Michigan Notes

[afguy]

Here's an article that isn't behind a paywall regarding the bills the house passed regarding increased road funding. A large portion of it would go toward local roads.

House passes $3.1B road funding plan with some Dem support. Senate calls it 'nonsense'

The road funding plan advanced Wednesday, in broad strokes, would push roughly $2.2 billion in Corporate Income Tax revenue toward roads plus a $945 million tax swap at the pump for a total of about $3.1 billion in new funding for roads. The path to achieve that total is complicated.

First, the legislation dedicates an estimated $2.2 billion in revenue from the 6% Corporate Income Tax to roads, with about 86% of the total earmarked for township, city and county roads. The $2.2 billion would mean about $1.2 billion currently going to the general fund would be redirected and a $500 million annual earmark for the state's controversial business incentive fund, the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve fund, would be eliminated.

The legislation also would eliminate the 6% sales tax at the pump and replace it with a 20-cent increase in the fuel tax — a swap that would largely come out even for each gallon pumped — so all taxes paid at the pump would go toward road and bridge funding. The 20-cent increase, from about 31 cents per gallon to 51 cents per gallon, would generate about an estimated $945 million in new revenue for roads.

Both of those revenue streams for roads would create holes in various parts of the budget that separate legislation seeks to account for.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/19/michigan-house-republican-oks-3-1b-road-funding-plan-with-some-democratic-support-matt-hall-senate/82547933007/

[JREwing78]

Not impressed. Nonetheless, a gauntlet has been laid down.

Folks should be rightfully irritated with the Dems for not figuring it out before the end of the last election cycle. They left the door open for this.

[afguy]

MDOT has launched a website for a major reconstruction project along I-94 between Wayne Road and Schaefer Road. The project will also include reconfiguring the Ecorse Rd/I-94 interchange. Work will begin in early 2026 and last until mid-2029.



Segment 1
I-94 from Wayne Road to Middle Belt Road improvements:

• Reconstructed roadway and improved drainage
• Partially reconstructed Wayne Road eastern ramps
• Two rehabilitated bridges
• Reconstructed ramps at Vining, Merriman Road and Middle Belt roads
• Extended auxiliary lanes to alleviate traffic congestion
• Intelligent transportation system (ITS) upgrades
• Lighting improvements/replacements

Segment 2
I-94 from Middle Belt Road to Beech Daly Road improvements:

• Reconstructed and realigned roadway and improved drainage
• A new traditional interchange with signalized ramps at Ecorse Road
• Reconstructed Ecorse Road within the interchange with new turn lanes
• New eastbound and westbound I-94 bridges over Inkster and Ecorse roads
• Replaced and widened eastbound I-94 bridge over Beech Daly Road
• Intelligent transportation system (ITS) upgrades
• Lighting improvements/replacements

Segment 3
I-94 from Beech Daly Road to Pelham Road improvements:

• Concrete repairs or patching of the roadway and US-24 ramps
• Median cable barriers

Segment 4
I-94 from Pelham Road to Oakwood Boulevard improvements:

• Reconstructed pavement and improved drainage
• Reconstructed or repaired I-94/M-39 connecting ramps
• Reconstructed or repaired Pelham Road and Van Born Road/ramps and improved drainage
• Reconstructed Oakwood Boulevard ramps (three) and improved drainage
• Rehabilitated bridges (17) and interchanged ramps along I-94/M-39
• Intelligent transportation system (ITS) upgrades

Segment 5
I-94/Schaefer Road Interchange (Ford Rouge Plant Gate 10 Entrance) improvements:

• Replaced and widened bridge at the I-94/Schaefer Road Interchange (Ford Rouge Plant Gate 10 exit)
• Reconstructed and widened I-94 roadway on both sides of the bridge
• Repairs to adjacent railroad bridges (2)
• Intelligent transportation system (ITS) upgrades

https://restore94.com/project-details/

[Flint1979]

The Mackinac Bridge is still closed in both directions.

[Flint1979]

An update on the bridge has it opening tomorrow at 7am at minimum. St. Ignace has been without power for a few days now and gas stations have no fuel.

[JREwing78]

The Mac reopened at 8:30am this morning after a record 30 hour closure for falling ice. In total, it was closed for 42 hours and 15 minutes. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/04/03/mackinac-bridge-closed-thursday-falling-ice/82789019007/

Of course, the bridge being open is only part of the challenge. Folks were being stranded due to the power outage shuttering service stations on both sides of the Bridge. The bridge itself can close again at any time, as ice persists on the structure.

[Flint1979]

The Zilwaukee Bridge closure started today. Southbound will be closed until June 27th or so and I-675 is the detour. I-75 is already backed up so Sunday afternoon's for the next 10 weeks going southbound will be fun.

[JREwing78]

An overheight truck struck the Airport Rd overpass on I-94 in Jackson on Friday. Repair costs and timeframe still TBD. No mention of impacts to I-94 traffic, but Airport Rd is down to one lane each way in the meantime.

Part of me is hoping it's damaged badly enough to warrant its replacement with a SPUI. 4 sets of stoplights between Wayland Dr and O'Neill Dr/Boardman Rd make this area a traffic-choked nightmare. It's also the main barrier preventing extending the 6-lane section of I-94 to M-60.

https://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/2025/04/airport-road-lanes-closed-in-jackson-after-truck-hits-i-94-bridge.html

[JREwing78]

In other news, Big Penny has consumed her 2nd truck of the year.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122150082812438314&set=a.122100426986438314

[wanderer2575]

In other news, Big Penny has consumed her 2nd truck of the year.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122150082812438314&set=a.122100426986438314

[JREwing78]

Meanwhile, the upgrades to I-94, I-69, and M-96 in the Marshall area appear to still be on-track. Ford applied for and received an extra year from the State of Michigan to complete its plant buildout without losing incentives.

More info: https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/projects-studies/marshall-modernization

The $330 Million in highway infrastructure investment is coming from the Michigan Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund, and includes funding for:
- 6-laning I-94 between M-96 (Michigan Ave) and I-69
- 6-laning I-69 between I-94 and M-96
- a 2-lane flyover ramp from NBD I-69 to WBD I-94
- widening the EBD I-94 to SBD I-69 movement to 2 lanes
- Converting the I-69 interchange with M-96 to a diverging-diamond interchange
- a 4-lane boulevard section of M-96 west of I-69 to M-311 and I-94
- a redesigned diverging diamond interchange of M-96/M-311 with I-94, replacing the two existing overpasses with a single overpass between them. Off-ramps will be 2-lane while on-ramps will be a single lane. 
- a short 4-lane boulevard section of M-311 between the I-94 interchange and F Drive South. It's unclear how MDOT intends the M-96 and M-311 movements to work, but it appears a Y-intersection south of I-94 is the choice, with likely one stoplight to allow EBD M-96 traffic to cross NBD M-311 traffic in the vicinity of the casino. 
- some kind of connector road between 11 Mile Rd north of the new I-94 interchange and M-96, to service the existing truck stops. The MDOT document don't make clear what form they expect this to take