Rebuilding Michigan

In a bid to give an uplift to the roads in Southeast Michigan, the Michigan Department of Transportation is initiating road projects starting this week. These projects are a part of the Rebuilding Michigan plan, a five-year scheme involving an investment of $3.5 billion to fix Michigan’s highways and bridges under the Building Michigan Together Plan.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer stated, “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.” She expressed optimism over the results achieved so far, stating that nearly 23,000 lane miles of state-owned roads and 1,600 bridges have been either fixed, repaired, or replaced without any increment in taxes.

Projects Underway in Southeast Region

The region’s concerned administrative bodies will focus on the projects starting this week in Genesee, Lenawee, and St. Clair counties. Namely, the referred projects are the M-57 resurfacing project in Genesee County, M-34 resurfacing in Lenawee County, and M-19 resurfacing in St. Clair County.

M-57 Resurfacing Project in Genesee County

Crews will begin to resurface 9.8 miles of M-57 from M-54 to M-15 in Genesee County starting Monday, July 15, with an estimated budget of $2.3 million for the project. The scope of work includes hot-mix asphalt cold milling, resurfacing, and pavement markings. As a result of this work, daytime single-lane closures will be implemented. This roadway restoration will extend the life of the road, improve safety and provide a smoother driving surface. Besides contributing towards road improvement, these projects are also expected to support about 28 jobs.

M-34 Resurfacing Project in Lenawee County

The project, expected to initiate on Monday, July 15, and anticipated to last through Friday, Aug. 23, involves the resurfacing of M-34 in Adrian between Industrial Drive and Hazen Creek. The scheme follows a sequential occupancy method, where crews will repave one direction of the road at a time, and alternating traffic will share the open lane. With an estimated budget of $1.8 million, this operation is also expected to support 22 jobs.

M-19 Resurfacing in St. Clair County

The M-19 resurfacing project in St. Clair County, intended to extend the life of the roadway, will commence on Monday, July 15, and is projected to last until Aug. 29. The $1.5 million project involves tasks like paver-placed surface seal, fog seal, corrugations, pavement markings, and shoulder gravel. Single-lane closures will be in location daily for the duration of the project, but two-way traffic will be maintained, according to the MDOT. This project is also projected to support 18 jobs.