Crews work through rain to patch Lansing-area potholes

Sarah Lehr
Lansing State Journal
Cars drive by a large pothole on Saginaw Street in Lansing on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2018.

LANSING — Having lived in the Lansing-area for 36 years, Chris DePauw, Jr. has encountered his share of gnarly potholes.

But he says a pothole at West Holmes Road and South Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard may be the worst one he's ever seen.

DePauw said the pothole, which he described as nearly as wide as his Chevy Impala, is difficult to avoid on his daily commute.

"The roads seem particularly bad this year," DePauw said.

As volatile weather wreaks havoc on Lansing-area roads, crews have been working through the rain to patch potholes, local officials said Friday.

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Potholes riddle the intersection of Sellers Avenue and Homer Street in Lansing on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018.

Potholes form when water seeps through pavement and then expands as it freezes below ground. Fluctuating temperatures this month have exacerbated that freeze and thaw cycle.

Because of rain and melting snow, the Lansing-region is also dealing with some of the worst flooding it has seen since 1975.

All of that water weakens the pavement. The problem gets even worse in highly trafficked areas as cars drive over the faltering structure.

"It acts like a big sponge," Lansing Public Service Director Andy Kilpatrick said of flooded roads.

Click here for Lansing's list of road closures

Lansing officials shut down multiple roads this week due to both flooding and potholes. Kilpatrick said that, although road patching is most effective in dry weather, Lansing crews patched through Friday's rain because the problems are so severe. Road workers have been working 16-hour days this week, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said, and they will continue to patch streets this weekend.

Public Service Director Andy Kilpatrick speaks during a news conference on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018, at the Lansing Fire Department's Station 8 on Marshall Street.

"We're doing everything we can with the staffing we have," Schor said. "Patching is going on around the clock."

Bill Conklin, managing director of the Ingham County Road Department, said county crews have likewise been working overtime to patch potholes. At times, the rain has washed away the patching material as workers attempt to fill in the cavities, Conklin said.

"It's been frustrating for us, as well as the public," Conklin said. "This combination of weather has created the worst possible environment for potholes and for patching."

Conklin is hoping for drier weather this weekend, as county crews continue to patch. There is a slight chance of rain showers during the day Saturday in Lansing, according to the National Weather Service.

Click here for Ingham County's list of road closures

Ingham County has a "triage" system to prioritize patching on major thoroughfares before residential side streets, county officials said. The county manages roads for several local communities, including Meridian and Delhi townships.

Tom Gamez Jr., Ingham County director of operations, said the county is sympathetic to road complaints from residents.

"It's been a rougher than average pothole season," Gamez said. 

That's a perception echoed by Jim Bense, who says his commute from Lansing to his Laingsburg home has been slowed this week while drivers swerve to avoid a large pothole on Saginaw Street.

More:

Roads in Lansing closed due to flooding, potholes after days of rain

Lansing building 'temporary barrier' to lessen flooding in Kalamazoo Street area

Flooding causes 'hell' for Lansing resident

Kilpatrick said the city is patching streets based on complaints from residents. He said it's difficult to identify the most severe areas because so many roads throughout the city are in poor condition.

"It's all of them," Kilpatrick said.

Lansing is expected to receive about $900,000 more for roads from the state this construction season, pending approval from the Michigan Senate of a fast-tracked road funding measure.

But that one-time funding bump will not be nearly enough, Kilpatrick said.

The city says it would need an additional $25 million in project funding each year just to maintain Lansing roads in their current state.

"We know our roads are in poor condition," Kilpatrick said. "That's based on years of chronic under-funding, primarily with state and federal funding."

Schor said Friday he is working with other local governments to request flood-related aid from the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Schor said that assistance likely would include funding to remedy some of the road damage.

The mayor said the request will follow completion of a regional damage assessment.

How to report a pothole

To the Michigan Department of Transportation: Call (888) 296-4546 or submit online

To Ingham County: Call (517) 676-9722

To Lansing: Submit online via the Lansing Connect mobile application or call (517) 483-4455

Contact Sarah Lehr at (517) 377-1056 or slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.