Excavating Contractor in Avoca, MI

M-136 and the roads around Avoca

M-136 runs through Avoca. It is a state highway of about seventeen miles that starts at M-19 in Brockway and ends at M-25 near Fort Gratiot. A driveway that opens onto M-136 is on a state trunkline, so the approach goes through the Michigan Department of Transportation. A drive onto a county road goes through the St. Clair County Road Commission, which keeps its garage for the northern part of the county in Avoca.

Ask the right office before a new drive or culvert goes in, and check the current rules, since they change. Our guide to driveway and culvert permits in Michigan explains who owns which road.

Mill Creek and the Pine River

Mill Creek, a tributary of the Pine River, runs through the area, and a sawmill was built on it in 1816. Property near a creek often has low spots that hold water in spring. Most of the time the fix is grade: shaping the surface so water moves away from buildings and drives, with pipe added only where it is needed. See drainage solutions.

Work in the creek itself, on its banks or in a stream channel is regulated by Michigan EGLE. A county drain goes through the St. Clair County Drain Commissioner. George will ask about both at the walk-through.

Mulching, trails and the Wadhams to Avoca Trail

Avoca is a trailhead for the Wadhams to Avoca Trail, and the land around it has plenty of woodlots and old fields. Forestry mulching grinds brush and small trees where they stand and leaves the chips on the ground, which suits trails, sight lines and fields being brought back. Full clearing pulls the stumps and roots when a building or drive is going in. Our guide to forestry mulching versus land clearing covers the difference.

Getting a price in Avoca

George walks the job and gives you a number before any work starts. Spring and fall run busiest, and soft or frozen ground changes what can be done, so you get a realistic window. Nearby, the company also covers Emmett, Goodells, Kimball Township and Capac.