Right of Way

All public roads in Berrien County have a strip of land that runs on either side of the road called a "Right-of-way". This area along the roadway is where utilities are placed and construction/maintenance activities take place. On roads outside of platted sub-divisions this right-of-way is typically 66 feet wide (33 feet either side from center of road).

County Road Right-of-Way Complaint Procedure

  1. A Service Request is submitted about a right-of-way violation on a road under the jurisdiction of the Berrien County Road Department.
  2. Once a service request is received, the Berrien County Weigh Master will investigate the complaint.
  3. If a property owner is in violation of the Road Department's Right-of-Way policy (PDF), the property owner may receive a written or verbal WARNING indicating that they are in violation and that action must take place within a stated time period, depending on the nature of the violation.
  4. After the stated time period expires, the Berrien County Weigh Master will determine if the property owner has complied with the Road Department's Right-of-Way policy.
  5. If the property owner is not in compliance, a citation for the violation will be issued by the Berrien County Weigh Master with fines charged until the property owner is in compliance with the Berrien County Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 1 (PDF) as adopted by the Board of Departmenters of Berrien County, Michigan on October 9, 2003.

Note: Any violation of the BCRD Right of Way policy that is deemed an immediate, dangerous hazard to the motoring public may be removed without giving notice to the property owner.