Lansing, Michigan – For Michigan drivers stuck behind freight trains, the state’s latest road investment is aimed at removing the wait altogether.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer is highlighting new Fiscal Year 2027 funding for railroad underpasses, overpasses and bridges, arguing that separating roads from rail lines can cut congestion, improve emergency access and make daily travel safer.
The budget continues broader transportation spending with $343 million in additional state support for local roads and a $123.8 million increase in state and federal funding for transit and rail programs. It also builds on a 2025 road funding package that committed $40 million annually for five years to the Grade Separation Fund.
“Fixing the damn roads means less wear on your car, a smoother drive, and safer travel for every Michigander,” Whitmer said. “I’m proud that my eighth and final budget secured funding for important updates to our roads, like these rail grade separation projects.”
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One of the largest projects is in Wayne County, where $59 million in combined local, state and federal funding will be used to raise the Canadian National rail line over Allen Road. Utility relocation is already underway, and the county expects the project to be completed in fall 2028.
Nearby in Trenton, the Michigan Department of Transportation is planning a much larger M-85, or Fort Street, grade separation project just north of Van Horn Road. The estimated $115 million project would carry the highway over the CN Railroad, reducing traffic backups and delays for emergency vehicles traveling toward a nearby hospital.
Preliminary engineering is expected to begin at the end of 2026 and continue through 2028, with construction anticipated in 2029 or 2030.
State Sen. Darrin Camilleri called the funding an important step for Downriver infrastructure.
“This investment from the Make it in Michigan Competitiveness Fund is a critical step forward for this crucial project,” Camilleri said. “Overhauling the Fort Street crossing in Trenton has been a huge priority of mine for years.”
The new spending comes as Whitmer’s broader Rebuilding Michigan Plan moves into its final years. More than 36 of the program’s 47 projects are expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2026.
According to the governor’s office, Michigan will have repaired more than 26,500 lane miles of road and nearly 2,000 bridges since Whitmer took office, while supporting tens of thousands of jobs. Major corridor work has included I-275, I-696 and I-496, with additional projects scheduled to move forward in 2027.