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

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."

MDOT will close both Kipp Road ramps at southbound US-127 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. 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 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.

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.

MDOT on Monday is starting work to widen the eastbound I-94 bridge over Pipestone Road to prepare for the I-94 rebuilding project between Red Arrow Highway and Britain Avenue in 2023 and 2024. 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.

MDOT will invest $783,000 to repave 1.8 miles of ramps at two I-196 exits in South Haven and Covert townships. Work includes hot-mix asphalt cold milling and resurfacing and pavement markings on the northbound ramps at 32nd Avenue/Covert (Exit 13), and the northbound and southbound ramps at I-196 Business Loop (BL)/M-140 (Exit 18). 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.

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.

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, a five-year, $3.5 billion investment in our highways and bridges, and the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan, 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.

Governor Whitmer and Lt. Governor Gilchrist’s fourth balanced and bipartisan budget 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, 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.