IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — Some Ionia County neighbors say they’ve been trying for years to get answers about deteriorating dirt roads in their area, a problem they say has been made worse by travelers trying to avoid traffic from Interstate 96 construction.
After FOX 17 previously reported on the I-96 construction project, several residents reached out saying the detours are bringing heavier traffic through their neighborhoods and damaging local roads.
Some residents say they’ve repeatedly contacted the Ionia County Road Department hoping to see longer-lasting repairs.
“I can’t put a number on it, but it’s been many times I would say,” Clarksville resident Caleb Heikoop said when asked how often he has contacted the department.
Heikoop says he has been reaching out since 2021 about the conditions of Tucker and Portland Road. While he has occasionally seen crews come through to grade the road, he says the improvements don’t last long.
“After one or two days, it goes back to its original state of dysfunction just with the amount of traffic that it’s getting,” Heikoop said.
Neighbors like Heikoop say the increased traffic caused by travelers working to avoid I-96 construction has made the problem worse.
FOX 17 took those concerns directly to the Ionia County Road Department on Tuesday.
Interim Managing Director Cody Waite said the department does respond to resident concerns and follows its standard process when complaints come in.
“To my knowledge I don’t know anybody who hasn’t been contacted back if they’ve left a voicemail or an email that actually has a name and contact information to reach back out to them,” Waite said.
Waite added that if someone does not specifically request a response, the department may simply send a crew to inspect or maintain the road.
For Portland Road and the surrounding areas, the department says it is considering adding limestone over the next five years.
Officials say a limestone aggregate would compact better than gravel and reduce mud, creating a more stable road base.
However, the cost difference is significant. According to the department, gravel typically costs about $15,000 per mile, while limestone can cost about $150,000 per mile.
Heikoop says he hopes the road could eventually receive an even more permanent fix.
“My hope would be that it would get paved,” he said, “I think it’s a 3½-mile stretch, it’s very short. I think it would benefit us.”
According to the Ionia County Road Department, paving the road would require several steps.
First, a three- to four-day traffic study would need to show enough daily traffic to justify paving the road.
If that threshold is met, the project would move into the design phase and officials would need to identify funding.
Before that process could begin, the township would also need to be involved. The township supervisor would need to approve the project, and the township would be responsible for contributing 25% of the total cost.
Heikoop believes the investment could help more than just local residents.
“It would benefit a lot of people by connecting the communities of Clarksville, Alto and Lowell,” he said, “so I think it would benefit a lot of people.”
The road department says residents interested in pursuing improvements, such as paving, should contact their township supervisor to start the process.
For more information on which municipalities are tasked with what areas, you can click here.
