DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION  
BUREAU OF HIGHWAY TECHNICAL SERVICES  
SEASONAL COUNTY ROADS  
(By authority conferred on the department of transportation by section 5a of Act No.  
51 of the Public Acts of 1951, as amended, being S247.655a of the Michigan  
Compiled Laws)  
R 247.651 Definitions.  
Rule 1. As used in these rules:  
(a) "Act" means section 5a of Act No. 51 of the Public Acts of 1951, as amended,  
being S247.655a of the Michigan Compiled Laws.  
(b) "County road commission" means the board  
commissioners of each county.  
of  
county  
road  
(c) "Department" means the department of transportation.  
(d) "Principal residence" means a place where a person has his or her true, fixed  
home and to which he or she intends to return when he or she is absent from it.  
(e) "Seasonal road" means a county road, or a portion thereof, which, during the  
months of November through April, has minimal use by motor vehicles, does not  
provide sole access to a building which is used as a principal residence during the  
months of November through April, and is not normally maintained or snowplowed  
by the county road commission during the months of November through April. A  
county road which is designated as a seasonal road in accordance with the provisions of  
the act and these rules may not be open to public travel during the months of  
November through April.  
History: 1982 AACS.  
R 247.652 Seasonal county road system; establishment.  
Rule 2. (1) A seasonal county road system may be established at the discretion  
of a county road commission.  
(2) A seasonal road may be part of the county-primary road system or the county-  
local road system, or both systems.  
(3) A seasonal road is not required to be open for public travel from November  
through April.  
History: 1982 AACS.  
R 247.653 Procedures for selection of roads; factors considered.  
Rule 3. At any regular or special meeting a board of county road  
commissioners may, by resolution, tentatively designate a road, or a number of  
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roads, as seasonal roads and set a date for a public hearing. A copy of the resolution  
shall be forwarded to the department. In exercising its discretion, the board shall  
consider at least all of the following:  
(a) The volume of motor vehicle traffic that uses the particular road during the  
months of November through April.  
(b) Whether or not there are any buildings along the particular road that are  
being used as a principal residence during the months of November through April.  
(c) The grade variations, concealed obstructions, road alignment, or other  
topographical characteristics of the particular road which would increase the  
likelihood of damaging snow removal equipment or necessitate the use of equipment  
not normally used by that road commission for winter maintenance.  
History: 1982 AACS.  
R 247.654 Public hearing requirements.  
Rule 4. (1) A public hearing shall be held by the county road commission,  
pursuant to the provisions of the act, before the county road commission makes a final  
determination placing a road, or a number of roads, on the seasonal road system or  
removing a road from the system.  
(2) A combined public hearing may be held if action on more than 1 road is  
planned.  
History: 1982 AACS.  
R 247.655 Adoption of resolution.  
Rule 5. Following the public hearing, the county road commission may make a  
final determination and adopt a resolution to place or add a road or roads on the seasonal  
county road system or to remove a road or roads from the system.  
History: 1982 AACS.  
R 247.656 Resolution; contents.  
Rule 6. The resolution shall contain all of the following information:  
(a) The road name.  
(b) Location of the road, including all of the following information:  
(i) Town and range.  
(ii) Township name.  
(iii) Section numbers.  
(iv) A description of the road specifying the segments of the road to be classified  
as seasonal.  
(c) The length of the road or segment thereof to be classified as seasonal.  
History: 1982 AACS.  
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R 247.657 Filing.  
Rule 7. Within 30 days after adoption of the resolution, the county road  
commission shall file a full record of its determination with the department and  
each city, village, or township in which the road is situated.  
History: 1982 AACS.  
R 247.658 Funding.  
Rule 8. (1) The designation of a road as part of the seasonal county road system  
shall not affect the certification of the road pursuant to sections 2 to 5 of Act No. 51  
of the Public Acts of 1951, as amended, being SS247.652 to 247.655 of the  
Michigan Compiled Laws.  
(2) A road that is part of the seasonal county road system shall be excluded for  
the purposes of distributing snow removal and urban system funds for each year in  
which the road is part of the seasonal system.  
History: 1982 AACS.  
R 247.659 Maps.  
Rule 9. (1) Each county road commission that establishes a seasonal county  
road system shall display a map to scale of not less than 1/2 inch equals 1 mile.  
(2) The map shall clearly indicate the roads that are currently part of the seasonal  
system.  
(3) The map shall also indicate that seasonal roads are not required to be open to  
public travel from November 1 to April 30.  
(4) The map may be cross-referenced to maps of a different scale where more  
detail would be helpful.  
History: 1982 AACS.  
R 247.660 Signs.  
Rule 10. (1) The county road commission shall place and maintain signs on all  
seasonal county roads to alert the public of the seasonal nature of the road.  
(2) Signs shall conform to provisions as set forth in the publication entitled  
"Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices," 1981 edition, which is  
incorporated in these rules by reference and which is available for inspection at the  
Lansing office of the department of transportation. This standard may be obtained  
free of  
charge  
by writing the Michigan Department of Transportation, Local  
Government Division, 425 West Ottawa Street, P. O. Box 30050, Lansing, Michigan  
48909.  
History: 1982 AACS.  
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