The bane of so many Northland drivers might be better solved with a famous Northland export: taconite.

A study by the University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute this year looked at new ways of using taconite byproducts to patch pavement and fill in potholes.

“The two repair alternatives evaluated during this project merit further development and consideration, as the field performance of both suggests they have long-term potential for more widespread use,” according to a summary of the report.