Too much frosting is a good thing when you’re icing a cake, but frosty conditions on roads can be a recipe for disaster. With dropping temperatures and drivers’ safety on their minds, county road workers would like to keep these conditions to a minimum. Frost sensors can help do just that.
Parts of Michigan can receive dozens of inches of snowfall yearly. And to prepare for that [sometimes] fluffy white stuff, Muskegon, Ottawa and Kent counties are enlisting a new force to help – frost sensors. (more…)
Oceana County Road Commission underbody scraper with ice blade.
What if residents could track the progress of county road agency snowplows in their areas? What if snowplows could plow multiple lanes at once? What if trucks could combine three operations into one simple process?
At county road agencies across Michigan, these “what ifs” aren’t just speculation – they’re the reality.
Levels of service, or the maintenance “rules” road agencies create and follow during the winter, are an important part of keeping the motoring public safe during snow season. Over the years, advances in technology have allowed county road agencies to improve their levels of service.
According to Mary Samuels, managing director of Mason County Road Commission, the road agency is debuting SnowPaths, a real-time snowplow tracking program this year. Residents can enter their address into the program, and it will tell them when a truck has plowed their area.
At Menominee County Road Commission, Darrell Cass, PE, engineer-manager, says levels of service have improved because of better technology in their trucks.
“Our trucks now have increased capacity to haul salt and sand,” he said. “There used to be three separate operations: Graders would scrape ice and snow, then salt and sand was added, and then graders would go back and open up the shoulders. With today’s technology, we can do all three operations in one pass.”
Similarly, Oceana County Road Commission uses updated trucks fitted with left wings to plow both the right and left lanes and shoulders.
“When we stagger two trucks on the roadway, we can [plow] the left lane and left shoulder, and the truck following plows the right lane and right shoulder,” Mark Timmer, managing director of Oceana County Road Commission, said. “Before we had a left wing, a truck would have to come back and plow the shoulder. This saves a lot of time.”
With innovative technology and time-saving techniques, county road agencies can pursue their goal of keeping the motoring public safe this winter.
To learn more about how county road agencies will maintain roads this winter, read the Fall 2020 issue of Crossroads magazine, the quarterly journal of the County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan, which can be viewed digitally or downloaded at https://micountyroads.org/newsroom/crossroads/.
Voters in local elections across Michigan again expressed strong support for road millages during the November 3 General Election. Voters passed 100% of the 39 millage renewals on the ballot and 82% of the 34 new road millages proposed.
“Voters continually demonstrate that road improvement and maintenance are top priorities for their communities,” said Denise Donohue, director of the County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan. “County road agencies appreciate the support from members of the community who vote to support millages that will improve the local county roads and bridge network.”
And township millages are critical as matching funds to get roads repaired locally.
New millages
Regarding the 34 proposed new road millages in townships, 28 passed. The four new millage proposals that didn’t pass were in Grass Lake Charter Township (Jackson County), Raisin Township (Lenawee County), Fillmore Township and Leighton Township (Allegan County).
Renewal millages
Of the 39 road millages proposed for renewal, there were 37 township and two countywide (Iron County and Grand Traverse County) questions on the ballot.
All election results, including millages, are unofficial until certified by the State Bureau of Elections.
The County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan has released a new video outlining the importance of placing political signs – and Yard Sale and Free Kittens signs – outside of the road right-of-way.
The right-of-way extends approximately 33 feet in both directions from the centerline of the road. Any signs placed in that area are a safety threat to both drivers and roadworkers.
“When you place a sign too close to the road, it can interfere with roadworkers performing essential maintenance duties like mowing or digging,” CRA director Denise Donohue said. “It can also obstruct driver vision, making for an unsafe environment. Following guidelines for sign placement is vital to the safety of both roadworkers and motorists.”
“Our two-minute video is a quick lesson on placing temporary signs featuring talent from Maura Lamoreaux, communications manager for the Kent County Road Commission,” Donohue said.
Residents who wish to learn more about political sign policies can visit their county road agency’s website or contact them via phone.
Learn more by visiting CRA’s YouTube channel for the latest “Out on your roads” video at https://youtu.be/FNRhsito7nA.
Pictured: Erosion around the Etsey Road bridge abutment in Gladwin County, with Wixom Lake in the background.
Helicopters flying. Homeowners in the streets. Houses floating down the lake.
It’s how Gladwin County Road Commission (GCRC) managing director Dave Pettersch described the aftermath of the May 19 dam failures along the Tittabawassee River. Communities were flooded downstream, and water was sucked out of Wixom Lake.
“It was like a vacuum as the water pulled everything downstream, down the river into Midland and ultimately Saginaw counties, and into Lake Huron,” Pettersch said. “Houses, boats and docks were being carried along by the force of water.”
“Here in Wixom Lake, people had high water damage in the bottom floor of lakefront homes,” he said. “After the dam breach, the water was gone and the people downstream instead had homes full of dirt and sediment.”
GCRC was on the job, securing life and safety and patching roads together to get people out. Then the road agency waited for the water to recede to assess road and bridge infrastructure damage. After safety was secured, Pettersch and staff made a list of 50 locations in the county damaged by the storm. They called an emergency board meeting to prioritize the repairs.
“It will be two years before we are fully recovered from this event,” Pettersch said. “We have a fund balance, but in these times, the last thing you want to do is spend down your savings. We tried to balance getting repairs done as quickly as possible for our residents, and fighting for every dollar that we possibly could in state and federal aid.”
Homes along Lake Wixom and other parts of the Tittabawassee River will be re-assessed this fall.
To learn more about Gladwin County Road Commission, their response to the May 19 dam breaches and their new building, read the quarterly journal of the County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan, which can be viewed digitally or downloaded at https://micountyroads.org/newsroom/crossroads/.
Former Sen. Mike Green dedicates the Perry wetland mitigation site.
Did you know Michigan’s ecological landscape plays a big part in completing local road projects? An unexpected partnership, the local transportation system and wetlands across the state go hand-in-hand.
Today, the Michigan Wetland Board (MiWB) and the County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan explained this relationship at a wetland mitigation site event in Perry, Mich.
According to Michigan’s Natural Resources & Environmental Protection Act of 1994, most wetland disturbances caused by road projects must be repaid, or mitigated, with preserved wetland to maintain ecological balance. In this case, mitigation refers to the permanent creation and maintenance of a new wetland to be maintained as such in perpetuity.
A new solution
Buying wetland from a commercial wetland bank can be costly for road agencies – up to $100,000 per acre – which takes money away from the actual road project. That’s where the MiWB program comes in.
Michigan Senator Mike Green secured legislation and a budget in 2016 to create the MiWB program, which may be unique for local road agencies nationwide (MDOT has its own wetlands to mitigate impacts of highway projects). The program is funded at $2 million per year “off the top” of the Michigan Transportation Fund, and capped at $5 million. Four years later, MiWB has a seven-member board of county and municipal road experts which approved bylaws and procedures, a part-time wetland expert to run the program, and has educated road agencies and municipalities statewide.
The MiWB program uses state funds to purchase and preserve wetland sites, and resulting mitigation credits are available to local road agencies free of charge under the board’s supervision. Credits allow road agencies to move forward with road projects while complying with environmental regulations.
“MiWB’s goal is to effectively and efficiently distribute funds to local transportation agencies, creating a system that cooperatively addresses transportation wetland impacts,” Jeff Silagy, MiWB manager, said. “The program is a win-win for road agencies and the environment.”
Depending on the scope and type of impact a road project has on an existing wetland – such as widening shoulders – the amount of wetland to be mitigated varies. A road agency must preserve or create a wetland in its watershed if the project will impact one-third acre or more. If the project affects less than one-third acre, the agency can tap a mitigation site anywhere in Michigan.
The new Perry site
MiWB’s most recent, and largest so far, project is the establishment of a wetland mitigation site in Perry. The site contains 131 acres of wetland mitigation credits which will meet the needs for most southern Michigan road projects for years. Benefits of this site, along with other sites, include faster delivery of road projects, lower road project costs and improved, preserved green space.
Mitigation credits at the Perry site are available this year and requests will be reviewed by a steering committee of members from the CRA Seven County Council.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (MDEGLE) also reviews the sites, ensuring that they meet state standards. Wetland experts will monitor sites funded from the endowment that accompanies each project, while environmental specialists evaluate and set up sites. Most county and municipal road agencies lack expertise to maintain a wetland bank.
Benefit for county road agencies
CRA is a strong advocate of the MiWB program and worked with the Joint Agency Transportation Committee (JATC), which includes the Michigan Departments of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and Transportation and the Michigan Municipal League, to develop legislation to help local road agencies with this costly environmental regulation.
“A wetland site mitigation program was a CRA legislative priority for several years,” Ed Noyola, CRA deputy director, said. “We appreciate former Senator Green and the rest of the Michigan legislature for sharing this vision.
“Our goal is to make wetland credits more accessible to local road agencies, therefore lessening the burden of the increasingly costly mitigation process. The MiWB program is an important tool for road agencies to comply with environmental regulations at a lower cost.”
CRA provides administrative support for the MiWB board, and its local members comprise the local steering committee.
“Our relationship with CRA, along with collaboration with other organizations, has helped us assist road agencies in fulfilling environmental regulations and sustaining our ecological landscape,” Silagy said.
As of August 2020, just over an acre of wetland mitigation credits from the Perry site have been used on seven road projects, and just over an acre of wetland mitigation credits from a site in Keweenaw County, Michigan, have been used on 14 road projects. In a trade agreement with MDOT, 11 acres from the Perry site have been traded for 11 acres from seven different wetland mitigation sites throughout Michigan.
Michigan in the fall is like a scene out of a painting, and residents across the state are its observers. What better way to appreciate the fall colors than to take a drive down a county road – a very safe outing during the pandemic, with affordable gasoline prices this year.
“Taking a fall color tour down a county road is a great way to spend an afternoon during this unprecedented time,” said Denise Donohue, executive director for the County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan. “Michigan’s colors are among the best in the country, making fall the perfect opportunity to go out and enjoy the state’s natural beauty.”
“This list of ‘don’t miss’ fall color drives reflects the best suggestions from over two dozen county road agencies who know the best color spots in their area,” she said.
Peak viewing conditions are expected from September 20 to October 14, with mid-Michigan, West Michigan and Southeast Michigan all experiencing peak colors in the same week.
Drivers are invited to #LoveFallRoads with a post on CRA’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/micountyroads or on Twitter at @MICountyRoads to let everyone know the best local road spots for Michigan’s fall colors. Be sure to indicate an intersection, the county and the closest city/village in your post.
The following regions are listed in order of expected leaf coloring dates starting from the Upper Peninsula and moving south.
Upper Peninsula (Sept. 20 – Oct. 5) Chippewa County
North and South Caribou Lake Roads in the DeTour Village area
Gogomain Road from Goetzville to Pickford
Lakeshore Drive from Brimley to M-123
Salt Point Road from M-28 to Lakeshore Drive
Dickinson County
Kramer Drive on the north side of the city of Iron Mountain
Metropolitan Road near Felch
Gogebic County
Black River Road to Black River Harbor
Lake Road from Ironwood to Little Girls Point and Superior Falls
Black River Road from Bessemer to Copper Peak and Black River Harbor
Wolf Mountain Road from US 2 to Wolf Mountain
County Road 519N from Wakefield to the mouth of the Big Presque Isle River and Porcupine State Park
Thousand Island Lake Road from US 2 to Sylvania Wilderness Park
Houghton County
Covered Drive Road
Freda Road
Calumet Waterworks Road
Iron County
Ottawa Lake Road/Hagerman Lake Road loop
Pentoga Trail (CR-639) to CR-424 along Chicagon Lake and Pentoga Road from CR-424 to Brule River
Bates-Amasa Road (CR-643) US-2 to US-141 by Paint River and Hemlock River
Gibbs City Road and Ponozzo Road
US-2 to Houghton County
Keweenaw County
Brockway Mountain Drive
Lac La Belle Road
Gratiot Lake Road
Mohawk-Gay Road
Eagle Harbor Road
Cliff Drive
Five Mile Point Road
Marquette County
County Road 510 from County Road 502 north to Big Bay
Triple A off County Road 510 in Big Bay
County Road 533 in Skandia
M-35 from County Road 480 to Gwinn
Ontonagon County
South boundary road from Presquile to Ontonagon
NorthernLower Peninsula (Sept. 24 – Oct. 7) Alpena County
Bolton Road to Long Lake Road
Nicholson Hill Road
Scott Road
Long Rapids Road
Antrim County
Deadman Hill overlook off US-131 viewing Jordan River Valley
Jordan River Road off US-131
Pinney Bridge Road off M-66
Cascade Road off Alba Highway (CR 620)
Crawford County
CR101 looking north from CR100 (“Pioneer Hill”)
Emmet County
Mitchell Road from Fletcher Road to Cheboygan County line
Pleasantview Road from M-119 to Robinson Road
Robinson Road from State Road to Pleasantview Road
State Road from Harbor Springs to Cross Village
Stutsmanville Road from Pleasantview to W. Townline, then W. Townline Road north
Brutus Road from Pleasantville Road to US-31
Welsheimer Road from W. Stutsmanville Road to Middle Village Drive
Middle Village Drive from Welsheimer Road to M-119
Williams Road from US-131 to Resort Pike Road
Resort Pike Road from Williams Road to Indian Garden Road
N. Conway Road from US-31 to Tower Road, Tower Road to Pleasantview Road
Leelanau County
North Eagle Highway
Newman Road
Port Oneida Road
Gills Pier Road
Schomberg Road
Mason County
Lakeshore Drive from Oceana Drive to Iris Road
Hawley from Pere Marquette Highway to Walhalla Road
South Masten Road to Washington Road and the Ruby Creek area
North Lakeshore Drive along Hamlin Lake
Custer Road from Hogue Road to US-10
Montmorency County
Pleasant Valley Road
Farrier Road
Carter Road
Meridian Line Road
Presque Isle County
Long Lake Highway from M-65 into Alpena County
E-634 Highway from Polaski Road west to Lake May Road
W-638 Highway Ocqueoc Road from Walker Highway to North Allis Highway from Ocqueoc Road west to M-211.
Wexford County
Fall Color Scenic Routes, all starting from downtown Cadillac:
Route 1: Around the Lakes (20 miles)
Route 2: Northwest to Mesick (63 miles)
Route 3: Southwest to Hoxeyville/Luther/Briston (64 miles)
Route 4: Northeast to Lake City/Manton (32 miles)
Mid-Michigan (Oct. 7-14) Barry County
Hickory Road from M-43 to east near Gilmore Car Museum
Clinton County
Maple Rapid Roads from Harris Road to Tallman Road
Tallman Road from Maple Rapid Road to Stone Road
Stone Road from Tallman Road to Wacousta Road
Wacousta Road from Stone Road to Hyde Road
Peacock Road from M-78 to Cutler Road
Clark Road from Upton Road East
West Michigan (Oct. 7-14) Berrien County
Blue Star Memorial Highway along Lake Michigan from Van Buren to M-63
M-63 south to St. Joseph
Red Arrow Highway from Stevensville to Lakeshore Road in New Buffalo
Red Arrow Highway to Union Pier then back to Warren Woods Road
Red Highway to Madron Lake Road in City of Buchanan
Kalamazoo County
Q Avenue – 10th Street to 12th Street, Texas Township
U Avenue – 4th Street to 8th Street, Prairie Ronde Township
W Avenue – 8th Street to Schoolcraft Village Limits, Prairie Ronde Township
14th Street – Lyons Avenue to U Avenue, Schoolcraft Township
U Avenue – Portage Road to 23rd Street, Schoolcraft Township
V Avenue – Canadian National Railroad to 28th Street, Brady Township
28th Street – V Avenue to UV Avenue, Brady Township
34th Street – UV Avenue to V Avenue, Brady Township
Kent County
Honey Creek Avenue from Pettis Avenue to Cannonsburg Road
Bailey Drive from Vergennes Street to Lincoln Lake Avenue
Fallasburg Park Drive from Lincoln Lake Avenue to Gavin Lake Avenue
5 Mile Road from Lincoln Lake Avenue to Gavin Lake Avenue
Gavin Lake Road from 5-mile road to Belding Road
Wabasis Avenue from Belding Road to 12 Mile Road
Ramsdell Drive from 5 Mile Road to 11 Mile Road
Muskegon County
Scenic Drive from Memorial Drive to Michillinda Road
Along Lake Michigan shoreline and Duck Lake
Ottawa County
Lakeshore Drive from Grand Haven city limits to Ottawa Beach Road/Holland State Park
Hayes Street from M-11 intersection to Berlin Fair Drive/the Berlin Fairgrounds in Marne
Leonard Street from intersection on Leonard Street/S. Lake Avenue in Village of Spring Lake to Lamont
Mercury Drive/Green Street/N. Cedar Drive from Grand Haven to Riverside County Park
Southeast Michigan (October 7-14) Macomb County
Wales, McKail and Fisher roads in Bruce Township
M-53 between 23 and 26 Mile roads
24 Mile Road between Van Dyke Freeway and Shelby Road
M-53 between 28 Mile Road and 32 Mile Road
Tillson Street, Romeo, MI
Lakeshore Drive between 8 Mile Road and Marter Road
Oakland County
Lahser Road south of Square Lake Road to just north of Maple Road
The comments of Leelanau County Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle, an elected official, before a recent road commission meeting are offensive and unacceptable to the County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan and our members, said CRA executive director Denise Donohue.
“These comments do not reflect the high character and values of the many hard-working, essential workers who serve their communities daily at Michigan’s 83 county road agencies,” Donohue said. “Our commissioners, managers and staff hold themselves to the highest standards, and we expect that the Leelanau County community will take the steps needed to address this situation going forward.”
The County Road Association of Michigan has called any road funding solution that does not provide additional dollars for local roads a woefully incomplete answer to the situation with Michigan roads.
“While not in a position to evaluate what is widely expected to be $3-plus billion in bonds for state trunkline projects – which comprise a mere 8% of Michigan’s road network – this actionable proposal from the Governor entirely leaves out the local and primary road network,” said Denise Donohue, director of the County Road Association of Michigan, whose members are the 83 county road commissions and departments across the state.
“Last May we provided data to the Governor, House and Senate indicating that our local road network is currently 45% good/fair condition on the primary system (federal aid roads) and only 36% good/fair on the local road system. With counties responsible for 75% of Michigan road miles and 52% of the bridges, a bonding proposal with no local dollars will lead to further decline,” Donohue said.
“In order for counties to restore primary roads to the same goals that MDOT has (90% good/fair) and the local roads to 60% good/fair additional dollars will be required,” Donohue said.
CRA and its member agencies called upon the Governor and the Legislature to find an immediate solution that will benefit all types of roads and bridges in the state.
“We support Act 51 distribution, which is sustainable, Constitutionally-protected and fair,” said Ed Noyola, CRA deputy director, with 40 years’ experience in state and local road management. “While we all have had bumpy drives on the freeway, and those certainly need repair, every Michigan resident’s daily travels begin and end in their driveway.”
The 83 members of the County Road Association of Michigan represent the unified voice for a safe and efficient county transportation infrastructure system in Michigan, including appropriate stewardship of the public’s right-of-way in rural and urban Michigan. Collectively, Michigan’s county road agencies manage 75 percent of all roads in the state, including 90,000 miles of roads and 5,700 bridges. County road agencies also maintain the state’s highway system in 64 counties. Michigan has the nation’s fourth-largest local road system.
Washtenaw County Road Commission’s new core machine mount.
The County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan honored the Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) with two statewide IMPRESS Awards at CRA’s 2020 Highway Conference. IMPRESS Awards recognize county road agencies that demonstrate innovation with special projects in communications, operations and collaboration.
WCRC received an IMPRESS Award in Communications for its project, “Digital Employee News Signs” and an IMPRESS Award in Operations for its project, “Core Machine Mount.”
In its Communications project, WCRC created digital signs to help bridge the communications gap between employees at different county locations. The agency placed 11 TV screens in its garages and offices across the county and now broadcasts a weekly slideshow of employee news. The technology helps keep all employees updated on the latest issues. Additionally, WCRC plans to use the digital signs for employee training and community events.
In addition, WCRC earned an Award in Operations for building a new mount for its coring machine. After a year of use, staff found that they were able to complete each core approximately 75% faster, resulting in less wear and tear on the machine, less time spent in setup and breakdown, and fewer hours that employees were exposed to road traffic.
“These projects show that Washtenaw County Road Commission values innovation and efficiency across the county road network,” said Denise Donohue, CRA director. “Their achievements are an important example of what road agencies can do when they think outside the box.”
An independent panel of communications and operations experts from several of Michigan’s 83 county road agencies judged the projects. Award recipients were honored for projects that solved time restraints, labor costs, communication barriers and fostered collaboration.
