GENESEE COUNTY ROAD COMMISSION
211 WEST OAKLEY STREET, FLINT MI 48503-3995
FAX NUMBER: (810) 767-5373 (Administration)
FAX NUMBER: (810) 767-6570 (Engineering)
PHONE NUMBER: (810) 767-4920FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION COVER LETTERNUMBER OF PAGES: 0 (Not including this page.)
TO: NEWS MEDIA
FROM: Fred Peivandi, P.E., County Highway Engineer
DATE:March 17, 2009 COMMENTS: Notice of Revised Bridge Posting
BULLETIN Effective immediately, the posting of weight restrictions for the Morrish Road Bridge over the Armstrong Creek between Frances Road and Dodge Road in the Township of Montrose will be lowered to: 14-15-17 tons for a single unit truck, 2 unit truck and 3 unit truck respectively.The posting of this bridge for weight restrictions is required for the safety of the traveling public.
If you have any questions, please call (810) 767-4920 ext. 234.Thank you.
GENESEE COUNTY ROAD COMMISSION
211 WEST OAKLEY STREET, FLINT MI 48503-3995FAX NUMBER: (810) 767-5373 (Administration)
FAX NUMBER: (810) 767-6570 (Engineering)
PHONE NUMBER: (810) 767-4920FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION COVER LETTERNUMBER OF PAGES: 0 (Not including this page.) TO: NEWS MEDIA FROM: Fred Peivandi, P.E., County Highway Engineer
DATE:March 17, 2009 COMMENTS: Notice of Culvert Closure
BULLETIN Effective immediately, the Cook Road Culvert over the Atherton Drain between Duffield Road and Nichols Road in the Township of Gaines will be closed until further notice.This culvert closure is required for the safety of the traveling public.
If you have any questions, please call (810) 767-4920 ext. 234. Thank you.
DATE: March 17, 2009
SUBJECT: Seasonal Weight Restrictions
Effective 6 AM Friday, February 13, 2009, the Genesee County Road Commission will place seasonal weight and speed restrictions on all county roads within Genesee County. These restrictions will remain in effect indefinitely. WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE STILL IN EFFECT The Genesee County Road Commission conducted frost checks on March 17, 2009. Frost was found under the road where checked. Total depth of frost was between 17 to 50 inches and solid in all locations. When spring weight restrictions are in effect on frost-restricted routes, axle loadings are reduced by 25 percent on rigid-based roads and 35 percent on flexible-based roads. Most restricted county roads reduce axle loading by 35 percent. Speed limits on frost restricted routes are reduced to 35 mph for every vehicle over 10,000 lbs. gross weight.
No truck, tractor or tractor with trailer, or any combination of such vehicles with a gross weight, loaded or unloaded, in excess of 5,000 pounds shall exceed a speed of 50 miles per hour on highways or streets or 55 miles per hour on freeways. Speed shall be reduced to 35 miles per hour where reduced loadings are being enforced during the period of seasonal weight restrictions.
$45 million in stimulus money to fund area road work
by Ron Fonger | The Flint Journal
Friday March 06, 2009, 8:31 PM
GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Just in time for summer driving, more than $45 million in federal stimulus money is on its way to the county for transportation, including $26.4-million for rebuilding more than six miles of I-475.
In addition to asphalt and mass transit, the new money also is paying for a new traffic tool that will tell I-75 drivers what lies ahead.
Traffic planners hope the addition of what they call an "intelligent transportation system" will persuade more drivers to shift onto I-475 from I-75 during peak congestion.
"It's information the driver can use to make an informed decision. Especially on Fridays and Sundays, I-75 gets clogged up," said Mike Hemmingsen, Davison Transportation Service Center manager for the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Using information collected by radar beams, roadside signs will tell drivers about how much time it will take them to travel from the junction of I-75 and I-475 in Grand Blanc Township to I-475 and I-75 in Mt. Morris Township.
I-75 drivers will see the new message signs later this year with work starting in the spring.
"They can be helpful as long as the information is accurate," said Neil A. Webster, 37, of Burton. "The signs that can indicate accidents (ahead) are also very helpful. I have been able to save me time a couple of times" by avoiding those areas.
Webster commutes to work in the Detroit area, spending plenty of time on area roads.
Shovel-work on I-475, easily the best-funded stimulus transportation project, probably won't start until 2010, Hemmingsen said.
MDOT plans to shut down all traffic as pavement is replaced, switching from northbound to southbound once that job starts in earnest.
Concrete in the 6.6-mile stretch hasn't been replaced since that portion of I-475 was built in the early 1970s.
"We design our pavement to last 25 years and we got 36 out of this (stretch)," Hemmingsen said.
Five bridges in the area also are targeted for repairs as part of the same job.
The county transportation money from the federal stimulus funding includes $8.5 million for the Mass Transportation Authority and three new MDOT projects that otherwise would not have been funded, Hemmingsen said.
Eight other projects, including creation of a new, more direct route to Kettering University from I-69, also received final approval from the county Metropolitan Alliance this week.
The county said in a news release that the $45.9 million in construction spending will create more than 1,900 jobs.
Flint Journal extras Federal money pours in for road work
Here are the transportation projects worth at least $1 million that have been funded with federal stimulus funds:
• $26.4 million for road reconstruction and rehabilitation of five bridges on I-475 between I-75 on the south and I-69
.• $8.5 million for communication equipment and preventative maintenance for the Mass Transportation Authority.
• $3 million for repairs and resurfacing of Morrish Road in Swartz Creek.
• $2.3 million for a new gateway between I-69 and Kettering University.
• $2 million for new electronic signs and an intelligent transportation system on I-75, I-69 and I-475.
• $1.5 million for pavement repair on Pasadena Avenue from I-75 to the Flint city limits.
• $1.3 million for concrete repair on Clio Road from Pierson to Carpenter roads.
• $1.2 million for milling and resurfacing on Silver Parkway from Owen to Silver Lake roads in Fenton.
To address these fears, the Road Commission undertook a multifaceted communications and outreach program, spearheaded by Robert Slattery, the Road Commission’s director of Information Systems and Planning, and public relations consultant Michael Dach, long before the first shovel was turned. This included a series of public input/information meetings held during the design phase; distribution of 10,000+ brochures; an emailed “Weekly Reconstruction Update”; press interviews; electronic message signs, partnerships with business groups, and actively seeking input through individual merchant visits.
A dedicated web page was constructed to outlet up to the minute information, including latest news, timetables, phasing plans, presentations, FAQ, background information, links to merchants in the corridor, maps, the brochure and an automatic email notification service.
According to Manager-Director John Daly, the intended message was ‘we know this is going to be difficult for you as merchants and motorists, but it is necessary, it will be better for all when finished, we are all in this together, we are asking for your input and we will do everything possible to minimize the impact on you’. The intent was to change the perception from ‘this is going to close my business, this will be a terrible hassle, the Road Commission really doesn’t care’, to ‘it wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared, they do care, and the end result is worth the effort.’ We think we achieved this.”
Fear gradually gave way to trust and a realization that the Road Commission is sensitive to motorists’ and merchants’ needs and is doing everything it can to minimize the impact on them. Merchants and motorists became actively engaged and provided helpful suggestions and supportive comments through personal contacts and via email to the dedicated website.
“We believe that this effort has increased the trust in the Road Commission’s sensitivity to the concerns of its customers and in its ability to mitigate the impact of major projects. We will use similar public relations campaigns on all future major projects, seasonal programs (i.e. chip-sealing or winter maintenance) and in general to let people know that we are out there working for them, that we hear them and we do ‘get it’, and that we want to partner with motorists and residents to improve our roads.”
While GCRC monitors its roads closely, it welcomes calls from the public regarding dangerous conditions such as large potholes or severe gravel road problems. Motorists can report road issues to GCRC by calling (810) 767-4920, sending an email to rslattery@gcrc.org or clicking on the “Pothole Report” icon on its website, www.gcrc.org.
For more information about CRAM and these awards contact Monica Ware, Public Relations Specialist at the County Road Association of Michigan at 517.482.1189 Ext 17, or mware@localroads.net.
DATE: February 12, 2009
SUBJECT: Seasonal Weight Restrictions
Effective 6 AM Friday, February 13, 2009, the Genesee County Road Commission will place seasonal weight and speed restrictions on all county roads within Genesee County. These restrictions will remain in effect indefinitely.
When spring weight restrictions are in effect on frost-restricted routes, axle loadings are reduced by 25 percent on rigid-based roads and 35 percent on flexible-based roads. Most restricted county roads reduce axle loading by 35 percent. Speed limits on frost restricted routes are reduced to 35 mph for every vehicle over 10,000 lbs. gross weight.
No truck, tractor or tractor with trailer, or any combination of such vehicles with a gross weight, loaded or unloaded, in excess of 5,000 pounds shall exceed a speed of 50 miles per hour on highways or streets or 55 miles per hour on freeways. Speed shall be reduced to 35 miles per hour where reduced loadings are being enforced during the period of seasonal weight restrictions.
I am again requesting your assistance in removing signs being placed illegally within the right-of-way of public road in Genesee County. Further, any signage that obstructs the clear vision triangle at intersections should to be removed as well. As primary and general elections approach this year, the problem is becoming more acute. Please post the enclose notice of Sign Removal Policy at Township and Party offices until December 31, 2008, and if possible, distribute the notice to all local candidates, their election committees and workers.
Commencing July 21, 2008, the Road Commission will commence the removal of any signs placed illegally in the right-of-way of public roads under the jurisdiction of the Genesee County Road Commission. It is hoped that compliance with this memorandum will cause the illegal placement of signs in the right-of-way of public roads. This, in turn, should significantly reduce the amount of time Road Commission employees have to spend removing signs rather than maintaining roads.
If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact me at the following telephone number: 810l767.4920. General information concerning the placement of signs and other items in the public road right-of-way can be found at our web site www.gcrc.org.
Flint Journal Editorial: State must deal with deteriorating roads
by The Flint Journal Sunday June 22, 2008, 8:00 AM
Flint Journal files | M. Scott BrauerIn 2007, construction markers line Pierson Road near the bridge over I-75.
The advancing deterioration of Michigan roads poses a dismal choice: Either invest in repairs now, or end up paying more later.
While drivers might curse the prevalence of construction barrels during this season, the state's Assessment Management Council advises that invisible "deferred maintenance" is what should be making us panic.
The need for repairs on Michigan roads eligible for federal aid skyrocketed from $3.68 billion in 2004 to $6.64 billion in 2007. The longer we wait, the bigger the job.
Those figures do not include local roads. For those roads, poor conditions increased from 10.8 percent in 2004 to 27.7 percent in 2007 statewide.
Rather than increasing the gasoline tax, Gov. Jennifer Granholm is looking for justice from Washington, which has been returning to Michigan only 92 cents on each dollar the state sends in federal fuel taxes. Granholm hopes a more sympathetic national administration will take over next year, and respond by raising Michigan's portion to 95 cents. The extra $40 million a year would contribute heavily toward a fix.
But even if she prevails, greater federal justice doesn't address structural inequities within the state. Glaringly obvious is a need for parity on the diesel fuel tax, which is 15 cents on the gallon compared to 19 cents on gasoline. While the gap is sympathetically designed to help truckers, their heavy vehicles give roads the roughest beating.
A more sensitive inequity has some transportation officials promoting an $84 annual fee on owners of hybrid-electric vehicles. They note hybrids still cause wear and tear on roads in their electric mode allowing their owners to pay fewer taxes than gasoline-powered vehicles.
As electric-powered vehicles grow more prevalent, this gap in responsibility will need to be addressed, but for the immediate future we need policies that promote -- not discourage -- conversion to "green" technology.
That dilemma, however, seems simple compared to the vast effects of sprawl, which has strained local governments beyond capacity in the upkeep of roads under local care. One result is an increasing reversion to gravel roads, which offer the advantage of cheaper maintenance but are otherwise a nasty burden on autos and their drivers.
Within Genesee County, local governments sometimes maintain blocks with fewer than five residences, while heavily trafficked urban streets go neglected. That's a high price we pay for allowing townships a free hand in planning that declines to take greater community need into account. But setting that inequity aright may pose the greatest political chestnut of all.
Getting 'good' roads in Genesee County would cost $165 million
by Ron Fonger | The Flint Journal
Saturday June 14, 2008, 9:13 PM
GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Just how much would it cost to get the county's worst paved roads back into good driving condition?
Almost $400 for every man, woman and child from Clio to Fenton. And, the $165-million total price tag doesn't even cover needed work on expressways, state roads, gravel roads, streets inside cities or subdivisions, bridges, or the cost of engineering.
The bleak assessment from county Road Commission Manager-Director John Daly is being delivered to all township supervisors, road commissioners and members of the county Board of Commissioners in a memorandum issued this week.
And what's worse: Daly said he sees no prospect that the situation will improve in the short term.
"It's no surprise. I've been telling people the last six years that we have about a quarter-billion dollars in deferred (work to do)," he said. "What that tells me is -- it's going to be a long road" to make things better.
The Road Commission assessment is based on the results of an annual rating of major paved roads in the county and estimates for resurfacing or rebuilding them.
Roads had already been rated in 2007 from 1 to 10 with a 1 rating for roads that are unusable and unsafe and a 10 rating for roads that are freshly reconstructed or resurfaced.
The new Road Commission assessment estimates how much it would cost to bring roads in the poorest condition into the top category: those rated 8-10.
The area with the most expensive repairs in front of it is Genesee Township with $18.6 million in needed work on its major roads, according to the county assessment.
The area with the least expensive repair needs is Clayton Township with $2.8 million, according to a breakdown of the Road Commission assessment.
Daly isn't alone is not being surprised by the scale of the problem.
In Davison Township, Bristol Road resident Sarah Nelson said even though her poorly rated road isn't in good shape, it's not nearly the worst either.
"I think something needs to be done. It's not good by any means," said Nelson, who lives on Bristol between M-15 and Henderson Road.
"This little stretch isn't too bad but from mile to mile it changes quite a bit," Nelson said.
With exception of the village of Otter Lake and the city of Clio, the number of miles rated in the worst-condition category increased in every other city and all townships collectively during 2007 road ratings.
Daly said the deterioration is tied to declines in year-to-year funding from state gasoline and vehicles registrations and the rising cost of materials and fuel.
The funding shortfalls could cause the Road Commission to return some of the paved roads in the worst condition to gravel as a cost-saving measure.
"I think there's a high probability (something like that) will happen" next year, Daly said. "I'm not asking anybody for money but I think it's fair that people know what the level of need is."
RUSH TOWNSHIP
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Monday, March 24, 2008
By Ken Palmerkpalmer@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6313
RUSH TWP. - Dwayne Nixon gazed toward the crumbling, paper-thin
asphalt at the end of his father's driveway and tried to remember
when the road was just gravel.
That goes all the back to his early childhood, said Nixon,
49, who grew up in the house on Bingham Road, south of Allan
Road. "It looks like this every spring," he said.
"Been like this ever since I can remember."
Nixon may see how the road looked when his father, Bill, moved
into the house in 1957. The one-mile stretch of Bingham between
Henderson and Allan roads is so damaged that the Shiawassee
County Road Commission has recommended pulverizing the asphalt
and rebuilding the road with gravel. Odd though it seems, some
counties have begun reverting paved roads to gravel - temporarily,
at least - because it costs too much to repair them. While general
construction costs continue to climb, the price of asphalt -
a petroleum-based product - has doubled in the past decade.
Meanwhile, road revenue has remained the same, said Lonny Latunski,
managing director of the road commission.
"We've had no growth whatsoever in income," Latunski
said. "There's no sun on the horizon, either." Even
so, Latunski said he was a little surprised to learn that Gratiot,
Kent and Ionia already have either begun grinding up bad roads
and maintaining them as gravel or might do so this spring. "We're
not quite in that position," he said. "But with the
current funding situation, it could very easily happen in other
areas." Road officials in Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola counties
said they have no plans to go down that road. But with maintenance
costs rising, returning paved roads to gravel will become a
more attractive option
"We really don't want to do that, but if worse comes to
worst, a gravel surface is much easier to maintain than an asphalt
surface," said Richard Hill, design department manager
for the Genesee County Road Commission. "It's something
that we have out there as a possible option." While asphalt
prices have skyrocketed, at least some agencies have benefited
from a highly competitive bidding environment. Contractors hungry
for work are covering some of the increases in material costs,
road officials said. "We're actually paying $2 a ton less
than we did last year," said Rick Pearson, managing director
of the Lapeer County Road Commission. "We have more people
bidding the jobs out there than we ever have." Swartz Creek
City Manager Paul Bueche said the city is seeing good bid prices
as it moves ahead with larger road projects, but it can't give
local streets enough attention.
"We've looked at that option for local streets, simply
because we don't have the money to repair them," he said,
referring to gravel. "If we don't repave them, that's what
happens naturally." In Shiawassee County, a section of
road was returned to gravel a few years ago because no money
was available to repave it, Latunski said. The road commission
is proposing to do the same with Bingham Road, parts of which
essentially are gravel.
In some places, the road bed is nothing but overlapping, peeling
layers of patch material, In others, dirt and gravel lay at
the bottom of sinkhole-like depressions surrounded by crumbling
asphalt. "Large sections are breaking up into marble-size
pieces, and there's no real way to fix it," Latunski said.
"The actual cross-section gets so beat up that the only
way to fix it is to grind it up and reset the grade."
Local governments pay the majority of local road projects.
And township officials aren't sure if they want to pulverize
Bingham Road this year or wait until next year to repair it,
he said.
Genesee County bridges in rough shape and bill to repair them could be a whopper, according to new report
GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Bridges in the county are in rough shape, and a new report is predicting things are only going to get much worse.The county Planning Commission forecast estimates fully 90 percent of the 369 bridges scattered from Clio to Fenton will need to be replaced by 2035 at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion.Forty-nine percent of those bridges are already in either poor condition or were not built to current standards, the report says, and future funding estimates "falls severely short" of what's needed."The bridge situation in Genesee County is not so hot. ... We're looking at an older infrastructure," said Nate Scramlin, an associate planner for the county. "We want to provide a good inventory where we're at."The report was turned over to the county Technical Advisory Committee last week and could lead to recommendations aimed at fixing what officials said is a problem that's getting increasingly worse.County bridges are ranked the third-worst in the state, trailing only Wayne and Newaygo counties in the percentage of problem bridges.Among the solutions discussed at a meeting of county, state and federal agencies earlier this year: a local bridge tax or fee on private companies.The poor condition of bridges in the county has been no secret. Just last year, seven area bridges were included on a list of spans in poor condition and one crossing on Lovejoy Road is in such poor shape that it has been closed since January 2002.Genesee County Road Commission Manager-Director John Daly said news about roads and bridges will continue to be discouraging until a new funding plan emerges."This process will continue until there's a groundswell of public opinion that we have to fix the bridges," Daly said. "The problem will have to escalate (before something is done)."Daly said people are becoming frustrated as the condition of roads and bridges continues to deteriorate.On Lovejoy Road --Â on the Genesee-Livingston county line --Â barricades designed to keep people off the closed bridge have been repeatedly moved."It's not safe for cars (but) it's very frustrating to (try) to get around that," said Tammy Moen, who lives on the Livingston County side of Lovejoy."The length (of time) it's been out. ... it's not like it's a work in progress," Moen said.
A new Genesee County Planning Commission report says nearly half of all bridges in the county are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Only cities and agencies that own at least six bridges are listed. Here is a partial breakdown of the deficient:
• 47 percent of 191 Michigan Department of Transportation bridges.
• 44 percent of 120 county Road Commission bridges.
• 72 percent of 32 city of Flint bridges.
• 78 percent of nine city of Burton bridges.
• 33 percent of six city of Fenton bridges.
Remember: a flashing yellow arrow = turn with caution.
You may have begun to notice a new style of left-turn signal
on Michigan's roads. Placed OVER the left-turn lane at a signalized
intersection, this new signal display includes a flashing yellow
arrow.
In coming years, this type of signal will replace all flashing
red left-turn signals.
How will it work?
In most locations, the flashing yellow arrow will be part of a
four-arrow signal. In areas where this is not possible, the bottom
of a three-arrow signal will display either the flashing yellow
arrow or a steady green arrow.
* Play a demo of how the new signal works. (Requires Flash plug-in.)
* Download the brochure.
Signal phases:
red light Red: STOP.
yellow flashing light Flashing yellow arrow: Left turns permitted.
Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. [Oncoming traffic has
a green light.]
green light Green arrow: Safe to turn left. [Oncoming traffic
must stop.]
yellow light Steady yellow arrow: The left-turn signal is about
to change to red; prepare to stop, or prepare to complete your
left turn if you are within the intersection.
Why the change?
This change is the result of a national study conducted for the
Federal Highway Administration, which demonstrated that the new
signals:
* help to prevent crashes
* move more traffic through an intersection
* and provide additional traffic management flexibility.
Why is it a better left-turn signal?
* It's safer. A national study demonstrated that drivers made
fewer mistakes with the new signals than with traditional left-turn
arrow signals.
* It's more efficient The new signals provide traffic engineers
with more options to handle variable traffic volumes.
* It's more consistent. You'll see the same signals in every state
because the new signals will be mandated throughout the U.S
