Services > Public Works Department > Roads Division

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Maintenance

The Bloomfield Township Public Works Department provides a wide range of services not offered by other townships. It maintains over 200 miles of subdivision roads. The following responsibilities are among the Department's duties.

• Snow plowing
• Gravel road grading
• Pothole patching
• Roadside mowing
• Catch basin cleaning
• Asphalt patching
• Crack sealing
• Street sweeping
• Select mowing
• Select trimming
• Sidewalk repairs
• Median maintenance on State roads
• Dust control
• Roadside litter cleanup
• Guardrail & post maintenance
• Ice buildup removal
• Mailbox & post repairs
• Oakland County Tri-Party paving projects for primary roads
• Oakland County 50/50 Drainage improvement projects
• Oakland County 50/50 Bridge projects
• Sounding board and advisor between residents and County
• 24 hour on call staff for emergencies

Roadside Mowing FAQ's

1. Who is responsible for mowing along the roadway?
The RCOC is responsible for roadside mowing along County main roads and all State of Michigan roads. The Township will mow roadsides in the subdivision, if needed, and will mow from subdivision roads out onto County roads only to clear vision for traffic. The mowing is done to clear vision and to keep weeds, grass and small trees from encroaching the roadway.

Gravel Road Grading FAQ's

1. Our gravel road is a muddy mess; can you do something to stop this springtime situation?
We can try, but in the spring when the frost comes out of the road, what was once frozen and solid turns soft and unstable. It will remain this way until the moisture comes out of the road. The best cure for this is warm dry temperatures and a good wind. If we attempt to grade and haul gravel on top of this condition, it could turn it into a bigger mess because the heavy equipment will disturb the saturated ground even deeper, making it take longer to dry out and firm up. Be assured we will respond to any request of this nature and do the best we can to repair it.

2. How many times does the Roads Division grade the gravel roads?
Roads are graded when the road conditions warrant grading. We accomplish this in a Township-wide effort. It generally takes about a week to grade all 37 miles of gravel roads, depending on the weather. During the months when dust is a problem, tanker trucks will apply 38% calcium chloride to the roads. Dust control will be completed either the same day or the day after the roads are graded. Gravel roads are not completely re-graded until they are all ready for a new application of chloride during the summer months. We budget for four to five applications of chloride a season. When dust is not a problem we will grade and spread gravel on those areas needing repair. This generally is late fall.

Drainage Ditch and Storm Sewer FAQ's

1. The water in our ditch does not drain through our driveway culvert. Is this our responsibility or the County's?
The Road Commission for Oakland County is responsible for keeping the ditches cleaned out, but the property owner is responsible for the driveway culvert. If you live on a public road and have a ditching request, you may contact the County at 248.858.4804.

2. We would like to enclose our ditch. Can we do this?
All road right of way ditches are the responsibility of the RCOC. In the past they have not issued permits for such enclosures.

Select Trimming and Forestry FAQ's

1. We have a tree that needs trimming; will the Township trim it?
The Roads Division now has a forestry crew.  These industry-trained professionals will be dedicated full-time to supplementing services provided by the Road Commission for Oakland County.  The crew’s primary duties will be to:

• trim along intersections for vision;
• trim branches along the road for clearance of emergency vehicles, and;
• remove smaller dead trees in the public right of way that pose a hazard.  Larger trees and limbs beyond the scope of our equipment will be referred to Oakland County. 

This is a first-step program.  Requirements of the crew may change as required to provide optimal service for the safety of the community within the public right of way.

2. The large windstorm blew limbs down in my yard; will the Township come out and pick these up?
The Township will help clean up storm debris that have fallen from road right-of-way trees. Large damaged right-of-way trees that have fallen will be referred to the RCOC. Storm debris from private property not exceeding 6 inches in diameter and four feet long may be tied in bundles not exceeding 60 lbs. These bundles will be collected with the garbage. Call Rizzo Services at 866.772.8900 or a private tree service contractor for removal of limbs larger than 6” in diameter.  Rizzo Services will do so for an additional fee.

Asphalt Patching FAQ's

1. Our public paved road has some bad areas that need paving. Can the Township do something about this?
During the winter the Roads Division is planning for summer projects. The process includes an assessment of all subdivision roads, a selection of repairs that need to be made, and a prioritizing of repairs based on need and available resources. Township Roads Division crews and contractors will select deteriorated sections of road and patch asphalt over their full width. The purpose of the asphalt maintenance patch is to repair those areas where potholes are prevalent, safety issues have been raised or road breakdown is imminent. This activity will extend the useful life of the pavement, but it is not a total resurfacing of subdivision streets.

Street Sweeping FAQ's

1. Who is responsible for street sweeping on main roads like Telegraph?
RCOC is responsible for all sweeping on all main roads like Telegraph, Woodward, Square Lake Road, Squirrel, all mile roads and more. Bloomfield Township is responsible for sweeping on all public sub-local roads. We generally sweep all of our subdivisions twice a year.

Other FAQ's

1. Does the Township have the name of a contractor for hire?
Sorry but the Township does not engage in recommending contractors for hire. We suggest residents seek references for repairs from neighbors and friends.

2. We live on a private road. Are we responsible for paving it?
Typically the property owners are responsible for the paving of private roads. However, the Township can administer a special assessment district (S.A.D.) for residents who would like their private road paved. All public roads are managed by S.A.D. through the RCOC; any residents who would like their roads paved should contact the Subdivision Improvement Department with RCOC at 248.645.2000.  For more information call the Roads Division at 248.433.7709.

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Charter Township of Bloomfield
4200 Telegraph Road
P.O. Box 489
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-0489
248.433.7700

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