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Road commission reports progress on paving and bridge work; soybean-oil brining pilot funded for study
Summary
The county’s road commission reported completion of Phase 1 of Goldenville Road, timelines for Phase 2 and a bridge replacement, and described an experimental soybean-oil product trial funded in part by Michigan Tech for use in road surface treatment.
A road commission representative reported on multiple projects and an experimental surface-treatment trial at the county meeting.
According to the report, Phase 1 of the Goldenville Road project reached its scheduled completion date of July 4. Phase 2 — described as the segment from Brand to Tobacco — is expected to begin in mid to late September. The commission said a bridge just south of Manside between Manside and Asher will close in September for demolition and full replacement, with the contractor expected to finish and reopen the structure next spring.
The commission also described a turn-lane and paving project at the new CPE facility and said the metal building project at a county site is moving forward: final shop drawings and footing re-engineering slowed the schedule briefly, with footings expected to be poured within a few days and the first building components arriving in September (schedule subject to contractor timing).
On surface treatments, the commission reported continued testing of a soybean-oil product as an alternative material for brining/grinding operations. Michigan Tech is providing $10,000 toward the experimental program. The commissioners said the soybean product performed well in earlier tests but is significantly more expensive per gallon than conventional materials. Part of the trial design requires some test sections to fail (control sections) so researchers can measure comparative performance. Officials said additional work is needed to determine lifecycle cost, whether the product can be diluted, and whether a single annual application could replace multiple applications each season.
The road commission representative and staff said they will continue working with Michigan Tech to quantify environmental benefits, durability, and total costs and will report back with findings as the experiment proceeds.
