Michigan’s thaw from a record-breaking winter has launched an epic pothole season. 

Roadways pose a particular challenge in metro Detroit, where drivers navigate streets filled with deep potholes and broken concrete.

Hwai-Chung Wu, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, says potholes are caused by the expansion and contraction of water beneath the pavement. 

“When water freezes, it expands and the pavement expands with it,” Wu explains. “When ice melts, the pavement contracts, bends and cracks. If the water freezes and thaws over and over, the pavement will weaken and continue cracking.”

As vehicles pass over the road, they displace pieces of the weak materials, creating a pothole. This happens most in the spring, due to melting ice and fluctuating temperatures.

Wu says Michigan’s pothole problem is a complex issue requiring research to find the root causes and solutions. However, he offers three suggestions to improve the situation: better road materials, proper drainage of water and higher structural standards.