Road Commission manager outlines 2025 projects: 67 miles of chip seal, Kingsley facility updates and federal funds for Fife Lake Road

Dan Watkins, manager for the county road commission, told the board that winter operations held up well and staff are preparing for the summer season. Watkins said the chip‑seal program will cover roughly 67 miles in 2025 (down slightly from roughly 70 miles in 2024) and that bids for painting, gravel and other maintenance contracts have been issued.

Watkins described a three‑mile resurfacing project scheduled to start the day after local schools dismiss for the summer and discussed coordination with East Bay Township on pedestrian crossings and parking planning near the South Airport corridor. He said the Kingsley facility open house went well, the new facility is operational and the road commission came in under budget for that project; the old Kingsley building has an offer at full asking price pending board approval.

Commissioners asked about how treatments such as chip sealing are reflected in road condition ratings and whether changes would be measured and reported. Watkins said chip seal typically restores about five years of life to a road and that condition ratings are tracked on primary roads; more comprehensive mapping of every local road is expensive and typically done on a multi‑year rotation.

Commissioners noted a large projected jump in federal funding for 2025, which Watkins tied to a major Fed‑Aid project on Fife Lake Road. He said federal funds are project‑specific, limiting local flexibility on how they are spent.

No formal action was required; commissioners asked for follow‑up on project estimates, township contributions and how improvements will be measured.