Governor Whitmer Header [ [link removed] ]

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * 

August 8, 2022 

Contact: [email protected]  

  

*Governor Whitmer Continues to Fix the Damn Roads with Five Projects Starting This Week*  

"In 2022, Gov. Whitmer is making the largest investment in state roads and bridges in Michigan’s history"  

  

*LANSING, Mich. -- *Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced five road projects slated to begin this week in Berrien, Clare, Ingham, Kent, and Van Buren counties. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) projects include I-94 bridge demolition over Pipestone Road in Berrien County Bridge, work on southbound M-37 in Kent County, maintenance on US-127 ramps at Kipp Road in Ingham County, and I-196 ramp repaving in Van Buren County. Based on economic modeling, these investments will support 908 jobs.   

  

“Across Michigan, we are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to save drivers time and money. These investments across Berrien, Clare, Ingham, Kent, and Van Buren counties will support 908 jobs, and help Michiganders get to work, run errands, and explore our beautiful state safely,” said *Governor Whitmer*. “Since I took office through the end of 2022, we will have invested 70% more in our roads than the previous four years to fix over 16,000 lane miles of road and 1,200 bridges, supporting nearly 89,000 jobs. Both my Rebuilding Michigan Plan and the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan are helping us build safe, reliable infrastructure that makes a difference for families and small business across the state. I’m proud of what we have accomplished, so let’s roll up our sleeves and keep getting things done."  

* * 

*Maintenance on US-127 Ramps at Kipp Road in Ingham County * 

MDOT will close both Kipp Road ramps at southbound US-127 [ [link removed] ] for maintenance. This work is part of the multi-year US-127 resurfacing and bridge repair project in Ingham County.   MDOT is investing approximately $62 million to resurface 12.5 miles of pavement, repair 10 structures, improve drainage, and install guardrail and barrier wall on US-127 between the Jackson/Ingham county line and M-36 in Ingham County [ [link removed] ]. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to support 800 jobs. 

  

Funding for this project is made possible by Governor Whitmer's Rebuilding Michigan program [ [link removed] ] to rebuild the state highways and bridges that are critical to the state's economy and carry the most traffic. The investment strategy is aimed at fixes that result in longer useful lives and improves the condition of the state's infrastructure.

 

*County:* 



Ingham 



*Highway:* 



US-127 



*Closest city:* 



Mason 



*Start date:* 



Monday, Aug. 8, 2022 



*Estimated end date:* 



Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022 



*Traffic restrictions:* 



This work will require the US-127 southbound off ramp to Kipp Road and the Kipp Road on ramp to southbound US-127 to be closed.  Please follow posted detours. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes. 



*Safety benefit:* 



These improvements will provide increased safety and mobility in this area of US-127, which is an important route for commuter, commercial, and tourism traffic. 



 

Project profile for resurfacing 127 project. more info can be found on MDOT's website

 

*Bridge Work on Southbound M-37 in Kent County * 

MDOT is investing $400,000 to repair the M-37 bridge over Nash Creek just north of 13 Mile Road in Sparta. Work includes joint replacement, approach rebuilding and surface sealant. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to support 5 jobs. 

 

*County:* 



Kent 



*Highway:* 



M-37 



*Closest city:* 



Sparta 



*Start date:* 



Monday, Aug. 8, 2022 



*Estimated end date:* 



Mid-September 2022 



*Traffic restrictions:* 



During the first half of the project, southbound M-37 will be closed and detoured using 15 Mile Road, Fruit Ridge Avenue and 13 Mile Road. Northbound M-37 will remain open with lane closures and traffic shifts.  



*Safety benefit:* 



This work will provide a safer and smoother driving surface and extend the service life of the bridge. 



  

*I-94 Bridge Demolition over Pipestone Road in Berrien County* 

MDOT on Monday is starting work to widen the eastbound I-94 bridge over Pipestone Road [ [link removed] ] to prepare for the I-94 rebuilding project between Red Arrow Highway and Britain Avenue in 2023 and 2024 [ [link removed] ]. Work this year will involve a $7.3 million investment that includes pavement repairs on 8.8 miles of I-94 from Puetz Road to Britain Avenue and building median crossovers and emergency pull-offs on I-94. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to support nearly 93 jobs. 

 

*County:* 



Berrien 



*Highway:* 



I-94 



*Closest city:* 



St. Joseph 

Benton Harbor 



*Start date:* 



Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022 



*Estimated end date:* 



Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022 



*Traffic restrictions:* 



Expect single-lane closures on eastbound and westbound I-94. Pipestone Road will be closed and detoured.  

  

The Pipestone Road detours are: 


* Northbound Pipestone Road: Eastbound I-94, westbound Napier Avenue, and westbound I-94 back to northbound Pipestone Road. 
* Southbound Pipestone Road: Westbound I-94, southbound M-139, and eastbound I-94, back to southbound Pipestone Road. 


*Safety benefit:* 



This work will widen the freeway, improving the driving surface and safety during rebuilding. 



* * 

*I-196 Ramp Repaving Starts in Van Buren County * 

MDOT will invest $783,000 to repave 1.8 miles of ramps at two I-196 exits in South Haven and Covert townships [ [link removed] ]. Work includes hot-mix asphalt cold milling and resurfacing and pavement markings on the northbound ramps at 32nd Avenue/Covert (Exit 13) [ [link removed] ], and the northbound and southbound ramps at I-196 Business Loop (BL)/M-140 (Exit 18) [ [link removed] ]. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to support nearly 10 jobs. 

 

*County:* 



Van Buren 



*Highway:* 



I-196 



*Closest city:* 



South Haven 



*Start date:* 



Monday, Aug. 8, 2022 



*Estimated end date:* 



Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022 



*Traffic restrictions:* 

* * 



Ramps will be closed during work. Drivers will need to seek an alternate route during the closures.  

  

The northbound ramps at 32nd Avenue/Covert (Exit 13) will be closed Monday, Aug. 15, and Tuesday, Aug. 16. 

  

The northbound ramps at I-196 BL/M-140 (Exit 18) will be closed Wednesday, Aug. 17, and Thursday, Aug. 18. 

  

The southbound ramps at I-196 BL/M-140 (Exit 18) will be closed Friday, Aug. 19, and Saturday, Aug. 20. 

  



*Safety benefit:* 



This work will repair and preserve the pavement, improve the driving surface and safety of the ramps, and extend the life of the roadway. 



* * 

*US-10 Ramp Resurfacing at Old State Road in Clare County * 

MDOT will invest $179,000 to resurface the US-10 ramps at Old State Road [ [link removed] ] in Clare County.  

 

*County:* 



Clare 

  



*Highway:* 



US-10 



*Closest city:* 



Farwell  



*Start date:* 



Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022 



*Estimated end date:* 



Friday, Aug. 12, 2022 



*Traffic restrictions:* 

* * 



US-10 ramps will be detoured via M-115 and Surrey Road.  



*Safety benefit:* 



This work will improve the driving surface of the ramps and extend the life of the roadway. 



 

*Rebuilding Michigan’s Roads and Bridges *  

Since taking office through the end of 2022, Governor Whitmer and Lt. Governor Gilchrist will have fixed, repaired, or replaced more than 16,000 lane miles of road and 1,200 bridges, supporting more than 89,000 jobs without raising taxes by a dime. These and future repairs are made possible by the Rebuilding Michigan plan [ [link removed] ], a five-year, $3.5 billion investment in our highways and bridges, and the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan [ [link removed] ], the largest one-time investment in Michigan's infrastructure in state history. These strategic investments in Michigan's infrastructure ensure that future Michiganders will have safer roads and bridges to run errands, travel, and strengthen the economy.  

  

Learn more about the Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration’s historic infrastructure investments by clicking on the following link: Infrastructure Accomplishments [ [link removed] ].  

  

*Infrastructure Investments in the FY 2023 Budget*  

Governor Whitmer and Lt. Governor Gilchrist’s fourth balanced and bipartisan budget [ [link removed] ] expands on the investments in the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan signed in April by speeding up replacement of lead service lines, reducing traffic congestion at local rail crossings, improving state fish hatcheries, and funding long-overdue maintenance projects at state facilities. Additionally, the budget will make critical improvements to Selfridge Air Force Base in Macomb County, invest in Innovate Mound [ [link removed] ], a transformative project to rebuild Mound Road, one of the most important corridors in Southeast Michigan, and fund modernize Michigan’s armories, shoring up our readiness and supporting local construction jobs. 

* * 

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