 Several teams from the OCRC recently headed up to the Alpena area to assist in ice storm cleanup.
Several work crews from the Ottawa County Road Commission made the trek Up North last month to assist in clean up efforts following severe ice storms.
The OCRC had teams of workers head up to the Alpena and Petoskey areas to help in storm cleanup efforts.
Work primarily consisted of cutting and moving downed trees and limbs that fell due to heavy ice from April ice storms.
The OCRC was among several other area Road Commissions that traveled north in April to help recovery efforts in northern Michigan communities.
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 Crew from the Coopersville and Hudsonville maintenance garages pose for a photo during their week-long stay in northern Michigan assisting with ice storm cleanup.
 TOP: OCRC crews load storm debris into a wood chipper as part of cleanup efforts in the Alpena area this past April. BELOW: Crews from both the Coopersville and Hudsonville garages formed teams that worked in the Alpena area to clean up storm debris.
The Ottawa County Road Commission once again hosted its annual spring operations training for 2025.
The trainings provide Ottawa County Road Commission operations employee the opportunity to learn about best practices and techniques relevant to their line of work during the spring and summer seasons.
This year's spring training consisted of three speakers whose topics ranged from general work safety techniques to chip seal best practices and discussions and lessons about culvert installation.
Additional trainings are held throughout the year on a variety of different topics, including the annual fall/winter seasonal trainings.
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 In the spring many homeowners start undertaking landscaping projects in their
yards. But it's important to keep in mind the activities you do in the road right-of-way.
What is the road right-of-way?
The road right-of-way is the piece of land on either side of a public road. The
area covered by the right-of-way is used by the Road Commission to ensure the safety of drivers and improve the road. It is also utilized by townships and the parks department to place non-motorized paths and sidewalks. It is used to locate utilities, such as telephone and cable lines.
Maintaining the right-of-way is the responsibility of the Road Commission to make sure that anything placed there, or any work done there, is not going to be hazardous to drivers.
The size of the right-of-way can vary. However, a typical right-of-way is 66’ wide (33’ from the centerline on each side of the road). Please keep in mind that as this size for a right-of-way is not always the case. Homeowners are encouraged to verify the right-of-way on their property before doing any work.
What can I do, or can’t I do, in the right-of-way?
To ensure the safety of the traveling public, the Road Commission is mandated by law to be the caretakers of the right-of-way. The law also states that any work performed in the road right-of-way requires a permit from the Road Commission to keep the road safe for public travel.
Objects placed in the right-of-way can become a hazard and make it difficult to improve the road, pathway, or utility installations in the right-of-way.
Some examples of the types of work that require a permit are:
- Adding or improving a driveway approach
- Adding, improving, or maintaining a public or private utility
- Adding or improving a sidewalk or non-motorized path
- Adding storm water to or improving a roadside drainage system
- Surveying and other engineering operations
- Placing a banner, decoration, or similar object
- Grading or excavation, landscaping, tree planting, tree trimming or tree removal
- Any construction activity that impacts storm water runoff into or around county road right-of-way
Permanent landscaping objects, such as fencing, are not generally allowed in the right-of-way and can be removed by the Road Commission if they are placed without a permit.
Mailboxes are always allowed in the road right-of-way, without a permit, if they conform with the specifications from the Road Commission and the US Postal Service.
Please contact the Road Commission if you have any questions regarding right-of-way work.
Warmer weather means the arrival of road construction season again here in Ottawa County.
We are often asked how we determine what, and when, certain roads are repaired.
The Ottawa County Road Commission (OCRC) continuously evaluates road conditions to identify replacement, repair, and maintenance items on an ongoing basis.
Road improvements are prioritized and scheduled based on the evaluation of a variety of data collected for county roads, such as:
- Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) Road Ratings
- Traffic Volumes
- Capacity and Congestion Issues
- Accident History
- Maintenance Problems
- Funding Sources
Every year the OCRC gathers input from local governmental officials, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), and the general public to determine improvement needs. A 5-year Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) is developed from this input and from the prioritization process.
Improvement needs not included in the SIP are typically addressed through the recurring, day-to-day maintenance activities by the OCRC.
Since 100% of the costs associated with resurfacing or other surface treatments applied to Subdivision Streets have been paid by the Townships and/or residents, the townships determine which Subdivision Streets are selected for surface treatments.
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Join the Water Resources Commissioner and the Outdoor Discovery Center for the Macatawa Watershed Spring Drain Cleanup on Saturday, May 10th from 10am-2pm. Volunteers will receive lunch and a special volunteer T-shirt!
To register, visit https://bit.ly/springdrain. For more information, contact Evan at 616-994-4539 or ecanute@miottawa.org
More Details
Address: Holwerda Growers (Bill's Greenhouse) 12782 Felch St, Holland, MI
Bring: Water bottle. Wear long pants. Please wear closed toed shoes and muck boots or waders if possible.
Provided: Gloves, Bug Spray, Sunscreen, Hand Sanitizer, Grabbers, Pokers, Buckets, Lunch, Beverages, and Volunteer Appreciation T-Shirt.
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