Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


As the 2024 construction season comes to a close, the Michigan Department of Transportation has produced a video to reflect on a record year - with more than $3 billion invested to improve safety, mobility and technology of roadways across the state.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer's Rebuilding Michigan program continues to rebuild the state highways and bridges (I, M and US routes) that are said to be 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.

State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich said "I want to acknowledge the hard-working men and women who make these crucial infrastructure improvements. MDOT employees and contractors give their all each day to improve mobility, accessibility and safety for all road users, and we'll continue striving for excellence into the new year."

Rebuilding Michigan funds brought a $269 million investment to Oakland County, leveraging technology to help manage traffic and reduce congestion, as MDOT’s second Flex Route in the state is set to begin operations in early 2025.

The I-96 Flex Route project improved 12 miles of roadway, rebuilding shoulders along I-96 from Kent Lake Road to the I-275/I-696/M-5 interchange and includes eight new metering ramps. Drivers will soon be able to reference digital signs indicating if the lane is available for use, along with suggested speed limits to reduce backups.

Amanda Downs, director of hospitality and events at Ford's Garage, noted that the since construction was completed, business is continuing to increase and her own commute has already improved. "It's great to drive on smoother roads and we're looking forward to the Flex Lane opening and making that commute in the morning and home in the evening a lot smoother with less traffic."

A $205 million Rebuilding Michigan initiative is underway in Lansing as crews completed the first part of Phase Two of rebuilding US-127/I-496 in Ingham County. The project is rebuilding 3.7 miles of highway, while addressing several bridges from I-96 to I-496, improving safety and drainage along the route. Through 2024, work was completed along northbound US-127/I-496, with crews moving to the southbound side starting this spring. The project supports more than 2,500 jobs across the Lansing area.

In MDOT's Bay Region, crews removed a temporary bridge installed shortly after the M-30 bridge over the Tobacco River was washed away in a historic flooding event. In its place, a new $12.4 million permanent bridge structure now connects Midland and Gladwin counties.

Across the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula, safety was at the forefront of projects, with road diets and roundabouts helping to calm traffic and relieve congestion.

The intersection at US-41/M-28 and Lakeshore Drive in Ishpeming now features a new roundabout aimed at reducing crashes and improving driver safety. A road diet on M-55/I-75 Business Loop in West Branch reduced traffic from four and five-lane sections down to three lanes. The $14.3 million investment rebuilt the roadway while providing new sidewalk ramps, a shared use path, curbs and gutters, and served as an opportunity for the community to beautify their business district.

A two-year, $51 million investment (funded in part by Rebuilding Michigan) completed 13.4 miles of improvements along US-131 from Three Rivers to Schoolcraft in Kalamazoo County. Work focused on driver and pedestrian safety, rebuilt the US-131 intersection at Shaver Road to include a Michigan Left, improved sidewalks and curb ramps, and added a new pedestrian crossing signal at Eliza Street.

The video can be viewed in the provided link.

More project information is available on the MDOT website. That link is also provided.