Public Works Division
Road Construction

Did you know that because Canton is a township and NOT a city, it is not responsible for any of the 373 miles of road in the community? State law specifies that cities, villages, counties, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have jurisdiction over public roads.

These agencies are responsible for constructing and maintaining the public roads that fall under their jurisdiction. They also carry the legal liability for the roads and funding for roads is provided by the state legislature only to these agencies.

In Canton, 9 percent of the roads are owned by the State, 68 percent are owned by the county, and the remaining 23 percent are owned by private Homeowner Associations. Residential streets are built by developers and paid for by homeowners as part of the cost of their homes. Therefore the cost of paving or resurfacing private roads is generally the property owner’s responsibility.

Canton’s Public Works Division works closely with Wayne County and MDOT to improve our road system. For more information on road projects in Canton call Public Works at 394-5150.

Report Hazardous Road Conditions 

Due to the number of freeze-thaw cycles experienced this year, some of the Wayne County roads located within Canton are showing signs of stress. To report hazardous road conditions please contact Wayne County at 888/ROAD-CREW. You may contact this number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please reserve calls for hazardous conditions only such as large potholes, malfunction traffic signals, or flooded roads.

Useful Road Information

• Public Works Construction Update (March 2008)
• 2008 Canton Road Construction Map 
• Road Funding
• Road Jurisdiction
• Road Lifecycle
• Roads and Developers
• Breaking Down Michigan's 19 cent Gas Tax
• Western Wayne County Transportation Study Report 2006-2030
• Alternative Road Funding Presentation (September 2007)