Michigan Drivers Eligible For Pothole Repair Payback Program

Now in its second year, this statewide program will reimburse Michigan drivers for pothole damage up to $800.

Whatever happened to the promise to “Fix the damn roads”?

Get our free mobile app

With spring here and roads thawed, the damage from winter is becoming clear. Salt, snowplowing, and swinging temperatures have taken a toll on Michigan’s roads. It happens every spring, yet the level of wear still seems shocking to me year after year.

According to a report from MLive, in an effort to raise awareness and draw the attention of leaders statewide, the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA) has announced the return of their pothole damage reimbursement program:

Each month the group will select five applicants to reimburse for the damages incurred from Michigan's potholes. The group says $800 is the average cost to repair a vehicle due to damages sustained from poor road conditions.

Where's the nastiest pothole you've encountered so far this season?

For me, it's my own road home! I live in Kalamazoo's Winchell neighborhood and while they paved a section of crumbling road last season, it wasn't enough. The potholes at the intersection of Winchell Ave. and Rambling Rd. are so deep and so plentiful that there's literally no way to avoid them except to drive in the opposite lane-- which is technically illegal.

But what else are residents supposed to do? It hurts my soul every time I hear that "thud!" of hitting a pothole.

To apply for MITA's Pothole Payback Program drivers will need to provide a details of the incident, photos of the damage, as well as provide a receipt for repairs made. Drivers are also able to submit a claim to the State of Michigan, however those claims are often dismissed due to governmental immunity laws.