Fewer major road projects on tap in 2022

While mid-michigan roads are still getting plowed, sanded and salted the Gratiot County Road Commission is already looking ahead toward summer.

This year, however, the agency only has two major projects on its construction schedule compared to five it completed in 2021. Those are:

• Two miles of Wisner Road from Lincoln Road to M-46 on the border of Bethany and Wheeler townships will get an asphalt overlay at an estimated cost of $433,000. Federal and state funds will pay for 80 percent of the work with the remainder covered by the road commission. Construction is due to start in mid-june and be completed by Aug. 1. The road will remain open while the project is taking place.

• One mile of Barry Road between Madison and Jefferson roads in Wheeler Township will be crushed, shaped and paved at an estimated cost of $495,000. Federal and state funds will pay for 80 percent of the work with the remainder covered by the

road commission. Construction is due to begin in mid-july and be finished by Oct. 1. The road will be closed to traffic with a detour in place while the project is taking place.

The number of projects declined significantly due to the road commission not qualifying for some federal funding programs that it had in the past, according to Manager Mark Craft.

“For 2022, we do not have any Federal Aid Bridge Projects or Federal Aid Safely Projects like we have had the last couple of years,” he explained. “We apply for projects but they are selected on a statewide basis.

“We are approved for funding in 2023 to replace the Jefferson Road Bridge over Bush Creek in Bethany Township. The estimated cost for that project is $983,000.”

The Michigan Department of Transportation does, however, have two construction projects planned for U.S. 127 in Gratiot County this year, Craft noted.

The highway will be resurfaced between Bagley and Washington roads near Ithaca and from South County Line Road to M-57.

Details of those projects regarding when they will take place and the cost were not yet available on the MDOT website.

The road commission does plan to chip seal 43 miles of paved roads during June, July and August at an approximate cost of $32,000 a mile.

That’s an increase of about $5,000 per mile from 2021.

The agency also will resurface 120 miles of gravel roads throughout the county this summer at a cost of $10,000 a mile.

That’s up $1,000 per mile over last year.

To help offset the price hike the road commission will be receiving a 2.7 percent increase in state transportation fund revenues, Craft said.

Over the past few years the condition of paved road conditions in the county has improved dramatically.

In 2021, 41 percent were rated good, 47 percent fair and 12 percent poor.

That’s up significantly from 2017 when paved road conditions were rated 26 percent good, 41 percent fair and 33 percent poor.

For comparison, the statewide county average in 2019, was 21 percent good, 35 percent fair and 44 percent poor, Craft noted.

The road commission is responsible for maintaining 1,183 miles of roads and 120 bridges.

The agency also maintains 234 miles of federal and state trunk lines, including U.S. 127, M-46 and M-57, through a partnership with MDOT.