Polk Road reconstruction project meeting draws large crowd

OCP photo/Oceana County Road Commission Managing Director Mark Timmer.

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor

WEARE TOWNSHIP — About 120 people attended a meeting Tuesday evening, April 21, at the West Michigan Research Station where details of an upcoming construction project on Polk Road were presented by the Oceana County Road Commission.

The project has drawn ire from some residents who are opposed to the installation of a roundabout at the intersection of Polk Road and 72nd Avenue.

The road project spans 2 miles from 64th Avenue — just west of US 31 — to Oceana Drive.

It will feature a corridor‑wide lane diet with lane widening to create two through‑lanes and a center left‑turn lane. It will also include new storm sewer infrastructure, sidewalks, curb and gutter and streetscaping.

Construction is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2027 with completion expected the following fall. 

A key component of the roundabout is the added traffic safety it will create on a busy road that has had 426 traffic crashes over the last decade, according to data compiled by Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast, who also spoke at the meeting. An injury crash on that stretch of Polk Road had just occurred that afternoon, the sheriff said, which is the 60th injury crash to occur there over the last decade. There have been seven serious injury crashes on Polk Road, although there have not been any fatalities.

OCP photo/The Polk Road/72nd Avenue intersection.

“We’re really excited to do this,” said Oceana County Road Commission County Highway Engineer Cole Shafer, and several audience members angrily groaned in response.

“I knew there would be some opposition here,” said OCRC Managing Director Mark Timmer. Business owners along the stretch and residents have expressed their preference of installing a traffic light or lowering the speed limit instead of a roundabout. Timmer said traffic studies have been done at the intersection, and a traffic light is not warranted by the Federal Highway Administration. A speed limit reduction could happen in the future following a speed study of the road after the completion of the project. “We can’t arbitrarily set speed limits.”

“A traffic signal must meet standards, and that’s why there is not one there,” he said, adding that the cost of installing a traffic light is $750,000. 

“My concern on that road is safety,” said Sheriff Mast. “I’ve looked at all the o

OCP photo/Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast.

ptions, and a traffic circle is the safest based on the data. I’m making data-driven decisions.” 

“I’m excited about the opportunity of a turn lane,” he said, citing “a lot of improper lane use” that occurs along the corridor with many motorists passing on the shoulder, which is illegal. 

“I really care about traffic safety,” added Timmer. “That is the right fix for that location,” adding that roundabouts create an 82 percent reduction in crashes. 

To minimize disruptions, the reconstruction will be completed using part-width construction and directional detours while keeping at least one direction of travel open at all times. Access to businesses along the corridor will remain available throughout every phase of the project.

OCP photo/Oceana County Road Commission County Highway Engineer Cole Shafer.

Videos were presented to the audience, which showed how to properly drive through a roundabout and how easily semis can maneuver through them.

Audience members expressed their disappointment about not being notified about the road commission meeting when the board made the decision to build the roundabout.

The project plan was posted on the road commission’s website for three weeks prior to the board’s vote, said Timmer in an interview with OCP after the meeting. He also made a presentation about it at an Oceana County Board of Commissioners’ meeting.

Audience members were encouraged to submit comment cards. Data from those cards will be used for a “Frequently Asked Questions” post about the project on the road commission’s website and Facebook page, said Timmer.

OCP photo

“You heard a few people who were negative were pretty vocal, but I can’t tell you how many people came up to me afterwards and thanked me and that they were supportive and thankful that we’re going to do this project, especially the roundabout. The staff said the comment cards were overwhelmingly positive.”

The five-member OCRC board unanimously approved the project Nov. 19, 2025, according to board minutes. The board also unanimously approved the hiring of Colliers Engineering and Design at a cost of $645,050 to provide design engineering services for the project. Board members include Chairman William Myers, Vice-Chairman Lloyd Gowell, Denis Koch, Andrew Heykoop and Jason LaFever. 

Pentwater resident Mike Wallace said he is concerned that the project will not address the safety concerns of the bike trail crossing along Polk Road. “…. it does not appear that the proposed roundabout at 72nd Avenue directly addresses this significant safety concern—and waiting until 2027 is far too long to wait,” Wallace wrote in an email to OCP. “In reality, the roundabout could add to the complexity of assessing traffic and knowing when it’s safe to cross the street.”

Drawing of the roundabout project.

Timmer said the project will make the bike crossing area on Polk Road safer. “We are going to make that more visible, and we’re planning on putting a refuge island in it.” Plans are to make the crossing straight instead of diagonal. “The object is to get people crossing there in a quicker amount of time by straightening it and making it a little shorter and also making the pedestrians and bicyclists more visible.” The road commission also recently installed diamond-grade warning signs at the bike crossing. “That’s the highest-grade of pedestrian signs that are available.”

The project is funded through a Michigan Department of Transportation turn-back agreement that allocates more than $6 million toward improvements along Polk Road. OCRC also secured a $750,000 competitive safety grant specifically to fund the construction of the roundabout.

The turn-back agreement is a jurisdictional transfer, explained Timmer, meaning that MDOT maintained the road for the last several decades until June of last when it turned over ownership of it to the county. “As soon as we got it back, I put a plan in place for complete reconstruction, safety improvements and the round-about.”

A total project cost is not yet available.

“I knew we would take a lot of heat for this from some people, but it’s well worth it if we could save one life or keep someone from being seriously injured or disabled or hurt to the point where they have chronic pain,” said Timmer. “Remember: roundabouts save lives. I think it’s such a great thing for the community. It’s going to turn this into a really cool looking business corridor.”

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