Major U.P. road projects set, thanks to major grant funding

A number of Upper Michigan roadways are in line for resurfacing because of special state road funding grants made possible by the Michigan Legislature.

State Rep. Ed McBroom was among those on hand for the announcement, along with other legislators and officials from the Michigan Department of Transportation.

McBroom says about three miles of County Road 577 in Menominee County will be repaved using $525,000 in grant money – 1.3 miles between 18th Avenue and 38th Avenue, 1.73 miles between Klippel Lane and Chalk Hills Road. The second road, County Road 569 in Dickinson County, will receive $775,000 to repave four miles south of the Cazolla Road intersection.

“Many roads and bridges in Michigan need attention for the safety and convenience of people and commercial transportation logistics,” said McBroom, R-Vulcan. “The road funding designated by the Legislature this budget helps to begin whittling down that list, and we were able to do it through surplus savings that don’t cost anyone anything extra.”

McBroom participated in a press conference this morning in Escanaba to announce a total of seven road projects in MDOT’s Superior Region, including repaving U.S. Highway 2 from the Delta/Schoolcraft county line to M-149.

Projects in Schoolcraft,  Delta, Alger, Dickinson and Menominee Counties total $6,947,606.  See the entire list of state projects at:  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/OGA_Dec12_State_List_442695_7.pdf.

As part of the state’s fiscal year 2014 state budget, the Legislature created the special Roads and Risk Reserve Fund using $230 million in existing state revenue. One-half of the funds were available for appropriation on Oct. 1, and the other half could be appropriated for roads on Feb. 1, 2014.

This funding is in addition to $121.3 million from the state General Fund used to fully match available federal transportation funds.

Along with the announcement in Escanaba, more than 100 additional road and bridge improvement projects throughout the state from the Road and Risk Fund program were unveiled at MDOT’s other five regional offices.