Eaton County Road Commission

Winter Maintenance

The Eaton County Road Commission prioritizes winter maintenance activities in such a way as to provide the safest travel possible for the most traffic with all available resources. First are the primary roads, then the hard-surfaced (paved) secondary roads, and finally low-traffic subdivision streets and gravel roads.

During a winter storm, from early morning through the afternoon/evening “drive time,” our crew(s) will plow and/or salt primary high-traffic roads as much as possible in order to provide the safest travel possible under the ongoing storm conditions. They continue to work these same roads multiple times during the storm in order to provide the safest travel possible for the most traffic. Very little, if any, of the work done DURING the storm provides a finished product of a clear and bare roadway, and as the storm continues on the newly fallen snow and ice continue to accumulate.

AFTER a winter storm is over, with favorable conditions, we expect to clear the primary roads within a day of when the storm ends. Residential and subdivision streets and gravel roads will typically take another TWO MORE DAYS after that. Any additional snowfall, or blowing and drifting that may occur after the initial storm is done, may cause us to return to treating the primary roads before we finish all of the subdivision streets and gravel roads.

Although we may not be able to respond directly to your e-mails and Facebook posts, your comments and concerns are read and relayed to our maintenance department. Regardless of the method you use to communicate with us, we are unable to tell you exactly what time of day your road will be treated. There are many variables that can affect each individual snow plow, including, but not limited to, the amount and type of snow, the duration of the snowfall and the amount of blowing and drifting, stalled/parked/stuck vehicles blocking a road, all affect how quickly a particular section of roadway is cleared or treated. Equipment breakdowns and pulling our trucks off direct routes to respond to fire department or EMS emergencies can also slow down the process.

If you have an emergency that involves an ambulance, fire truck or police car, PLEASE CALL 911 directly. The Road Commission cannot dispatch emergency vehicles to you. Our drivers are in contact with Eaton County Central Dispatch (911) around the clock and are able to respond quickly in an emergency situation if needed.

Also, please remember that salt is not as effective when temperatures are very low, and wet pavement can re-freeze at night when the temperature drops. Salt on a road doesn’t guarantee an ice-free surface, so please use caution and adjust your driving for the conditions of the roads.