MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - It's no shock to residents that Michigan roads need some work. The Meridian Township Public Works & Engineering Department has a unique and efficient way to help resolve some of the township's bumpy problems.

A method of road repair called Hot-in-Place Recycling has taken over Meridian Township roads in the past week. The procedure involves heating the pavement up to over 300 degrees Fahrenheit, grinding up the asphalt, and steamrolling it back down. Cracks in the road, and water trapped by those cracks, disappear and is replaced with a clean, smooth slate.

"If you just put new asphalt on top of cracks, the cracks are going to reflect through within a year or two. By doing this, it helps the seal of those cracks to keep that water out," said Raymond Severy, Meridian Township's Director of Public Works & Engineering.

What makes Hot-in-Place so popular in construction is its efficiency. While most roads would require a complete rebuild of the street, the three step process only tears apart the top of the road, leaving the base unharmed. Tearing up an entire street can close roads for weeks, while Hot-in-Place works on each lane individually and can be driven upon within the hour.

When we're done It'll look like a new street," said Severy. "We're hoping to we'll get another seven to ten years life out of the streets by doing the process."

It is also cost effective. According to Severy, tearing up a road and replacing it usually costs around 14 dollars per square yard. By scraping away the imperfections with Hot in Place, it costs less than eight. This cheap option allows for the construction brigade to have funding for more roads.

Sections that have already been completed include Bennett Road, Westminster Way, and all of Academic Way by Wilkshire School. Hot-in-Place construction has been completed in the township, but trucks will return to the roads for re-evaluation and (if necessary) more asphalt laying in the coming weeks.