The Eagle

Sumpter officials demand repair of hazardous roads in township

Sumpter Township officials have declared the condition of gravel roads in the community a Public Safety Emergency and are demanding help from Wayne County, responsible for maintenance of the roads by state law.

An official correspondence to Wayne County was approved by members of the township board of trustees during the Feb. 24 meeting cited the unsafe and hazardous conditions of the roads and detailed the threat posed to area residents. Board members characterized the current conditions as a dire threat to public health and safety are urged Wayne County to take immediate action to repair the roads as soon as possible.
According to township officials, several sections of gravel roads in the township remain severely wash-boarded, rutted, and potholed, currently contain standing water due to drainage failures, and significant segments of road are nearly impassable. Most critically, according to the letter sent to Wayne County by the township, “the current hazardous condition of the gravel roads imposes an alarmingly significant delay in response time for emergency services – police, fire, and ambulance. Transport of a patient whose situation deems higher-level care is likewise severely compromised. When a life is at stake, every delayed second counts,” the board members stated in the plea to the county.
In addition, the current hazardous condition of the gravel roads poses ongoing inconvenience to township residents in terms of the additional time it takes to get from place to place, as well as the ongoing threat of vehicle damage while driving at any speed, the letter detailed.
“Township Supervisor Tim Bowman and members of the Sumpter Board of Trustees formally invite Wayne County officials to personally drive the gravel roads in Sumpter Township for a day to experience firsthand what township residents tolerate on a daily basis,” the letter noted.
Township officials urged Wayne County to take action as soon as possible to correct this ever-worsening situation by conducting an emergency assessment to determine the most affected gravel roads; scheduling immediate grading and repair wherever necessary;
preparing a gravel road maintenance schedule with timelines and dates and preparing a multi-year plan for durable improvements.
The statement from township officials noted that Sumpter Township “will not accept continued delay,” by Wayne County.

Huron Township officials have now followed Sumpter Township in demanding repair to roads in their community, also declaring a public safety emergency regarding the hazardous gravel road conditions.

No response from Wayne County was reported at press time.