Wayne County using science to prioritize road work
ROMULUS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Construction season is in full swing across the state, but with more road repairs needed than road repair dollars available, Wayne County is relying on science to determine which repairs to prioritize.
"A short-term inconvenience is really looking at long-term improvement, and there is truth to that," said Scott Cabauatan, Deputy Director of Public Services for Wayne County.
It's a truth most Michigan motorists don't want to hear, especially when road work on I-94 from the Middlebelt and Merriman exit through the collector only adds more time to the morning drive.
"We try not to inconvenience people, but at some point, there will be some inconvenience. We have to tear it out, we have to build it right, and we have to put it back together," Cabauatan said.
Cabauatan's department is one of the largest in the county, but even with an annual operating budget of nearly $300 million, funding often falls short.
"Every day, we're looking for more funds. We have more projects and more needs in the county than what there are road fund dollars out there for," Cabauatan said.
Because of this, the county approaches each project tactfully.
"We really try to put some science into this. We use data," Cabauatan said.
That data is collected through the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating or PASER scale. It's a 1-to-10 rating system for road pavement conditions and helps the county determine if a roadway needs an entire rebuild or if crews can opt for a more cost-effective fix.
The construction project underway on I-94 is one of those "industrial Band-Aids" or quick fixes Cabauatan says will have to be reassessed and likely repaired within the next few years.