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Roadside ditching is scheduled when crews are not needed for other activities, such as patching, grading, mowing, etc. To inquire about having a roadside ditch cleaned out, please contact our office at 61 or utilize our online service request form. Importantly, the primary role of roadside drainage is to drain the road, not adjacent private property, unless the roadside drainage system has been established as a County Drain. These roadside drainage systems are typically located in the county road right-of- way and maintained by the Road Commission or in some instances the Water Resources Commissioner. Roadside ditches, swales, storm sewer, culverts, or other similar drainage features are installed to convey storm water from the road surface and roadbed to an outlet such as a pond, county drain, creek, infiltration area, or other waterway. Please note that all dates are determined by the individual townships, are tentative and subject to change. The chart shows the tentative brine schedule for 2021. For an updated time/date of dust control applications, contact your local Township office. The table is for informational purposes only. Preliminary Township Dust Control Schedule A tank truck with a rear distribution bar is typically used to spread the liquid dust control evenly over the road. The Road Commission will then grade the gravel road prior to the contractor’s placement of the dust control material. The Township will select a contractor, purchase a dust control material, and determine the frequency and location of applications. This moisture binds the materials in the road, reducing the amount of dust that becomes airborne and providing a better driving surface. When applied to gravel roads, both the chloride and brine products draw moisture from the air and ground. Mineral Well Brine is a naturally-occurring salt water that is pumped from the ground.Calcium Chloride is a man made solution generally at 26% to 35% concentration.There are several different types of products that help control dust and retain moisture. Keeping the road moist helps fines adhere to each other and to aggregates, allowing for optimum compaction. Daily traffic scatters the remaining coarser aggregates that have become loose causing holes, ruts, washboard, loss of profile, loss of ditch lines, and other problems. As a road dries out, the fines blow away, breaking down the gravel road. Road dust is made up of fine particles that are important to the stability of the road. One of the drawbacks of gravel roads is they are prone to giving off dust. If the road is too dry or too wet, grading has little effect other than to re-arrange dust or mud. The Road Commission will respond as quickly as possible, however at times, road grading must be postponed due to weather conditions or coordinated with dust control applications. To inquire about having a gravel road graded, please call our office at (616) 842-5400 or utilize the online service request form. Unfortunately in the winter and spring, there is not much that can be done until the frost is out of the roads. In addition, the Road Commission tries to grade gravel roads after it rains and the road has softened up. Roads are graded prior to having dust control materials applied. By reclaiming the gravel, the Road Commission can save thousands of tons of gravel. We lose a lot of gravel either from rain washing it off the road or from vehicles kicking it up from normal driving.
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This maintenance is done to reclaim gravel that has been pushed into the shoulder as well as to remove the “berm” on the roadside which prevents the water from flowing off the road. Road Commission crews pull shoulders on gravel roads in the county every spring before the grass begins to grow on the side of the road.