Trustee Corner

Keep an eye out on your mailboxes later this month for the Hinckley Township Future Planning Survey that is being sent to every household. This very important survey will help shape Hinckley Township’s policy and zoning decisions for the next decade, and we need everyone’s input. We strongly urge you to take the time and complete the survey and return it to Hinckley Town Hall, 1410 Ridge Rd. Completed surveys can either be dropped off in person or by mail.

We’ve been getting quite a few questions from residents as to why the township uses “chip and seal” in some instances to repave our asphalt roads. The primary driver behind choosing chip and seal over asphalt is the immediate cost savings.

On average, chip and sealing a road costs roughly one-third to one-fourth the price of traditional asphalt paving. This massive price gap allows townships to treat three to four times more road miles with the same budget allocation.

While asphalt offers a smoother ride and lasts longer, it requires heavy machinery and expensive materials. Chip and seal acts as a protective barrier, sealing minor cracks and preventing water from penetrating the road base, which is the leading cause of potholes. By applying chip and seal to roads that are still in relatively good structural shape, townships can extend the life of their infrastructure at a fraction of the cost.

The cost of maintaining our township does not stop with road surfaces. We have the added cost of snow removal, signage and ensuring ditches are maintained and cleared. In the future, however, when any road is going to be chip and sealed, the township will ensure that the selected area will have signage placed so the residents are aware of the upcoming repairs.

There is no convenient time for road repair, but we will make every effort to make sure residents are informed.