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Rebuilding Michigan

Rebuilding Michigan

During her 2020 State of the State address, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer unveiled a bonding plan called Rebuilding Michigan, which allows the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to borrow $3.5 billion to rebuild highways and bridges across the state. The bond funding is not a new revenue stream but a borrowing mechanism, and the borrowed funds plus interest must be paid back by MDOT.

  • The Rebuilding Michigan plan is ONLY for improvement projects on state roads (US, I, M- roads), not roads under county, city or village jurisdiction.
  • Kent County Road Commission will not receive any of the borrowed money from the Rebuilding Michigan plan. To date, the State's budget for fiscal year 2021 does not provide additional funding for county roads.
  • Proposed state projects to be paid for by the Rebuilding Michigan bonding plan are in  MDOT’s new five-year transportation program (5YTP) and include three state projects in Kent County:
    • I-196 EB over the Grand River and Mound Road (Bridge Replacement – 2022)

    • I-196 WB over the Grand River and Mound Road (Bridge Replacement – 2022)

    • US-131 from Allegan/Kent County Line North to 76th Street (Reconstruction - 2024)

*Gibbons, L. (2020, February 4). MDOT officials brief lawmakers on $3.5 billion borrowing plan to fix Michigan roads. MLive.