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Statewide Pothole Contest Winners Announced

LANSING, Mich. – A coalition working to secure more funding to fix Michigan’s roads and bridges today announced winners in the fourth annual contest to identify the most nerve-racking potholes in the state.

Award-winning potholes were identified in Lansing, Monroe and Muskegon Heights. To view the photos, visit www.DriveMI.org, or see the attached document. New to the contest this year was a video competition. Students from Freeland High School’s video production class won for their creative videos.

“We decided to give a few survivors of this year’s pothole season their own private award,” said Mike Nystrom, executive vice president for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA), and co-chair of the Michigan Transportation Team (MTT). “It was hard to narrow down just a few winners of the contest this year. People worked so hard to creatively showcase an ongoing problem in our state.”

The contest, sponsored by the MTT, awarded $370 to help offset the cost of vehicle repairs due to the poor condition of Michigan’s roads and bridges. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges from more than 20 entries from across the state. Pothole contest entry winners were:

  • West Mt. Hope next to the GM Parts Plant, Lansing
  • S. Rauch Road, Monroe
  • Seventh and Rotterdam, Muskegon Heights
  • Freeland area roads

For the first time, MTT accepted videos as part of the contest and videos produced by students from Freeland High School’s video productions class won for two original and creative videos that took a unique perspective on Michigan’s crater-filled roadways.

The contest was part of an ongoing effort to educate legislators about the dire condition of Michigan’s roads which threaten public safety and create a roadblock to business development. MTT is pushing to end legislative inaction and is asking legislators to address the lack of transportation funding that puts Michigan drivers at risk.

“The winners took home $370 because this amount represents the costs Michigan drivers pay in vehicle repairs and time lost in congestion on Michigan’s poor roads,” said Nystrom.

“Unless state lawmakers act now to provide a long-term source of state transportation funding, terrorizing potholes will continue to be a part of Michigan’s legacy.”
MTT is a broad-based, bipartisan partnership of business, labor, local government, associations and citizens with the common goal of improving Michigan’s transportation infrastructure.

The DriveMI campaign is committed to promoting the development and maintenance of a safe, convenient and efficient transportation network that serves the public, private and economic development needs of Michigan. Please visit www.drivemi.org for more information on transportation funding or follow them on Twitter @drivemi or YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/FixMIRoads.

Links:
DriveMI 2010 Pothole Contest Entrants: www.DriveMI.org

DriveMI Video Contest Winners: http://www.youtube.com/user/FixMIRoads#g/c/06CD101D14C3BDA2

Contact: Mike Nystrom, Executive Vice President, MITA Office: (517) 347-8336 Cell: (517) 896-1493