Gov. Whitmer announces new road repair projects paid for with state and federal funds
‘Across Michigan, we are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to drive economic activity, help Michiganders go to work, drop their kids off at school, and run errands safely,’ Whitmer said.
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is continuing her work to repair and upgrade Michigan’s road infrastructure.
The governor announced on April 29 that the Michigan Department of Transportation would begin major road and bridge repair projects in five counties: overpass repairs on Interstate 75 in Chippewa County, bridge repairs on Michigan state Route 6 and I-96 in Kent County and I-475 in Genesee County, road paving on state Route 45 in Saginaw County, and road repairs on state Route 39 in Wayne County.
According to the governor’s office, the projects will support more than 2,000 jobs.
“Across Michigan, we are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to drive economic activity, help Michiganders go to work, drop their kids off at school, and run errands safely,” Whitmer said, according to a press release from her office. “Through the end of this construction season, we will have fixed, repaired, or replaced nearly 23,000 lane miles of state-owned roads and 1,600 bridges since I took office, supporting 89,000 jobs without raising taxes by a dime. Let’s roll up our sleeves and keep getting things done.”
The projects, which represent a total investment of nearly $170 million, vary widely in scale and cost.
The Chippewa County project is an approximately $5 million repair to two overpasses over I-75. The work, which will require closing both bridges and implementing detours, is expected to be completed by October.
The Genesee County project, meanwhile, is a $141 million project that will see more than three miles of I-475 rebuilt; that work, despite its much bigger scale, is expected to be completed by May 12.
The projects are funded through the Whitmer administration’s Rebuilding Michigan plan, which authorizes the sale of bonds totaling $3.5 billion over five years to fund investments in the state’s infrastructure, along with the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan, which at $5 billion is the largest one-time infrastructure investment in Michigan history.
“These strategic investments in Michigan’s infrastructure ensure that future Michiganders will have safer roads and bridges to run errands, travel, and strengthen the economy,” the governor’s office said.
Federal funding is also contributing to some of the projects.
“Plain and simple, these projects are going to make our roads safer, supporting the local businesses and residents who rely on them and creating good-paying jobs in the process,” Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Peters said, according to the governor’s announcement. “I’m proud that these federal investments are helping to make a meaningful difference in our communities, and I’ll keep fighting to deliver more resources.”
According to Whitmer’s office, the state will have repaired almost 23,000 lane miles of roadways and 1,600 bridges by the end of the current construction season, which runs until the beginning of winter weather.
