Genesee County, MI Road Not Plowed? The Reason Why is Practical

Whenever the Flint area has its first major snow and winter storm event of the season, residents always arrive at the same question:

Why hasn't my road been plowed yet?

It doesn't matter if it's still snowing or the storm moved out overnight, people want to be able to travel safely, instantly.

Another common question is "Why haven't they salted?" The answer to that one is, they might have pre-treated the roadway and you didn't even notice. There's a scientific liquid used before storms.

Of course, windy conditions can undo any plowing or treatment in a matter of hours by creating drifts.

See Also: Is It Illegal to Pass a Snowplow in Michigan?

How does Genesee County choose which roads get plowed first?

According to Genesee County Road Commission communication, "roads are cleared based on the level of traffic volume."

• State Highways are first priority. Think M-54 or Dort Highway running from north to south in Genesee County, M-15 from Otisville down through Goodrich, M-57 from Forest to Montrose Township or M-21 in Flint, Flint Township... you get the idea.
• Primary Roads are second priority. For instance, Grand Blanc Road from Swartz Creek to Grand Blanc or Pierson Road through Flint & Flushing.
• Local Roads are third on the list. Think roads that don't run through multiple cities or connect multiple counties, but not subdivisions.

If you live on a residential street like Reid Road that starts & stops... there's not much traffic and it might take a while longer.

Why isn't my subdivision plowed yet?

This one is a common question.

• Subdivisions are handled last. Everything else needs to be passable before Genesee County Road Commission will consider plowing subdivisions. While that annoys plenty of people -- imagine all subdivisions were finished, but you couldn't get anywhere else on main roads.

With 60 snowplows on the roads in Genesee County, we just need to have a little more patience in the process.

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Besides, would you want to be the one driving the plows all day and night? Probably not.

You'd likely rather cozy up with some comfort food like homemade soups and breads. Take a look at those, below... they're all from Genesee County restaurants.