Michigan’s ‘Deteriorating Road’ May Be the Most Ominous Sign in the State

Traveling across Michigan you're bound to encounter some rough roads. After all the freeze/thaw cycle takes its toll on all roads in the northern tier of the nation and they need continual maintenance.

A 'Deteriorating Road' sign caught the eye of a driver recently and it was shared online. The there is NO way that is MUTCD-compliant Facebook group had fun with the state of Michigan roads. MUTCD, by the way, is the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices - or the national standard for our roadways. This is the rulebook that says, for example, stop signs are red octagons and traffic lights go red-yellow-green.

Commenters noted that of course the government could fix the road rather than put up a sign - easier said than done, of course, as the cost between those two options are drastically different.

The sign in question happens to be in Saginaw County on a county-maintained road near Birch Run. The Saginaw County Road Commission would have jurisdiction over that road.

Deteriorating roads are not just an issue on the east side of the state. Another commenter on the thread raised a recent issue in Muskegon County where Blackmer Road becomes a potholed mess when it crosses the county line from Ottawa.

In November 2023 voters were asked to approve a bond issue to fix the road, but that failed meaning the roadway will likely be turned to gravel.

So should you encounter a similar sign on your travels around Michigan know that at least you're getting a heads-up that there's a bumpy ride in front of you.