KALAMAZOO — When the weather begins to warm up, there will be melting snowmen, disappearing snow drifts and potholes.

Lots of potholes.

“When it warms up this weekend the complaints will start rolling in,” said Jack Hartman, director of Streets and Equipment in Portage.

Some would say the potholes and cracks in paving already have arrived, evidence by bumpy commutes and buckled pavement across the area.

Potholes form due to fluctuating temperatures. Temperatures could rise above freezing during the day and back below freezing at night this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Joanna Johnson, managing director for Kalamazoo County Road Commission, said the county has received only three pothole complaints since the beginning of the year. But just wait — more will come as temperatures rise and fall.

Johnson said crews are currently filling potholes with cold patch but the fix is only temporary. Crews will have to return in the spring to permanently fix some roads.

Kalamazoo Public Services Director Bruce Merchant said motorists need to be careful, since crews will be primarily working at night.

One pothole-plagued stretch of Westnedge Avenue in the city is in the Westnedge Hill area.  While crews are doing their best to improve the rough ride, a more permanent fix to the road will have to wait.

Westnedge and Park Street are scheduled to be resurfaced from Kilgore Road to West Michigan Avenue starting in March, according to Nick Schirripa, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Transportation.

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/02/the_season_for_potholes_has_be.html