WOODHAVEN, Mich. (WWJ) - Drivers beware: a behemoth pothole has opened quite a crater on the northbound I-75 exit ramp to eastbound West Road in Wayne County, police said on Friday.
Authorities with the Woodhaven Police Department said the giant crater is so deep, the rebar — which is used for concrete reinforcement — has been exposed, causing a mess for drivers and their vehicles.
Wayne County Roads is currently addressing the massive pothole, but the police said the work may take longer than expected.
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"Due to the size of the pothole, additional patch will be needed and it may still pose a hazard to motorists," authorities cautioned via social media.
Potholes are common around this time of year when Michigan experiences a freeze-thaw effect: while most of us welcome the warmer temperatures, roads get ravaged by water that gets into small cracks and freezes when the air gets colder at night.
Water expands, worsening the cracks as it becomes ice and when the weather warms up again, the ice melts away and leaves behind a giant hole in the road.
Roads crews have been busy the last month patching up roads with the worst potholes, but Michigan isn't out of the woods yet.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) said the best thing drivers can do -- even if they've avoided a pothole disaster or hit one head on -- is to make note of the area and report it immediately.
Potholes that appear on trucklines throughout the state (i.e. I-96, M-14 and US highways) can be submitted to MDOT's Report a Pothole webpage or call the Pothole Hotline at 888-296-4546.
Massive holes that appear in city roads can be reported by county: see the list here.
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