It is that time of year where the calls and emails come in for potholes. Potholes occur when snow and ice melt as part of Michigan’s seasonal freeze-thaw cycles. This is a result of water seeping beneath the pavement through cracks caused by the wear and tear of traffic. As the temperatures cool to freezing at night, the water becomes ice and expands below the pavement, forcing the pavement to rise. As the weight of traffic continues to pound on the raised section and the temperatures once again rise above freezing, a shallow divot occurs under the surface and the pavement breaks, forming a pothole.

Our Department of Public Works is responsible for the maintenance and management of more than 90 miles of roadway. During this time of year, we are out monitoring our roads daily and patching them as needed to keep drivers safe. While 90 miles of roadway may seem like a lot, we actually have even more miles of roadway in Auburn Hills, but they are maintained by other agencies including, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC).

This interactive map shows the roads in Auburn Hills by management agency. To view a static map with the detailed street listing which is maintained and posted on the City of Auburn Hills’s website, click here.

To report a pothole in an Auburn Hills road, please contact the Department of Public Works at (248) 391-3777 or dpw@auburnhills.org. To report a pothole in a Michigan Department of Transportation road, click here. To report a pothole in a Road Commission for Oakland County road, click here.

Lastly, here are a few safety tips from the Michigan Department of Transportation:

Aaron Stahly, Deputy Public Works Director