The Right of Way Department is responsible for the preparation of right-of-way plans, developing parcel drawings and legal descriptions, property appraisals and purchases, and providing relocation assistance to individuals and businesses that may be displaced by construction projects. The department is also responsible for securing the right of way for new interior roads in non-platted developments.
The right of way was originally designed to provide adequate space on either side of the road for storm drainage and a safe recovery area for vehicles that leave the road surface. Utility poles are also installed within the road right of way. Today, cable, broadband, and fiber companies often share utility poles, which requires Department of Roads approval.
The Right of Way Department provides property management services for MCDR's existing right of way, facilities, and excess properties. Property management duties include processing petitions for abandonment, obtaining voluntary right-of-way dedications, and cataloging Department of Roads right of way.
Below are additional federal, state, and county resources related to right of way.
- FHWA Introduction to Right of Way Requirements and the Uniform Act
- Michigan Uniform Condemnation Procedures Act
- MDOT: Public Roads and Private Property
- MDOT: Your Rights and Benefits
- Macomb County Proposed Master Plan Right of Way Map
- Michigan Subdivision Plat Maps
- Landscaping in the Right of Way
- Mailbox Specifications