The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) has advised motorists to use caution while traveling on gravel roads for the next several weeks.
Sporadic and ever-changing weather conditions during the past weeks have created rough conditions for the nearly 760 miles of gravel roads throughout the county, according to a road commission news release.
The weather, ranging from snow to rain and freezing temperatures to the current warmer temperatures, has caused a number of issues that are difficult for the road commission to attend to.
In many areas, the ground underneath the road’s surface remains frozen; therefore, water from rain or melting snow has nowhere to go and has created washout-like conditions in some areas. Until the ground can thaw, water has nowhere to be absorbed which creates soft, wet and muddy conditions on the gravel roads.
The RCOC has stated that placing graders on the roads in such conditions can make the situation worse. Sunny days and consistently warm temperatures will help dry the roads and allow the road commission to properly grade these areas.
“We are doing everything we can to maintain the gravel roads,” explained RCOC Managing Director Dennis Kolar. “However, despite our best efforts, recent freezing conditions combined with snow, rain and warmer weather have made most of the gravel roads a maintenance challenge.”
The road commission is using its available resources, including the agency’s 19 graders, to address the gravel roads throughout Oakland County.
To report any gravel road issues, call 877-858-4804 or contact the road commission online at www.rcocweb.org. — M.K.