County Road Officials in Michigan Turning Some Roads Back Into Gravel Due To Lack Of Funding

Michigan legislators received a stern warning when bottles filled with the remains of Lake Montcalm Road in Montcalm County were delivered to their state offices today.

"This is a pretty creative way of getting the point across to the legislature they need to figure out a way to get more funding for roads," said Jim Lillo, engineer-manager for the Bay County Road Commission.

The bottles contained millings collected when the road was pulverized and turned back to gravel due to lack of funding, a cost-saving move now occurring in 24 Michigan counties, according to the Michigan Transportation Team, a bipartisan partnership of business, labor, local government, associations and citizens linked with the common goal of improving Michigan's transportation infrastructure.

"Delivering this 'message in a bottle' draws critical attention to the immediate need for our roads to be fixed," Mike Nystrom, co-chair of MTT, said in a news release. "No excuses, Fix MI Roads. That's our message and it continues to be the message of Michigan's employers, taxpayers and drivers."

Due to funding shortfalls, counties throughout Michigan have been forced to return once-smoothly paved roads back to gravel. "With proper funding, Michigan roads can be maintained, and further pulverizations can be avoided," said Nystrom.

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BAY CITY NEWS: http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2009/06/county_road_officials_in_michi.html

It is possible that population declines in some of these counties might be such that they can't justify as many paved roads as they once had.

but it's actually false economy. It's as expensive to properly maintain a gravel road as a paved one.

If these counties really want to save road maintenance funds, they should simply abandon their roads and let the owners of abutting property maintain them. A few lawsuits for damages or accidents caused by damaged or unsafe roads and property owners would be willing to pay any necessary taxes for road maintenance.

One other point. Most rural roads can handle heavy farm equipment. As long as it has tires. Te roads are not built to withstand the punishment inflicted by track type equipment like D-8's or other bulldozers.