Why some states are sending roads back to the stone age

Posted by Bill on Tuesday, April 6, 2010   |   4 Comments

As the economy goes, so go the roads apparently. In a handful of states, cash-strapped road authorities are taking a step backwards and turning once-paved roads back to gravel.

AP writer Clarke Canfield notes that, “The high price of pavement and the sour economy have driven some small communities to roll up the asphalt—a mile here, a few miles there, mostly on back roads—rather than repave.”

The problem is clearly a northern-state burden. The inevitable freeze-thaw cycles and heavy doses of road salt in cold-weather states wreak havoc on paved roads, eroding surfaces and opening up devastating potholes. Maine, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Michigan have all turned paved roads back into gravel.

According to the U. S. Department of Transportation, the nation still has some 1.4 million miles of unpaved roads. The prospect of returning some of these to the stone age is not new, of course. But the trend has picked up steam, fueled by widespread economic malaise and higher prices for asphalt.

There is even some support for the move with backers heralding more gravel roads as a return to a simpler time and a slower pace of life. Of course, gravel roads still require maintenance, but at a much lower cost than for paved roads.

Opponents to the trend point out the problems of dust—for vehicles and vegetation. Some talk about greater potential damage to vehicles and the environmental issue of sediment runoff polluting streams. But paved roads have environmental drawbacks as well, and asphalt is petroleum-based.

A big problem for Michigan

Although the general public took little notice of it, the results of an annual study by the County Road Association of Michigan (CRAM) delivered some sobering news for Michigan motorists and travelers.

The report, released in early February, found that in the past three years the number of county road agencies returning paved roads to gravel has more than tripled.

More than three dozen (38) have returned more than 100 miles of Michigan’s paved roads to gravel, with about 35 miles returning to the stone age in 2009 alone. When paved roads crumble to the point where they are no longer safe for motorists to travel and there is insufficient funding for reconstruction, road agencies have few choices.

Exactly what are the savings? According to one source, Montcalm County expects to save about $900,000 by converting about 10 miles of paved road to gravel. Pulverizing paved surfaces and covering with gravel runs about $10,000 a mile. The tab for repaving would run about $100,000 per mile.

CRAM director John Niemela points out that revenues have fallen to 1998 levels, but repair costs have soared in the last decade. “County road agencies have reached the point where they can no longer afford to patch roads that have failed . . . . It is really a pay now or pay later scenario.” he said.

“The longer we continue to underfund our road and bridge network, the more it will cost to bring our transportation infrastructure back to good condition.”

Bumps in the road

The deterioration of Michigan roads has made national headlines several times recently. There is even an embarrassing video playing to a worldwide online audience that drills home the problem. “Michigan Border Crossing” is a stinging counterpoint to the highly successful “Pure Michigan” tourism campaign.

“We could have the best state parks in the nation, but it does nothing for our tourism industry if the roads leading to them are riddled with potholes, and/or RVs and emergency vehicles cannot reach the parks due to weight-restricted bridges,” says Monica Ware, the public relations specialist at CRAM.

Ah now, that’s the nub of the nub isn’t it? The traveling public probably doesn’t need to worry that huge stretches of road in Michigan and other states will revert to gravel. But let’s call the findings of the report what they really are: Harbingers of disturbing things to come.

Cases in point: In the last three years, 79 Michigan county road agencies have reduced maintenance, preservation or construction programs; 77 have reduced or eliminated maintenance or replacement on hard road surfaces; 68 have reduced or eliminated gravel road maintenance.

Sixty-three have reduced or eliminated roadside mowing and brush control, and 49 counties reduced or eliminated bridge/culvert replacement. What’s more, levels of service have been reduced statewide for winter maintenance.

“Michigan’s county road system is the backbone of our state’s economy,” says Monica Ware. “Our 90,000 miles of roads and 5,600 bridges are the roads that carry our children to school, our goods to market and see us safely to and from work.”

CRAM director, John Niemela, makes a hard-to-argue point. “The time for action is now. The longer we wait, the more expensive the solution will be.

Inaction is costing the state state hundreds of millions of dollars annually in the deterioration of our road network . . . . Investing in highway, road and bridge funding is the long-term economic stimulus Michigan needs. It is Asset Management 101—the right fix at the right time will yield long-term savings.”

Photo by flickr.com user Wm Jas, published under a Creative Commons license.

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