Ever wonder how a pothole is formed and why it seems to reappear from one year to the next?
The main culprit is water: precipitation in the form of snow, ice, and rain seeps into cracks in the pavement surface, freezes, and expands the pavement and underlying roadbed material. When temperatures rise above freezing, the water melts, creating a void or cavity in the pavement. The pothole is created when vehicles drive over the cavity, crack the pavement, and loosen roadbed material. The pothole gets significantly worse as more precipitation events and freeze/thaw cycles occur throughout the late winter/early spring months.
The City of Novi Department of Public Works (DPW) works diligently to repair these nuisances on Novi roadways. Crews are constantly patrolling for and repairing potholes. DPW’s goal is to have reported potholes on major roads patched within two business days, and within five days for local/neighborhood streets.
A map of which agency is responsible for roads in Novi can be found here.
To report a pothole for:
City of Novi Roads- send a text message to 248-278-7611 Submit a request online here.
Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) Roads - Submit a problem report form here.
Wayne County Department of Public Services Roads - Submit a road hazard form here.