Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today signed legislation authorizing Michigan to spend $873 million of federal recovery money on hundreds of road and transit projects across the state that will create approximately 25,000 jobs. Mike Nystrom and Keith Ledbetter of MITA attended the bill signing, and Nystrom commented on the short-term impact of the legislation and the need for long-term state funding.
The legislation authorizes Michigan to spend $873 million in money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for a range of “shovel-ready” projects such as road-resurfacing, rehabilitation and widening, bridge rehabilitation, and transportation enhancement projects. The projects were chosen by planners, engineers, and local leaders and cover every region of the state.
The bill allows spending of a total of $873 million for Michigan transportation, with $635.4 million directed to the state trunkline (US, I and M routes) fund, $211.8 million directed to programs administered by local jurisdictions, and $25.8 million directed to rural and intercity bus capital projects.
Just a few examples of projects include repair of 11 bridges over I-96 in Detroit ($22 million), reconstruction and widening of I-96 in Kent County ($30 million), and road reconstruction and bridge work on I-475 in Genesee County ($26 million).
The spending is the first use of Michigan’s share of about $7 billion in federal recovery money that the state will invest in accelerating its own recovery plan. It is in addition to approximately $980 million the state is spending on transportation funding this year, which will create more than 27,000 additional jobs.
