Rural Michigan Counties, Including Montcalm County, Turn Failing Roads to Gravel

Some Michigan counties have turned a few once-paved rural roads back to gravel to save money. According to the County Road Association of Michigan, more than 20 of the state's 83 counties have reverted deteriorating paved roads to gravel in the last few years. The counties are struggling with their budgets because tax revenues have declined in the lingering recession. This can't be good news for Governor Jennifer Granholm, who will, undoubtedly, shoulder the blame for much of the economic fallout that is occurring in the state.

For example, Montcalm County converted nearly 10 miles of primary road to gravel this spring, and has estimated that it takes about $10,000 to grind up a mile of pavement and put down gravel. It takes more than $100,000 to repave a mile of road. Well, by simple arithmetic, that makes sense, even though it has the appearance of a Third World country.

This trend of reverting to gravel, has occurred in a few other states, but it is reportedly most typical in Michigan, where at least 50 miles have been reverted in the state in the past three years. Muskegon, Allegan and Calhoun counties have had to make the same fixes.