Drivers using M-22 between Northport and Suttons Bay may have to grin and bear unusual bumps and potholes.

Bobby Atkinson (right) was honored Tuesday
for his 17 years of service with the county
Road Commission, including the last five as
foreman of the Maple City garage. Commission
chairman Lee A. Bowen (left) presented the
retiring Atkenson with a plaque and a cake.

At its meeting Tuesday, the county Road Commission discussed an ongoing situation on the state highway with sections of the pavement “heaving” because of recent warm weather.

Heaving occurs when water in the ground under a section of road freezes, then thaws, causing the ground to expand. The expansion in turn pushes up the pavement.

If the ground freezes again, it contracts and leaves a pocket of space underneath. Once traffic passes over the section of road, the pavement can crumble and create a pothole.

“I drove on that the other day, it’s pretty rough. Some of those bumps are pretty big, at least a half-inch or more,” said chairman Lee A. Bowen.

Manager/superintendent Herb Cradduck said the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has on its “to-do list” for 2010 or 2011 a resurfacing of M-22 from Omena to Northport, but has nothing scheduled for the Suttons Bay to Omena stretch. He and commission engineer James C. Johnson have apprised MDOT engineers about the situation, but aren’t sure what if anything can be done.

Johnson said part of the problem is that recent repaving work on M-22, a process called micro-sealing, may not be holding up to heavy truck traffic. He was quick to add that he doesn’t know for certain that’s the reason for heaving, but he thinks it could be contributing.

In other business, the commission:

• Presented Maple City garage foreman Robert “Bobby” Atkinson with a plaque for his work for the Road Commission. Atkinson is retiring Jan. 25 after working 17 years at the commission. “Bobby, we appreciate all the good work you did for us and your years of service.

We will miss you,” Bowen said. Bruce Clark will be the new foreman at Maple City.

• Briefly discussed the County Board of Commissioners’ vote to spend $6,000 to have Leelanau County be included in the ongoing “Grand Vision” regional traffic and growth study being conducted by TC-TALUS. The county board approved the expenditure at its regular meeting Tuesday night on a 5-1 vote, with commissioner Melinda Lautner opposed. Bowen, who has been attending meetings of TC-TALUS, said he didn’t favor the county being part of the study since he isn’t sure the regional transportation study group will be able to secure enough funds to actually pay for expanding the study. The Grand Vision’s initial focus was on Traverse City and Grand Traverse County, but also Elmwood Township in the county. Public input was sought from outlaying areas as well, including all of Leelanau County. The study group then sought inclusion of Leelanau, Benzie, Antrim and Kalkaska counties, with each county to contribute $6,000 to pay for inclusion in the study.

Bowen said the problem is the actual cost to include those counties is about $240,000. MDOT has pledged another $100,000 for including the four outlaying counties and the study group has applied for a $100,000 through the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ two percent gaming fund. “If the Band doesn’t grant that money, this expansion is not going to happen,” he said. Bowen restated the commission’s view on the Grand Vision project; it supports the study but the Road Commission will not be expending any of its funds to pay for it.

• Voiced no objections to David Bieganowski using part of a 15-foot wide “grading” easement the commission holds off of Shoreside Drive in Elmwood Township as part of an access to his propose Shoreside Valley Estates development in Bingham Township. Johnson said Bieganowski was not seeking formal commission approval for a driveway at this time, but wanted to know if its members had any objections to using the grading easement.