Michigan – This week, new repair work has started in Saginaw, Gratiot, and Keweenaw counties as part of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s well-known mission to “fix the damn roads.” The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) started two projects to upgrade infrastructure that will make roads safer and help people find work in the area.
In the middle of the state, workers started resurfacing a four-mile stretch of M-30 that runs between M-46 and South County Line Road. The project will affect parts of both Saginaw and Gratiot counties, including areas near Merrill and Breckenridge. In addition to new pavement, the work will also include repairing the road leading up to the Mid-Michigan Railroad crossing. Based on economic modeling, the investment of about $906,000 is predicted to create about eight employment.
M-30 will be completely blocked to traffic from July 21 to July 28 to make the work easier. Drivers will be advised to take a detour along Tittabawassee Road, Merrill Road, and M-46. After that, vehicles will be able to go through the region with lane closures that are controlled by flagging activities. Once the repairs are done, drivers who use this route every day should have a smoother ride and safer conditions.
MDOT started a different project to fix up the M-26 bridge over the Eagle River in Keweenaw County, which is farther north. This minor but important $350,000 investment will entail taking out the old asphalt surface, putting on new waterproofing, and putting on a new asphalt overlay. MDOT said that this construction will create three jobs and make sure the bridge is safe and used for many years to come.
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The M-26 bridge project likewise started on July 21 and is expected to end on August 8. There will be alternating one-lane traffic managed by temporary traffic lights during construction.
“Across Michigan, we are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to grow our economy, helping Michiganders go to work, drop their kids off at school and run errands safely,” said Governor Whitmer.
“By the end of this construction season, we will have fixed, repaired or replaced nearly 24,500 lane miles of roads and 1,900 bridges, supporting thousands of good-paying, local jobs without raising taxes by a dime. This year, let’s build on our momentum to pass a bipartisan local road funding plan so we can keep fixing our damn roads and creating good-paying, local jobs.”
The governor is asking lawmakers to keep things moving by passing a bipartisan plan to subsidize municipal roads.
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Both projects show how the government continues to invest in Michigan’s transportation infrastructure to create long-term value, create jobs, and make travel safer.