Keeping up with potholes during the winter season is an annual problem.
It is costly, seemingly endless and, if not done in a timely manner, can cause damage to motor vehicles.
Pothole patching will always be necessary, but the question is, can holes be patched so patches last longer?
Department of Public Services (DPS) staff have seen demonstrations and reviewed specifications of machines that should improve the city’s ability to patch potholes. Based on their reviews, DPS staff recommends the purchase of a hot box asphalt patching machine built by KM International.
City Manager Kevin Anderson concurs with that recommendation.
“This machine will allow city crews to use hot mix asphalt during the winter,” Anderson said. “This should create a much stronger, longer-lasting patch. Also, this machine will also allow city staff to patch small street cuts from utility work during the course of the year. The cost of hot patch is less than cold mix, thus resulting in an annual materials cost savings of about $3,000. Over the past two years the city expended a little over $13,000 for private contractors to patch potholes from utility repairs. If the city can do at least 50 percent of those repairs, we can save over $6,500 in contract work.”
Additionally, pothole patches made with a hot asphalt mix should last significantly longer than the cold mix solution, so there shouldn’t be as many recurring potholes to patch. This will certainly save time, but it is difficult to accurately estimate the savings.
The cost of equipment would be $28,404, which means a return on investment in less than three years.
City council will consider the recommendation Monday.

MDOT schedules M-51

City Manager Kevin Anderson reports that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) plans to improve M-51 from Division, north to the city limits, one course of pavement overlay and sidewalk ramp upgrades, in September-November.
“This stretch of poor pavement has been a concern to all of us for a number of years and we are pleased to have worked with MDOT to get it on the 2012 construction schedule,” Anderson said.