The Michigan Senate has a plan for tackling potholes left on local and state roads by recent winter storms.
Related: Chicago DOT works around the clock to repair potholes
State lawmakers are considering a proposal that would grant $100 million to state and local highway repairs, Detroit Free Press reports.
This winter brought especially harsh conditions to the state, creating potholes on the roads. The damage is expected to get worse as temperatures increase and rain moves into the state.
“The average snowfall for us is 77 inches and we’re at 122 inches of snow now,” Kenneth Hulka, managing director of the Muskegon County Road Commission, told Detroit Free Press. “One of my drivers hit a hole and split a truck in half.”
Related: Maryland highway crews repair potholes following rain, snow storms
If the proposal passes, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) would receive 39 percent of the funds, and county road commissions would receive another 39 percent.
A $2 million amendment is also included that would help with cleanup from an ice storm that occurred in late 2013.
The funds would be provided by a $115 million reserve fund set aside for highway projects in the state.
UPDATE: The Michigan Senate has since approved a a $360-million supplemental budget bill that allows the state to use money from a $115-million reserve fund — which is dedicated to road projects — for winter maintenance and pothole repairs, Detroit Free Press reports. If the proposed budget bill is signed into law, the projects that would have been funded by the reserve fund would be postponed for at least one year.
