Gov. Rick Snyder recently signed into law a bill providing an additional $175 million for transportation projects.
The majority of the funds, available from supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year, will be used for local roads. The remainder will be used for state highways and interstate freeways.
A few projects were mentioned specifically at the press conference such as sections of Old U.S. 27 south of Gaylord, Wilson Avenue in southern Kent County and Telegraph Road (U.S. 24) in Oakland County.
The state’s roads will benefit from $800 million in funding, including auto-registration fees and gas taxes, during fiscal year 2018, Snyder said. Additional funds will go into road work annually until 2022, he said.
Not everyone agrees the bill will be immensely beneficial. House Democrats said the law is an attempt to compensate for a failed 2015 road plan.
“The only thing more surprising than the inability of Legislative Republicans to offer a real solution to fix our roads over the last seven years, is the governor trotting out their empty bill for a public signing,” House Democratic Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) said. “Michiganders won’t be fooled by this budget swap. They deserve real solutions and the best roads, not political showboating.”