Frequently Asked Questions

DISCLAIMER: 
Following are basic answers to your questions. Please contact our office for official answers.

Q: Our gravel road is a muddy mess!  Can you do something to stop this springtime situation?

A: We can try, and we do try, but, in the spring when the frost comes out of the roadbed, what was once frozen and solid turns soft and unstable.  It will remain this way until the moisture comes out of the roadbed.  The best cure for this is warm, dry temperatures and a good wind.  If we attempt to haul gravel on top of this condition, it could turn it into a bigger mess.  There is a saying in the trade  that "adding a bucket of gravel to a bucket of mud just gets you a bigger bucket of mud."  There is much truth to this quip, as adding sand or gravel to fill a mudhole usually has little or no effect because the gravel ends up mixing with the mud, just making more mud and sometimes aggravating the problem as equipment stirs things up.

Q: Now that the frost is out, why are you pulling in the sod and making a huge mess on the gravel roads?

A: It is that time of the year for maintenance necessities that people don't necessarily like. People think we are making a mess, but what we are doing will be better for the road.
Road commission crews  pull shoulders on gravel roads in the county every spring before the grass begins to grow on the side of the road.  This maintenance is being done to reclaim gravel that has been pushed into the shoulder as well as remove the berm on the roadside which keeps the water from flowing off the road.  
We lose a lot of gravel either from rain washing it off the road or from vehicles kicking it up from normal driving.  By doing this the road commission can save thousands of tons of gravel.
The process of pulling shoulders involves a couple of  steps.  A tractor with a retriever (disk), or motor grader, goes through and pulls the berm into the center of the road.  Next a truck grader "beats" the gravel out of the sod and mixes it with existing gravel.  
This isn't a thing that's done in one day.  It can be a two-week process.  The graders do come back on a regular basis to check on it and regrade as necessary.  

Q: It snowed last night, when will my road be plowed?

A: Snow removal is done on a priority system. State highways, such as M-57, M-66, etc., have the highest priority, then primary roads (main connector roads such as Sidney Road, Stanton Road, etc..), followed by local roads, which many people refer to as "township" roads. When your road gets cleared, depends on the type of road you reside on.

Q: Your truck knocked down my mailbox!  When are you going to fix it?

A: Mailboxes are sometimes knocked down by road commission trucks when plowing snow. The Road Commission's policy is to replace mailboxes that have actually been hit by the snow plow; however, if the mailbox or wooden post was broken off from the force of the snow coming off the plow blade, we do not replace or repair it. Please call our office and we will check into the problem.

Q: A county truck threw a stone into my windshield - is the Road Commission going to pay for it?

A: Contact your insurance company to see if you have applicable coverage before contacting our office.

Q: Do I need to get a permit to put in a new driveway?

A: Normally the answer is yes; however, it is always advisable to contact our office and your township zoning board. Anytime a person or business does any construction work in the road right-of-way (normally 66 feet - 33 feet each direction from the center of the road) the should obtain a permit.

Q: I live on a gravel road, and I can't leave my windows open because of the dust - what are you going to do about it?

A: The townships pay for the application of chloride on local roads in their township, and each township contracts with the Road Commission to take care of this. The majority of the 20 townships in Montcalm County contract four applications of chloride each summer (one per month); a few townships contract for only one or two applications spread out over the summer. The Road Commission has privatized the application of chloride on county roads to a private contractor. The contractor also applies chloride for other counties, and we must work with the contractor's schedule.

Q: The gravel road I live on is full of holes - when are you going to grade it?

A: In the summer, roads are always graded prior to having chloride applied. In addition, we try to blade gravel roads after it rains and the road has softened up. In the winter, there is not much we can do until the frost is out of the roads.

Q: How do I get a culvert for a driveway?

A: The Road Commission is not a supplier of driveway culverts. As a property owner you must obtain your driveway culvert from a local vendor. The only instances where we install driveway culverts is when we are doing a major ditching or construction project on a road.

Q: How close to the road can I plant my shrubs or trees? How close to the road can I install a fence or put up a building?

A: Normally the distance is thirty-three feet from the center of the road; however, there are exceptions depending which road you reside on; so please call our office. Also, you should check with your township office for local zoning requirements.

Q: Where does the Road Commission get its operating funds?

A: The Road Commission's main source of funding is the Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) which is comprised of gas and weight taxes and driver's license fees and is distributed by the state through a formula. In addition, the townships contribute a large amount of money to the local road system in each township. The Road Commission does not receive property taxes.

Q: People are always speeding on my road. How can I get the speed limit lowered and some signs put up to slow them down?

A: The Road Commission is the agency that installs and maintains all traffic signs on county roads. State law requires that the Road Commission must follow the requirements of the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MMUTCD) or risk losing state funding for road maintenance. In order to install regulatory-type signs like no parking signs and speed limit signs, the Road Commission must initiate a traffic study of the road in conjunction with the Michigan Department of State Police (MDSP). The study includes a review of traffic counts, accident history, speed studies, the character of the area along the road, and any other information available regarding the problems in the area. While the Road Commission is a participant in the traffic study and analysis, the guidelines of the MMUTCD and judgment of the Michigan Department of State Police largely determine what speed limit will be adopted. At the conclusion of the study the MDSP issues a written Traffic Control Order directing the Road Commission to install specific signs at specific locations on the road, and to record the completed Traffic Control Order at the County Clerk's office.