Dear Friend,

As you navigate snowy roads this winter, the last thing you need is a pothole making your travels any more treacherous. As Michiganders head out the door this season, I’m proud that they will have smoother, safer roads because of our work to fix the damn roads across Michigan.

When our roads work well, so do we. That’s why, this year, I was proud to sign into law the biggest deal in Michigan history to fix the damn roads. My seventh balanced budget includes a sustainable, long-term investment of nearly $2 billion a year to fix our state and local roads. That means:

• Better local roads, so every part of your drive is smoother and safer, from the moment you back out of your driveway to the time you arrive at your final destination.
• Every penny you pay at the pump goes directly to fixing our roads.
• Thousands of good-paying jobs building a stronger, safer Michigan.

Over the last five years, we’ve fixed more roads than any administration in Michigan history, a total of 24,500 lane miles and 1,900 bridges. That’s enough pavement to drive from Detroit to the Mackinac Bridge and back more than 30 times.

In a time of so much political division and dysfunction in DC, we’re leading the way in Michigan by creating a sustainable, long-term investment in our roads. We’re showing everybody that we can solve big problems and improve people’s lives.

Michigan will continue fixing the damn roads.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor

We Will Keep Fixing the Damn Roads

By securing a sustainable, long-term investment of nearly $2 billion a year into Michigan’s state and local roads, the FY26 budget will improve people's daily drives for decades, keep Michiganders safe on the road, save families time and money, ensure every penny paid at the pump goes towards fixing or rebuilding the roads, and protect thousands of good-paying construction jobs statewide.

Since I took office, I’ve focused on ending decades of underinvestment in our roads and fixing them with the right mix and materials, so they last for decades to come. This year’s budget builds on my Rebuilding Michigan Plan, a $3.5 billion investment to fix some of Michigan’s busiest highways, from I-696 to US-31. But these aren’t the only roads that need help.

With this new budget, we’re fixing state AND local roads. This budget will make every part of your drive better; from the moment you back out of your driveway to the time you arrive at your final destination. We’re getting this done by ensuring every penny you pay at the pump goes towards fixing our roads.

Michigan drivers face some of the highest road-related costs in the country. Broken roads lead to longer commutes, damage to our vehicles, and higher costs. When roads are broken, our economy suffers too. Shipments and supplies get delayed. Workers face longer commutes. Our transportation network—roads, rail, airports—are the arteries of our economy. When our roads work well, so do we.

With this balanced state budget and new funding strategy, we will keep thousands of workers on the job to keep fixing the damn roads—state and local—that you drive on every single day.