Plows may spend less time on area roads

Area road commissions head into the winter with significant budgetary problems, and in some cases, officials expect snow-covered roads to remain that way until they can afford to plow them.

It's a matter of rising costs and plunging funds that increasingly could leave motorists to battle winter roads on their own.

Motorist Andy LaPointe of Bellaire this week scraped ice and snow from his car at a gas station near the junction of M-72 and U.S. 131 in Kalkaska. The first blast of winter did a number on the roads, he said.

"They were not good -- icy, slippery, especially being off the main roads with all the extra slush," LaPointe said.

He keeps an emergency kit in his trunk throughout the winter, including salt, sand, a shovel and extra hats and gloves. It's a trick he learned during the 20 years he's lived in northern Michigan, he said.

"I've only hit five deer since I've been up here and slid off the road about a half-dozen times. That's about average, I guess," LaPointe said.

Skyrocketing fuel prices during summer months and greatly increased salt prices this fall equates to fewer dollars in the budget for plowing, Kalkaska County Road Commission Manager James Woodhams said. Plow drivers will not be on the roads during weekends and overnight, unless heavy snowfall demands it, he said.

"We call them in on overtime when storm conditions warrant it. That's what we do. When there's a storm, we'll roll," Woodhams said.

Road workers in Benzie County face the same predicament: soaring costs and a dwindling budget.

"Our priority always has been winter here. We're going to do the best we can, but it's going to be difficult," said Bob Weaver, manager of the Benzie County Road Commission.

Staff reductions, 18-percent higher salt prices, and four years of budget cuts means plow trucks won't be out much more than during peak times.

"It's pretty much Monday through Friday and as needed on weekends, except on state roads," Weaver said. "If we go out, unless we have a big dumping of snow, the guys will only plow the main primary roads and subdivisions will have to wait."

It's a balancing act performed by road crews across the region, said Mary Gillis, manager of the Grand Traverse County Road Commission.

"We're facing the same demand for service with less funding and more expensive materials," she said. "Can we continue to give the best service for public safety and balance our budget?"

Gillis said at least some of her crew members are on the road 24 hours per day all week through winter, but that means less road work is done during summer months.

Another change is in the mixture of materials plow drivers will spread on the roads, Gillis said.

"We're using more sand in the mix this year because the salt is a lot more expensive and we're on a fixed budget," she said.

The commission stockpiled 10,000 tons of salt and more than 12,000 tons of sand for this winter, Gillis said.

That's been the method in Kalkaska County for years, where the road commission hasn't been able to afford to use straight salt on the roads, Woodhams said.

They've ordered 3,200 tons of salt and more than 9,000 yards of sand this year, he said.

In Traverse City, motorist Holly Laskey filled her minivan's tank at a gas station along U.S. 31. The arrival of winter may compel her to buy new tires, she said.

"I think in a couple of months we'll be wishing it was only this bad," Laskey said.

Laskey's winter driving regimen includes driving slower, allowing more distance between her vehicle and others, and making sure all ice and snow are wiped off windows. Then it's "go on a wing and a prayer," she said.

Those are good ideas, said Jim Johnson, engineer for the Leelanau County Road Commission, who said the worst road conditions often crop up during the early days of winter.

"At the onset of winter with the temperature changes taking place, many things are in the process of freezing. It's more slippery and there are more surprises," he said.

Leelanau County voters approved a renewal of their road millage in August, a tax that injects about $1 million per year into the commission's budget. A specific focus is placed on winter maintenance, Johnson said.

The extra money means motorists in Leelanau County, unlike other areas, may see plow trucks seven days a week and nearly around the clock, he said.

Photos

A front-end loader is used at the Grand Traverse County Road Commission-s salt barn to mix salt and sand together before being spread on roads. Record-Eagle