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Ever check out Michigan's soil? Outside of the areas with muck (a strange mixture of topsoil and stuff) it's mostly sand, or exposed limestone that's been ground flat by glaciation.

All you use gravel for is to "mark the trail", so to speak, and to hold the sand in place so it doesn't just wash away to the side.

Northern Indiana has more muck, and gravel stabilizes muck in dry weather to reduce dust. It does nothing in wet weather but if it's piled high enough it'll keep you out of the swamps.

Gravel roads don't work everywhere.

BTW, throughout the Midwest it is commonly the case that "gravel roads" are really pea gravel and tar concoctions that most folks can't tell from more formal paving techniques with heavier asphalt.

The city of Indianapolis has several thousand miles of peagravel and tar roads that are kept in shape by filling larger potholes with asphalt compounds.

BTW, throughout the Midwest it is commonly the case that "gravel roads" are really pea gravel and tar concoctions that most folks can't tell from more formal paving techniques with heavier asphalt.

So is that what they're talking about in Michigan? Here gravel roads are literally that: little rocks laying on top of dirt with no tar or other adhesive agent. Very dusty and little durability.

Montcalm converted nearly 10 miles on three primary county roads into gravel in May. Crushing the pavement and laying gravel cost about $10,000 a mile. Repaving a mile with asphalt would cost more than $100,000. The county had patched the roads in bits and pieces for years. But with potholes the size of steering wheels and no money for an extensive repaving, crews figured it wasn't worth another piecemeal job.

I don't think they're talking about the pea gravel. The article also talks about damage to windshields.