Telegram - Serving Metropolitan Detroit Since 1944

LANSING -- Governor Whitmer today announced she signed Executive Directive 2022-2 to direct the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to speed up pothole repairs on state trunkline highways. The Executive Directive calls on MDOT to use all available resources, including overtime pay and contracted services, to expedite repair of road surface, as well as ensure the public can easily report the location of potholes or other issues.

"Dealing with car damage from driving over potholes while on your way to work or school is frustrating for every Michigander. No family should have to spend their hard-earned money on repairing a flat tire or a broken axle caused by these potholes," said Governor Whitmer. "That's why I'm directing the state transportation department to speed up pothole repairs. We're kicking this into overdrive, using overtime pay and contractors to get the job done, while we continue broader improvement projects across the state. I will continue to work with anyone to fix the damn roads, make long-lasting investments in our infrastructure, and put Michigan first."

"Potholes are dangerous and damage vehicles. The way to prevent this is to continue fixing the roads and bridges the right way the first time. Consistent with this Executive Directive, MDOT will use all the resources at our disposal, including overtime and contracted services, to repair them," said State Transportation Director Paul C. Ajegba. "When we are not clearing roads from the latest storm, our crews will be out fixing potholes as quickly as possible."

The Executive Directive directs MDOT to prioritize activities related to fixing Michigan's seasonal potholes, including:

Use all available resources to expedite repair of road surfaces, including overtime pay and contracted services where appropriate.

Assess conditions on state trunkline highways to identify and prioritize areas for repair.

Ensure that the public can easily communicate the location of potholes or other issues with road surfaces on state trunkline highways and assess and respond to these reports.

Ensure timely disbursements of Michigan Transportation Fund dollars to local road agencies to ensure that local authorities have the resources they need to repair potholes and other road surface deterioration. Funding to fix local, non-state roads are appropriated by the Michigan Legislature.

Continue broader road improvement projects, including those that are part of the Rebuilding Michigan Plan, to prevent potholes and other road surface issues from developing in the first place.

The Executive Directive also directs the Michigan State Police to provide work zone enforcement and other needed support for road crews working on road surface repair projects to keep our workers, drivers, and passengers safe. This Executive Directive is the latest step Governor Whitmer has taken to fix the damn roads. The Michigan Legislature can appropriate funds to fix local roads, as local roads are out of the administration's jurisdiction.

Accomplishments

Since Governor Whitmer took office, Michigan has repaired, replaced, or rebuilt over 13,000 lane miles of road and over 900 bridges, supporting nearly 82,000 jobs. The governor's accomplishments include:

The Rebuilding Michigan Plan, a five-year, $3.5 billion investment in our highways and bridges without an increase at the pump.

Bridge Bundling, a pilot program by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to streamline and bundle bridge projects together to make them more cost-effective and save taxpayer money. The Bridge Bundling program will rebuild 19 locally owned bridges this year with projects scheduled to start this month.

The Michigan Infrastructure Office, which coordinates funding for roads, bridges, and other infrastructure allocated to Michigan through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The 2023 budget proposal that invests $6.3 billion into Michigan's state and local roads, bridges, airports, transit, and rail programs - the largest investment in infrastructure in Michigan history, including:

$578 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to provide resources for several Michigan infrastructure projects that will continue to fix roads, bridges, railways, and local and intercity transit, while also providing capital improvements at airports.

$480 million in fiscal year 2022 to increase road and bridge construction for state and local roads, highways, and bridges.

$150 million to support projects that are economically critical, carry high traffic volumes, increase the useful life of key local roads, or will be completed in conjunction with bridge replacement projects.

The cones and barrels at hundreds of sites statewide demonstrate that Governor Whitmer is fixing our crumbling roads and bridges so that people can go to work and get home safely, parents can drive their kids to school without blowing an axle, and businesses can get their goods where they need to go.