Road & Bridge Rating

The Ottawa County Road Commission has implemented an asset management program utilized the PASER road rating process and bi-annual bridge inspections to determine optimal use of funds for roads and bridge system planning and improvement purposes. The PASER rating process and bi-annual bridge inspections are recognized by Federal and State governmental agencies as proper formats to use in determining effective/efficient road and bridge system enhancements.

PASER Condition Rating

PASER (Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating) is a method of rating roads that utilizes a ten-point scale. It is a visual test of the surface condition of the road. Structural or geometric defects are only considered in that they would be manifested by particular conditions at the surface. In other words, surface condition can suggest certain subsurface defects.

A “Good” PASER rating indicates that a road surface was recently reconstructed or rehabilitated. These roads show very little or no sign of distress and require only routine maintenance such as sweeping and light crack sealing.

A “Fair” PASER rating indicates a road is still structurally sound but the surface is beginning to deteriorate. These roads require preventative maintenance (crack sealing, chip sealing, or overlays).

A “Poor” PASER rating indicates that a road has failed structurally and needs to be rehabilitated or reconstructed.

The goal of asset management is to properly utilize preventative maintenance to prevent roads from deteriorating to a point where they need structural improvement.

Road Condition (PASER Rating) History

Gravel Road Rating

The evaluation of gravel roads requires a different perspective than evaluations of pavement.  This is due to the nature of gravel roads and their variability.  Surface conditions on gravel roads can change literally overnight.  Heavy rains and local heavy traffic can dramatically change the surface characteristics of gravel roads from one day to the next. The most important factors in evaluating gravel roads are the road cross section, drainage, and adequacy of the gravel layer.

Bridge Rating

Bridges in Michigan are given a good, fair, or poor rating based on the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) rating scale, which was created by the Federal Highway Administration to evaluate a bridge’s deficiencies and to ensure the safety of road users. Bridges are inspected bi-annually by certified OCRC staff and the rating results include a structural evaluation of deck, superstructure, substructure, and culvert on a 0-9 scale.