Midland County Road Commission implements new e-Construction process
Lansing, MI – Last summer, the Midland County Road Commission (MCRC) became the first county road agency in the state to adopt the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) new e-Construction process.
e-Construction turns the business and operations aspects of road construction from a blueprint and paper spreadsheet-laden process into a digital one, by storing every document online so it’s accessible from anywhere. The e-process aims to reduce paperwork, speed up processing time and increase accountability between both state and local agencies.
MCRC’s pilot test of e-Construction was featured in the summer 2016 issue of Crossroads, the magazine of the County Road Association of Michigan, which was just released.
“e-Construction is great. No more big bulky file folders, no bumbling through stacks of paperwork trying to find something, and the flow of documents is fast. Also the accountability that comes with it is nice,” said Art Buck, engineering technician at MCRC.
MCRC anticipated a move to e-construction in the future and decided to become an early adopter, as MCRC had recently updated office computers. The transition was simple and the efficiency of the new technology has made it worth the change, Buck said.
e-Construction was used for two major projects in Midland County last summer: a bridge replacement on Coleman Road and an asphalt pavement project.
“I think more county road agencies will want to get on board soon,” Buck said. “Once you make the transition in your mind, it all makes sense.”
The 83 members of the County Road Association represent the unified, credible and effective voice for a safe and efficient local road system in Michigan, collectively managing more than 73 percent of all roads in the state– more than 90,000 miles and 5,700 bridges— the fourth-largest county road system in the nation.
