Pothole patching crews hit the streets in Southfield

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - Patching road crews have their hands full across Metro Detroit - and especially Oakland County.

FOX 2: "How busy are you guys these days?"

"We’re pretty busy," said Craig Bryson.

It is maybe an understatement for the Oakland County road commissioner right now, who is working to fix the potholes.

"We've got the pothole patching, and the gravel roads are tough right now," Bryson said.

These workers are out on the roads shoveling this black stuff, called cold patch.

"There’s a material called cold patch that is especially formulated for use in the winter," Bryson said.

Bryson says there are only two types of pothole patching material - cold patch or hot patch. And for now, until April, only cold patch can be used.

FOX 2: "Is there anything better to use on these potholes than cold patch?

"Not really, it’s really the only thing available now that is not the equivalent to gold in cost," he said.

So how long is cold patch good for?

"It’s probably not going to last very long, sometimes they pop out in a couple of hours," he said. "Sometimes they last weeks or months."

And that depends on the weather, what surrounds the road and traffic flow. Then after April - the potholes get the hot patch formula.

"Which the asphalt plants produce and is available when the asphalt plants are operating," Bryson said.

FOX 2: "How long does hot patch last?"

"In the right situation it can last years," Bryson said. "If we have a road that sees a lot of water, and where the pavement is crumbling, no patch is going to last very long because if the roads are crumbling around it, and the water is there all the time. There is just not a good solution, the road is going to need repaving."

And then a road like Rutland in Southfield, it’s pretty bad. What determines when this road gets some love?

"Safety dictates when we hit the roads with the most traffic moving at the highest speeds first," Bryson said.

Bottom line, be patient. But if you do hit a pothole, let the road commission, MDOT, or the city know about it.

"Especially if it’s causing crashes or flat tires, we need to know immediately," he said.