Your frustration with the condition of Washtenaw Avenue is completely valid. It is a road that the City of Ann Arbor has been struggling with as well because of the limitations in what we can do as it is owned and “operated” by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) as a state trunkline. The City of Ann Arbor is contracted by MDOT to provide routine maintenance, such as filling potholes, however that doesn’t include wholesale resurfacing or addressing the conditions underneath the road that may be causing the potholes to keep coming back.
We will continue to do all that we can to fill the potholes best we can, understanding they are only a temporary band aid. We hope you will join the city in advocating that MDOT do more to address the fundamental problems with Washtenaw and to make major improvements. You can do so by contacting MDOT’s Brighton office at 810.227.4681. If you are interested in other issues on Washtenaw, including how it connects Ann Arbor to other communities, please visit the M-17 (Washtenaw Avenue) PEL Study website: https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/projects-studies/studies/planning-and-environmental-linkages-studies/m-17-washtenaw-avenue