Governor Whitmer Continues to Fix the Damn Roads with Projects Starting This Week in Saginaw, Clare, Clinton, Houghton, Baraga, and Kent Counties

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 22, 2025

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Governor Whitmer Continues to Fix the Damn Roads with Projects Starting This Week in Saginaw, Clare, Clinton, Houghton, Baraga, and Kent Counties

LANSING, Mich.-Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will begin a road repair project this week in multiple counties, including Saginaw, Clare, Clinton, Houghton, Baraga, and Kent Counties. These projects are expected to directly or indirectly support 72 good-paying jobs. The governor reiterated the need to pass a long-term road funding solution that will fix the damn roads and support good-paying jobs in communities across Michigan.

"Across Michigan, we are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to grow our economy, lower the cost of auto repairs, improve motorist safety, and create good-paying jobs that don't require a college degree," 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. But our work is not done, and thousands of good-paying jobs are at stake if we don't get a long-term road funding solution for Michigan. Let's build on our momentum and pass a bipartisan, long-term local road funding plan so we can keep fixing the damn roads and building a bright future for Michigan."

M-13 Resurfacing in Saginaw County

MDOT is investing approximately $2.5 million to resurface 8.4 miles of M-13 from M-57 to Fry Road in Saginaw County. Work includes milling and resurfacing, concrete joint repairs and new pavement markings. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 24 jobs.

Clarabella Road Overpass Improvements in Clare County

MDOT is investing an overall $2.7 million to improve and repair 13 structures across Genesee, St. Clair, Arenac, Isabella and Clare counties on M-33, I-75, US-10, M-54 and I-94. This work is part of this investment, including heat straightening and painting. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 26 jobs.

I-96 Resurfacing in Clinton County

MDOT is investing approximately $900,000 to resurface two miles of I-96 Business Loop (BL) (Grand River Avenue) from I-96 to the Bunker Hill Drive in Clinton County. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support eight jobs.

US-41 Resurfacing in Houghton, Baraga Counties

MDOT is investing approximately $250,000 to mill and resurface US-41 north of Mead Road/Maki Road in L'Anse Township, Baraga County and southbound US-41 (Hancock Street) from east of the M-203 (Quincy Street) intersection to Reservation Street in Hancock, Houghton County. Work includes asphalt cold milling and resurfacing. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support two jobs.

Bridge Work in Kent County

MDOT is investing approximately $1.3 million to improve five bridges at the I-196/US-131 interchange in Grand Rapids. Work includes concrete substructure repair, slope improvements, deck work, bearing replacement and painting. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 12 jobs.

Fixing the Damn Roads in Michigan

Since Governor Whitmer took office through the end of this year's construction season, Michigan will have repaired over 24,500 lane miles of road and 1,900 bridges, supporting tens of thousands good-paying jobs. Over the last six years, the Governor and the Legislature have worked together to deliver six balanced, bipartisan budgets investing more than $24 billion to fix Michigan's roads and bridges, more than the previous eight years combined. These investments have been paired with actions to train thousands of workers for high-wage jobs, including in the construction industry.

However, as the Rebuilding Michigan plan and federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act near expiration, Michigan is approaching a devastating funding cliff for both state-managed and local roads. Without a long-term, bipartisan road funding solution, thousands of good-paying jobs will be at risk. Critical projects will be delayed or canceled, creating more dangerous conditions for drivers, further straining our infrastructure, and jacking up the cost of future projects.

Governor Whitmer is committed to working with anyone to fix the damn roads with the right mix and materials, so they are built to last. Recently, she sent a letter to the directors of MDOT and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity calling on them to compile and publicly release data on the impact of the state's road funding cliff and federal funding rollbacks on Michigan's unemployment. She will keep working with her legislative partners to reach a long-term deal.

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