level view of what crews are facing.
KIRK STEUDLE: While it's 30-some degrees, I can't imagine what it's like
doing this out here when it's zero.
It's a lot of work, and at the end of the day,
I'll bet that I sleep really, really good!
NARRATOR: These crew members have already had a busy year removing snow
and this pothole season looks to be just as demanding.
MIKE GOLIP: It's been a very, very tough winter for everyone here at the garage,
and, I'm sure, all of MDOT has experienced quite a rough season.
A lot of snow, a lot of really cold temperatures.
Now the patching season is going to start. We'll be doing rolling lane closures and
patching throughout our area almost daily, starting really soon here. A lot of long days.
NARRATOR: A harsh pothole season on top of the endless snow
also takes its toll on the department’s maintenance budget.
KIRK STEUDLE: This winter has been extremely brutal all across the state,
and it's been brutal on our budget as well.
It's most likely that our winter maintenance budget that is based on about $88 million
is going to run somewhere between about $120 to $135 million.
But we're certainly committed to making sure that when it snows
that we've got trucks on the road, and when we're done with snow removal,
we're going to be doing pothole patches, and after that we'll be doing litter pickup.
And in between we've got to take care of flooding as well.
I'm appreciative that the Legislature is talking about providing additional funds
for winter maintenance relief.
NARRATOR: As long as they as they have materials and there are potholes to be filled,
this crew and others from around the state will continue patching
while they also dream of the relief of a Michigan summer.
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