Copper Country Roads Receive Mixed Grades

We know that decades of underfunding have left Michigan’s roads and bridges among the worst in the nation. But, how do our roads compare community-to-community within the state?

Michigan’s Transportation Asset Management Council has surveyed the state, and crunched the numbers.

Baraga County fared well, with a only quarter of its roads grading out as “poor.” Houghton and Keweenaw County didn’t fare as well, with nearly half of their roads qualifying as “poor.”

The survey also checked incorporated cities and villages. Among those who came out well…  all of the roads in L’Anse and South Range were ranked as “fair” or better. More than 90 percent of Lake Linden’s streets were ranked “fair.” Baraga had more than 80 percent of its roads labeled “fair” or better. Two-thirds of both Houghton and Hancock’s streets rated “fair” or better.

On the down side, nearly half of Laurium’s streets… and more than half of Calumet’s… were ranked poor. More than 90 percent of the streets in Copper City qualified as “poor.”

It should be noted that all local governments depend heavily on the state for road money, much of which comes from the fuel tax.