GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The state of Michigan will need to invest billions of dollars into county roads to properly maintain them. That's according to new data from the County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan, which presented the information at an event in Lansing on Wednesday.
"We need the legislature and the governor to take a big step this year toward adequately funding all roads, especially the county road network," said Denise Donohue, CEO of the CRA.
The CRA's report says adequate funding is $2.4 billion. The same report two years ago called for $1.8 billion, a 28% increase.
"Local road agencies continue to be challenged to provide the service that all our residents demand," said Mark Christensen, managing director for the Montcalm County Road Commission.
In Kent County, inflation is impacting the road commission just like everyone else. According to the Kent County Road Commission, since 2021, the price of asphalt has gone up by 69%, the price of a single axle truck up by 52% and the cost of reconstructing a mile of road has nearly doubled, increasing by 92%.
Jerry Byrne, managing director of the Kent County Road Commission, said without the proposed money from the state, they would have to back off of long-term road fixes in favor of cheaper small repairs.
"Residents are going to see less total reconstruct jobs, where we're we're tearing the whole road or putting in a new gravel, putting a new sand, putting in a sewer," said Byrne.
So what needs to change?
"We know that transportation cannot be funded as it has been for the last 100 years, and that's with fuel taxes and vehicle registrations," said Byrne.
He said those fuel taxes are really starting to take a toll, with people buying less gas than ever before.
"Vehicles are far more fuel efficient, which means you're buying less gallons, so you're paying less tax," said Byrne. "People are driving hybrids that are even more fuel efficient."
He hopes to see legislation changes that draw in money for roads from other sources.
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