$48 million hub could help snowplows clear roads faster
WALKER, Mich. (WOOD) — A nearly $50 million new hub for the Kent County Road Commission is aimed at helping snowplow drivers clear roads faster.
The complex, which spans 29 acres on 4 Mile Road NW near Bristol Road in Walker, opened in September after about three years of construction. The road commission bought the property five years ago, replacing a former apple orchard.
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The road commission has four facilities, but the new one is its ultimate hub, replacing its old headquarters on Scribner Avenue NW.
Its new garage covers 3 acres, more than double the size of its previous garage. The road commission can now park all of its trucks inside, a more efficient system that allows drivers to hit the roads faster.
“They’re going to last longer,” said Jerry Byrne, the road commission’s executive director. “It’s going to be a quicker response time. The men and women can come in when it snows. They’re not scraping the snow off, trying to warm them up. They’re jumping in a warm truck that’s ready to go on the road.”
“Easier is more efficient,” Byrne continued. “More efficient means we’re spending more time on the road and less time getting the trucks ready. It just means more time on the road, which makes it better for everybody.”
The road commission’s administrative office with most of its employees is housed in the facility, as well as its largest mechanic fleet.
The $48 million complex won’t raise taxes, Byrne said. About $26 million comes from the road commission’s savings. The other $22 million is being borrowed through a bond with an interest rate of less than 2%. The road commission expects to pay off the loan within eight years.
Sunday night’s snow was one of the first systems in which the new hub could result in quicker plowing. Grand Rapids is expected to get less than 2 inches of snow, but Byrne said those conditions could be worse for some drivers.
“These first snowfalls are going to be the worst because their cars aren’t ready and they’re not mentally prepared for winter in Michigan,” Byrne said.
Byrne elaborated that since it’s one of the first snows of the season, some drivers might not have their snow tires yet. And when it’s only a few inches on the ground, Byrne said some might not drive as cautiously as they would during a big storm.
“Sometimes we’re better off with a lot of snow because of that mental mindset, people will slow down,” Byrne said. “They had to scrape their car off, they had to shovel their driveway, they’re thinking winter.”
The road commission had 40 trucks plowing the roads Sunday night. Drivers were focused on icy roads because temperatures were expected to dip below freezing overnight.
“It’s really wet pavement,” Byrne said. “People aren’t slowing down. Wet pavement, you still lose some friction. Icy pavement you lose a lot of friction. You’ve got to get into that mode of slowing down.”
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