GENERAL
What are your office hours?
Click the link here.
What roads do the Allegan County Road Commission (ACRC) maintain?
We maintain all County Primary and County Local roads within Allegan County. Some border roads are maintained by the adjacent county and are shown in purple on our County Road Map.
We do not maintain Highways or State Trunkline Routes such as US-131 or M-89. We do not maintain roads within incorporated cities or villages. We do not maintain private roads.
What is road Right-of-Way?
County roads are located on land that is referred to as road right-of-way. The road right-of-way is intended for all county road, pedestrian facility, and public utility purposes. The ACRC has the responsibility and authority to regulate all activities and work in the road right-of-way to assure efficient and safe operations of the road system.
What are the road Right-of-Way limits?
Standard road right-of-way is 66 ft wide on most county roads. There are some exceptions where the Right-of-Way is narrower or wider or an additional easement was granted to the ACRC. The ACRC maintains record of the existing right-of-way and easements are recorded with the Register of Deeds Office.
What are your office hours?
Click the link here.
What roads do the Allegan County Road Commission (ACRC) maintain?
We maintain all County Primary and County Local roads within Allegan County. Some border roads are maintained by the adjacent county and are shown in purple on our County Road Map.
We do not maintain Highways or State Trunkline Routes such as US-131 or M-89. We do not maintain roads within incorporated cities or villages. We do not maintain private roads.
What is road Right-of-Way?
County roads are located on land that is referred to as road right-of-way. The road right-of-way is intended for all county road, pedestrian facility, and public utility purposes. The ACRC has the responsibility and authority to regulate all activities and work in the road right-of-way to assure efficient and safe operations of the road system.
What are the road Right-of-Way limits?
Standard road right-of-way is 66 ft wide on most county roads. There are some exceptions where the Right-of-Way is narrower or wider or an additional easement was granted to the ACRC. The ACRC maintains record of the existing right-of-way and easements are recorded with the Register of Deeds Office.
ROAD MAINTENANCE
Can you grade my gravel road?
Requests can be made on our website, on our Facebook page, or by calling our office.
Please understand we can not grade gravel at all times of the year. If gravel is too dry it will not compact and quickly becomes rough again. If gravel is too wet it will turn the surface of the road into a layer of mud. If gravel is frozen it can not be easily cut or graded with our truck blades. When conditions are right, most of our trucks are out grading our 650 miles of gravel roads.
Can you apply dust control to my gravel road?
Townships pay for dust control applications on local roads. Each township determines how many applications they receive each year. The road commission then works with contractors to schedule the application throughout the summer. We grade the roads ahead of the dust control application to make it last longer. Grading gravel after the dust control is applied will quickly reduce the effects of the dust control application. Weather greatly impacts and changes our dust control schedule.
Why doesn't the Allegan County Road Commission plow at night?
- Our annual budget is limited by the Michigan Transportation Funds (MTF) we receive. Winter maintenance costs are very unpredictable but our current plan & policy help assure that funds are not spent too quickly and are available all winter.
- We do not have a contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to plow state roads and highways. Some Road Commissions have contracts to maintain MDOT roads and they are reimbursed by MDOT to run a night shift. This also allows them to plow some of their primary roads at night but they only plow a small portion of their own roads at night. Other Road Commission’s without MDOT maintenance contracts also lack the funding to run night shifts.
- It’s not safe for our drivers (or the public) if they work past their current 12 hours shifts. It’s a very fatiguing job and they need to stay rested between shifts so they are alert at work.
- Hiring night drivers would also require hiring more mechanics to repair trucks as they break down (often on the road). Mechanics also operate our tow trucks to pull out plow trucks or bring them back to the garage.
- Winter conditions are hard on the plow trucks so they are frequently down for maintenance and repairs. We would need to purchase additional trucks and replace trucks more frequently if they also ran at night.
- A full-time night crew would not have enough work to keep busy. When the roads are clear, our truck drivers trim trees and brush. This is too dangerous and noisy to complete at night. A temporary night crew would be a challenge to staff if they are only needed a handful of times a year.
ROAD CONSTRUCTION
How do I get my gravel road paved?
In most cases it is up to your township to decide what roads are reconstructed and paved. Each township has a road construction/paving plan based on their annual funding and budget. When the township approves the reconstruction or paving of a road, they submit a request to the ACRC and we handle the design engineering and construction. Go to the Links tab to find contact information for your township.
What happens when my road is reconstructed?
The road will be designed for safety in accordance with AASHTO's Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets. Typical reconstruction includes tree and brush clearing, road widening, grading, ditching, and culvert replacement/installation. We clear all trees and brush within the road right-of-way for safety and drainage improvements. Property owners may be contacted if additional right-of-way is needed.
Will I be able to get in and out of my driveway during a reconstruction project?
Yes, local traffic will be maintained with access to all properties. Expect directional closures where traffic can only enter or exit in one direction. Also expect short delays due to construction equipment continually changing and maintaining the road condition.
What happens to mail service during reconstruction?
The construction contractor will coordinate with the postal service and temporarily move all mailboxes to a location outside the project limits for the duration of the project. They will notify you when that location is determined. After construction the contractor will reset all mailboxes.
What happens with garbage services during reconstruction?
It is the responsibility of your garbage service company to coordinate with residents based on their own policy.
What happens when my road is resurfaced/repaved?
Most resurfacing projects required stripping sod/grass from the existing road shoulders that has grown up over time. That way the shoulders can be paved or re-established with new gravel after paving. Townships decide whether the shoulders are paved or gravel based on their available funding and budget.
Other prep work may include milling joints on asphalt driveways so our new road asphalt can be properly tapered and matched to the drives. Concrete driveways are not permitted in the road right-of-way so we must remove a portion of the concrete and replace it with asphalt in order to properly taper the new road asphalt to the concrete drive.
If mailboxes are in the way, our contractor will relocate them as necessary. If they damage a mailbox please contact our office and we will have the contractor repair it. Mailbox protectors or guards that are installed by property owners will not be reset.
Underground sprinkler heads will often be damaged if the property owner installed them along the edge of the pavement. The road commission does not permit the installation of underground sprinkler systems in the road right-of-way. If they are damaged then the property owner is responsible for removing and replacing them.
Resurfacing projects and prep work are almost always done under traffic. Traffic will often be maintained with flaggers but anticipate delays. Most resurfacing projects only take a few days and schedules are weather dependent. Contractors only schedule paving projects about a week in advance and we post them on our Facebook page as soon as they are scheduled.
PERMITS AND POLICIES
Why and When do I need a permit?
Public Act 283 of 1909 requires a permit from the Road Commission to construct, operate, maintain or remove any facility or perform any other work within the road Right-of-Way. See our permits manual for activities requiring a permit.
How do I obtain a driveway permit?
Our superintendent must perform a physical site inspection for each new driveway. Please call the Road Commission office at (269) 673-2184 to apply for a driveway permit and schedule a site inspection. Driveway permits cannot be done online.
What activities are not permitted within the road right-of-way?
Prohibited activities include: filling ditches, enclosing ditches, grading slopes/berms that negatively impact drainage, installing underground sprinkler systems, installing fences, installing concrete driveways, pumping or piping water to roadside ditches, planting trees or landscaping that obstruct vision.
Why does the ACRC prohibit filling or enclosing of roadside ditches?
Roadside ditches are constructed to collect road surface runoff as well as water under the road (subsurface). The ditch reduces potholes, chatter bumps, frost heaving, flooding, and washouts. When ditches are eliminated then our road maintenance and repair costs increase.
Why does the ACRC prohibit concrete driveways from connecting to public roadways?
When the ACRC reconstructs or resurfaces a roadway, the elevation of the roadway often changes. We then adjust all driveway grades so the match into the new roadway. This can easily be done with gravel or asphalt driveways but we have to cut and remove concrete driveways in order to adjust the grade. Cutting and removing concrete adds significantly more time and cost to the project. Asphalt can be driven on 20-30 minutes after it is placed, while concrete can not be driven on for at least 4 days. If the ACRC removes non-permitted concrete drives during construction, it will be replaced with asphalt.
Why does the ACRC prohibit underground sprinklers systems in the right-of-way?
Underground sprinkler systems conflict with road maintenance activities and road projects. They can not be easily identified by our crews so they are often damaged during road work. Property owners who install underground sprinkler systems in the road right-of-way will be responsible for their removal or repairs.
Why and When do I need a permit?
Public Act 283 of 1909 requires a permit from the Road Commission to construct, operate, maintain or remove any facility or perform any other work within the road Right-of-Way. See our permits manual for activities requiring a permit.
How do I obtain a driveway permit?
Our superintendent must perform a physical site inspection for each new driveway. Please call the Road Commission office at (269) 673-2184 to apply for a driveway permit and schedule a site inspection. Driveway permits cannot be done online.
What activities are not permitted within the road right-of-way?
Prohibited activities include: filling ditches, enclosing ditches, grading slopes/berms that negatively impact drainage, installing underground sprinkler systems, installing fences, installing concrete driveways, pumping or piping water to roadside ditches, planting trees or landscaping that obstruct vision.
Why does the ACRC prohibit filling or enclosing of roadside ditches?
Roadside ditches are constructed to collect road surface runoff as well as water under the road (subsurface). The ditch reduces potholes, chatter bumps, frost heaving, flooding, and washouts. When ditches are eliminated then our road maintenance and repair costs increase.
Why does the ACRC prohibit concrete driveways from connecting to public roadways?
When the ACRC reconstructs or resurfaces a roadway, the elevation of the roadway often changes. We then adjust all driveway grades so the match into the new roadway. This can easily be done with gravel or asphalt driveways but we have to cut and remove concrete driveways in order to adjust the grade. Cutting and removing concrete adds significantly more time and cost to the project. Asphalt can be driven on 20-30 minutes after it is placed, while concrete can not be driven on for at least 4 days. If the ACRC removes non-permitted concrete drives during construction, it will be replaced with asphalt.
Why does the ACRC prohibit underground sprinklers systems in the right-of-way?
Underground sprinkler systems conflict with road maintenance activities and road projects. They can not be easily identified by our crews so they are often damaged during road work. Property owners who install underground sprinkler systems in the road right-of-way will be responsible for their removal or repairs.