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Barry County Road Commission reports biggest construction year, touts lowest poor‑road rate in state
Summary
Jake Welches, director of the Barry County Road Commission, told commissioners the agency bonded $6.2 million, will chip‑seal about 230 miles and undertake five bridge projects this year, and reported the county’s paved roads are 1.8% rated poor — the best in Michigan for the fourth consecutive year.
Jake Welches, director of the Barry County Road Commission, presented the commission’s 2025 annual report at the June 23 Board meeting, highlighting a record construction year and several asset‑management initiatives.
Welches said the commission issued $6.2 million in bonds and is executing an unusually large slate of work in 2026: about 230 miles of chip seal and five bridge projects. He credited a pause in statewide projects for producing favorable contractor pricing this season.
"For the fourth year in a row, the Barry County Road Commission has the best rated paved road system in the state of Michigan," Welches told the board, noting paved roads rated poor account for only about 1.8% of the county’s system.
He also described a culvert‑inventory project that cataloged roughly 3,500 culverts to enable proactive replacement cycles and said Representative Gina Johnson helped secure one‑time state funding for a Brown Road bridge replacement planned to bid this fall.
Commissioners asked for details on specific projects, including the Barger Road bridge replacement and a linked road reconstruction; Welches said the agency expects paving and bridge work to be substantially complete this season.
Welches said the road commission continues to partner with townships for preventative maintenance and explained the funding constraints that limit acceptance of new public subdivision roads without additional local funding.
He closed by thanking staff and noting impending retirements; printed copies of the annual report were left for commissioners.
