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Posted on Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 5:57 a.m.

Road Wise: Five more of your road questions answered

By Lisa Allmendinger

You asked the road questions, and we got you the answers. Here are answers to the next five of your frequently asked questions about roads and the Washtenaw County Road Commission.

1. How are members of the Road Commission compensated and how much to they make per year? The three appointed Washtenaw County Road Commissioners are paid $10,500 per year and this amount is determined by the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, said Roy Townsend, newly appointed managing director of the Washtenaw County Road Commission.

2. What is the difference in annual maintenance costs between a gravel road and a paved road? Are there plans to flip some paved roads back to gravel for a time?

“The cost varies depending on numerous conditions,” Townsend said. “A low volume gravel road with good drainage being lowest cost to maintain, up to a heavy volume multi-lane paved road, is the most expensive.”

Currently, there are no plans to convert some the county paved roads back to gravel roads, which have been done in other locations in Michigan. However, with declining gas tax revenues and no proposed funding increases from Lansing, this could also start occurring in Washtenaw County in near future, Townsend said.

3. Are there plans to repave Carpenter Road between Washtenaw and Packard Road?

Yes. This project currently has a portion of federal funding scheduled for 2014, Townsend said.

4. When will the section of Ann Arbor-Saline Road between Eisenhower and Waters and Lohr roads be redone?

The funding for this project has not been identified. “However, this is one of the top priority projects the Road Commission proposed to the County Board of Commissioners for a countywide 1-year, 0.6 mil millage, which was planned to fix some of the worst roads in the county. The County Commissioners voted against this proposal on Dec. 7, and deferred the issue until 2012,” Townsend said.

5. When driving into Ann Arbor via Ann Arbor-Saline Road, why can't the traffic lights be synchronized so that one can drive the speed limit and hit green lights from Maple Road to Stadium?

“With new signal upgrades we have just recently started, we are in discussion on synchronizing traffic signals along this corridor, as well as other corridors with both the City of Ann Arbor and Michigan Department of Transportation,” Townsend said.

Readers need to keep in mind that the Washtenaw County Road Commission is not responsible for city or village roads in places such as Ann Arbor, the City of Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter or Manchester.

For questions about roads in those cities or villages, residents should contact the city engineers, city or village managers with their road questions as these communities have individual road funds or millages which are paid for with tax dollars that are used to fix these streets.

The Washtenaw County Road Commission oversees county roads in the 20 townships and projects are dependent on state and federal funds as well as township contributions. What road projects are chosen each year are discussed with elected officials from the townships and the Road Commissions during open public meetings when votes are taken on each year’s planned road work, including bridge, resurfacing and dust control.

Residents who would like to see specific projects considered in 2012, should call their township supervisors or village presidents or board members and make their wishes heard. Or, speak during the public comment portion of a board meeting.

Do you have questions about local roads you'd like answered? Please email them to lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. She plans to run the answers to reader's questions twice a month.

Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com.

Comments

foobar417

Mon, Jan 23, 2012 : 3:33 p.m.

A big frustration for many citizens is the belief that one government entity (e.g. the City of Ann Arbor) is responsible for a poor quality road when actually another government entity (e.g. MDOT or the county) is responsible for the road. Rather than push the reader to contact a different entity based on jurisdiction, it would be helpful to ask the question of the appropriate entity or entities and explain why that entity or entities are the responsible party.

Roadman

Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 6:47 p.m.

Thank you for this most interesting piece. The public needs to know more about roads and the personnel who design, build, and maintain them.

justcurious

Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 5:23 p.m.

Why so many stories on the Road Commission? I'm wondering if Ms. Allmendinger has a relative that works there, and and maybe one who is also is an avid deer hunter.

Lisa Allmendinger

Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 5:40 p.m.

As the regional reporter for Ann Arbor.com, my beat includes the Washtenaw County Road Commission as well as Saline, Chelsea, Dexter and the surrounding communities. And no, I do not have any relatives working at the Road Commission or in any of the surrounding communities, which I cover.

rm1

Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.

The article says: "5. When driving into Ann Arbor via Ann Arbor-Saline Road, why can't the traffic lights be synchronized so that one can drive the speed limit and hit green lights from Maple Road to Stadium? "With new signal upgrades we have just recently started, we are in discussion on synchronizing traffic signals along this corridor, as well as other corridors with both the City of Ann Arbor and Michigan Department of Transportation," Townsend said." I think I recall that part of this was accomplished a dozen or so years ago. Standing in the way of a solution were the facts that (1) the AA/Saline intersection was under Ann Arbor's jurisdiction, (2) the I-94 ramp intersections were in Michigan DOT's control, and (3) the intersections at Waters/Lohr and at Oak Valley drive were in the County Road Commission's bailiwick. The solution they negotiated out, and I believe implemented, was to put all of those lights under the control of Ann Arbor's traffic control computer, so they could be readily synchronized. But Mr. Townsend's quote seems to suggest they are discussing this for the first time?

MRunner73

Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 3:41 p.m.

The 6 second green light for north and southbound Main Street at Stadium early in the morning is a total joke, especially with the bridge out to the east on Stadium Ave. That should be 6 seconds for east and west Stadium Ave traffic and default red. The city should be able to resolve that problem. They would want as much free flow traffic in and outbound from downtown as possible.

Ann English

Tue, Dec 20, 2011 : 12:16 a.m.

A 6-second green light? I guess that is what we have at Maple and Miller; when the light turns green at northbound Maple, only two cars at a time can turn left onto westbound Miller; it's a much better intersection for a 6-second green light for left turns than Main Street and Stadium Boulevard.

free

Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 3:35 p.m.

How about passing a law making it mandatory for deer to cross only at the deer crossing signs?

Diane

Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 10:26 p.m.

LOL in your dreams

Billy Bob Schwartz

Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 3:28 p.m.

how about fewer deer?

u812

Mon, Dec 19, 2011 : 2:53 p.m.

how about more deer crossing signs?