Oakland County drivers frustrated with potholes on their daily commute will face increased irritation over the next few months.
Due to the exhaustion of state funds from their maintenance contract with MDOT, the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) stopped all routine maintenance work on state roads as of June 22.
Work stoppage means the RCOC will only make emergency repairs to potholes, traffic signals and other related activities through special MDOT work orders.
A July 1 fax from RCOC Managing Director Brent Blair to Springfield Township Supervisor Collin Walls stated that RCOC workers will not perform the following tasks: boulevard mowing, routine drainage work, routine pothole patching, litter pickup, shoulder maintenance and routine traffic signal maintenance.
Funding for routine maintenance initially ran out on May 10, but was extended when more funding came from MDOT. According to MDOT’s Rob Morosi, $1.5 million in additional funding was provided at that time from a contingency fund supplementing road budgets after harsh winters.
Morosi said the winter budget was the most important for maintaining roads; and after the harsh winter this year much of the early spring pothole patching required repairs.
‘You don’t anticipate getting pelted with snow on April 23 or 24. All the pothole patching occurring prior to that became obsolete,? said Morosi.
Craig Bryson of RCOC said the lack of funding will cause aesthetic problems rather than safety issues with cutbacks on lawn maintenance, deer removal and routine pothole filling.
‘We’re not blaming them (MDOT). We understand they have money problems like we do. This is a symptom of Michigan’s lack of will to adequately fund roads for decades? other counties are experiencing this. It’s a growing problem,? said Bryson.
Morosi expressed that the safety of passengers and the traveling infrastructure are not threatened.
‘The most important thing is we won’t compromise roadway safety. If there are safety issues, we will be able to grant work authorizations to attend to those concerns and the county will be paid from maintenance contingency funds,? said Morosi.
Bryson said the road commission received two work orders since the funding ran out, one for emergency work countywide and the other to remove litter along freeways prior to the All-Star Game.
Morosi insisted additional authorizations will allow grass along boulevards, such as Woodward, to be maintained.
Bryson stated RCOC work on county roads will continue as planned despite the stoppage of routine work on state roads.
‘By law we can’t use money on state roads that’s meant for county roads,? said Bryson.