Michigan Notes

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.9and10news.com/2026/05/11/mdot-updates-i-75-and-m-32-diverging-diamond-interchange-project/

An interchange rebuild is coming to the I-75/M-32 interchange in Gaylord. $54 million investment in 2027-2028 to replace the bridges and the interchange into a diverging-diamond (DDI).

[afguy]

MDOT has recently launched a study aimed at looking at innovative ways to fund projects that aren't currently funded. The study started in late 2025 and will run until late 2027. A few projects that caught my attention were the reconstruction and potential widening of I-96 between Meridian Road and M-59, improvements to M-14 between I-94 and the U.S. 23/M-14 tri-level interchange, I-75 between the Rouge River and Sibley Rd and work on the M-10 retaining wall.

The Michigan Innovative Financing Asset Scan for Transportation (MI-FAST) is an exploratory study that will analyze lifecycle costs of needed Michigan transportation projects and estimate the benefits of new revenue to accelerate those projects. The study will screen up to 170 unfunded projects, select 12 for detailed evaluation, explore innovative financing and partnership opportunities, and strengthen MDOT's capacity to assess and deliver major projects. Study funding from the USDOT Innovative Finance and Asset Concession (IFAC) Grant does not reflect a commitment to pursue federal financing and debt.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/projects-studies/mi-fast

[JREwing78]

The most populous county in the Upper Peninsula is getting a new roundabout.

State and local road agencies are teaming up to build a modern roundabout in 2029 at the busy intersection of M-553 and Marquette County Road 480 in Sands Township.

The project is expected to cost about $2.8 million, with funding split evenly between the Marquette County Road Commission and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
...

The intersection is located in a busy corridor that connects Marquette, Gwinn and the Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport. It doesn't have a significant history of serious crashes, but traffic backups and delays are common during busy periods.

More details about the M-553 construction project are expected to be announced at a later date.

Marquette County is also getting a new roundabout at the intersection of M-35 and County Road 492. That work began earlier this month and is expected to conclude in mid-October.

$2.8M roundabout planned for busy Northern Michigan intersection
https://www.mlive.com/news/2026/05/28m-roundabout-planned-for-busy-northern-michigan-intersection.html

County Road 480 has become increasingly popular for folks bypassing US-41/M-28 between Negaunee and Harvey, south of Marquette. Depending on the time of day, this "shortcut" (by 1 mile) can save 5 minutes if you're not held up at the M-553 intersection. About 5200 vehicles per day traverse County Road 480. 

M-553 (formerly County Rd 553) is used by 8500 vehicles per day, which is approaching the level many highway departments seriously consider 4-laning. 

Ditto for the currently 2-lane US-41/M-28 between M-95 and Ishpeming, which is reporting similar traffic levels. 

[wanderer2575]

MDOT has recently launched a study aimed at looking at innovative ways to fund projects that aren't currently funded. The study started in late 2025 and will run until late 2027. A few projects that caught my attention were the reconstruction and potential widening of I-96 between Meridian Road and M-59, improvements to M-14 between I-94 and the U.S. 23/M-14 tri-level interchange, I-75 between the Rouge River and Sibley Rd and work on the M-10 retaining wall.

The funding issue aside, that M-10 "concrete canyon" retaining wall is going to be more and more of an issue.  A whole lotta concrete chunks have fallen from it, and about a half-dozen sections (each a few hundred feet long) have already been replaced where structural failure apparently was imminent.

[JREwing78]

MDOT has recently launched a study aimed at looking at innovative ways to fund projects that aren't currently funded. The study started in late 2025 and will run until late 2027. A few projects that caught my attention were the reconstruction and potential widening of I-96 between Meridian Road and M-59, improvements to M-14 between I-94 and the U.S. 23/M-14 tri-level interchange, I-75 between the Rouge River and Sibley Rd and work on the M-10 retaining wall.

The Michigan Innovative Financing Asset Scan for Transportation (MI-FAST) is an exploratory study that will analyze lifecycle costs of needed Michigan transportation projects and estimate the benefits of new revenue to accelerate those projects. The study will screen up to 170 unfunded projects, select 12 for detailed evaluation, explore innovative financing and partnership opportunities, and strengthen MDOT's capacity to assess and deliver major projects. Study funding from the USDOT Innovative Finance and Asset Concession (IFAC) Grant does not reflect a commitment to pursue federal financing and debt.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/projects-studies/mi-fast

It's good the feds are kicking the states some money for studies. If only that was followed up by funding to DELIVER said projects.

While the state is mostly well-served north of the Tri-Cities (Traverse City and Petoskey being exceptions), there's definite need downstate. A few examples NOT on their list (by no means exhaustive)

• I-94 west of US-23 6-8 laning
• I-96 west of Howell 6-8 laning (MI-FAST gets partial credit)
• US-131 south of Cedar Springs 6-10 laning (MI-FAST gets partial credit)
• US-31 in Ottawa County
• US-23 south of Flint 6-8 laning (MI-FAST gets partial credit)
• US-131 south of Portage needs a freeway conversion and completion to the Indiana Toll Road.
• US-127 freeway conversion between Ithaca and St. Johns 
  (I'm dreaming, I know...)
• A Jackson to Toledo freeway (ala I-73) would bring needed relief to I-94, I-96, and US-23 
  (and now we've reached Fictional territory)

Don't forget that Michigan has increasingly been looking at passenger rail to connect Grand Rapids to Detroit, Ann Arbor to Traverse City and Petoskey, and upgrading MDOT-owned rail to 110mph. The demand is there despite historically lackluster service by Amtrak.

[Plutonic Panda]

I think the issue is that Amtrak is severely underfunded and they aren't given much to work with.

[Rothman]

I think the issue is that Amtrak is severely underfunded and they aren't given much to work with.

We can't decide if they're a private or public good.

[ElishaGOtis]

MDOT has recently launched a study aimed at looking at innovative ways to fund projects that aren't currently funded. The study started in late 2025 and will run until late 2027. A few projects that caught my attention were the reconstruction and potential widening of I-96 between Meridian Road and M-59, improvements to M-14 between I-94 and the U.S. 23/M-14 tri-level interchange, I-75 between the Rouge River and Sibley Rd and work on the M-10 retaining wall.

The Michigan Innovative Financing Asset Scan for Transportation (MI-FAST) is an exploratory study that will analyze lifecycle costs of needed Michigan transportation projects and estimate the benefits of new revenue to accelerate those projects. The study will screen up to 170 unfunded projects, select 12 for detailed evaluation, explore innovative financing and partnership opportunities, and strengthen MDOT's capacity to assess and deliver major projects. Study funding from the USDOT Innovative Finance and Asset Concession (IFAC) Grant does not reflect a commitment to pursue federal financing and debt.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/projects-studies/mi-fast

3 words: Express Toll Lanes

[wanderer2575]

MDOT has recently launched a study aimed at looking at innovative ways to fund projects that aren't currently funded. The study started in late 2025 and will run until late 2027. A few projects that caught my attention were the reconstruction and potential widening of I-96 between Meridian Road and M-59, improvements to M-14 between I-94 and the U.S. 23/M-14 tri-level interchange, I-75 between the Rouge River and Sibley Rd and work on the M-10 retaining wall.

The Michigan Innovative Financing Asset Scan for Transportation (MI-FAST) is an exploratory study that will analyze lifecycle costs of needed Michigan transportation projects and estimate the benefits of new revenue to accelerate those projects. The study will screen up to 170 unfunded projects, select 12 for detailed evaluation, explore innovative financing and partnership opportunities, and strengthen MDOT's capacity to assess and deliver major projects. Study funding from the USDOT Innovative Finance and Asset Concession (IFAC) Grant does not reflect a commitment to pursue federal financing and debt.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/projects-studies/mi-fast

3 words: Express Toll Lanes

Three more words:  Not Gonna Happen.

[wanderer2575]

MDOT is hosting an open house this week Thursday 06/04 to discuss the planned rebuilding and realigning of a portion of US-127 from I-496 to south of Lake Lansing Road in 2027 and 2028.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/news-outreach/pressreleases/2026/05/29/mdot-open-house-june-4-for-2027-2028-us-127-work-in-lansing

What's interesting is that MDOT previously indicated this section of freeway would receive some concrete repairs and repaving, not a full rebuild.  Apparently they've decided that at least some of it needs more work than they originally thought.

[JREwing78]

Much of that concrete is original to the opening of the highway and is 60 years old; they can't joint-repair and mill it forever. They can probably leave the existing weave/merge lanes that were deployed a few years ago, but they'll need three through lanes in each direction to maintain an acceptable Level of Service, at least to Lake Lansing Rd. 

[The Ghostbuster]

Are there any four-lane Lansing freeways that might need to be expanded to six lanes in the future?

[wanderer2575]

I was thinking of knocking off work a little early and blowing $20 of gas to drive out to Lansing for the presentation today, but my spousal unit explained to me the fallacy of my thinking.  So I will wait to see what info gets posted online.  I don't know about 6-laning, as it would require several bridge widenings and/or replacements and the median immediately north of Grand River Avenue looks ~20 feet narrower than the section widened in 2024-2025 with no space on the sides for more ROW.  But the project website mentions a realignment (which I would think could only be in that area) and bridge improvements, so who knows?