Michigan’s county road and bridge system needs nearly $2.4 billion more in annual funding to achieve “fair/good” ratings, according to a report released today by the County Road Association of Michigan in Lansing.
The $2.4 billion figure would bring 90 percent of the state’s 22,744 centerline miles of federal aid-eligible roads to a fair/good rating. It would help 60 percent of the 30,716 miles of nonfederal-aid eligible roads get to fair/good status.
The counties’ 37,024 miles of unpaved roads are not rated, but the report includes the cost of gravel road surface replenishment.
The number also brings the total funds needed to fix the counties’ transportation infrastructure to $4.1 billion.
The news comes despite Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s campaign promise to “fix the damn roads,” which has gone largely unfulfilled.
“Goal setting is important to ensure Michigan is aiming for appropriate restoration of the county road and bridge system,” the report states. “It is clear that due to the exponential deterioration of the county road network, loss of purchasing power, and very minimal growth in the Michigan Transportation Fund (+1 percent) in the two years since our 2021 Investment Plan, the Michigan’s county road and bridge system is not on the path to 90 percent and 60 percent good roads.”
According to the report, the following funding is required:
- Bridges — $265.1 million
- Buildings, maintenance facilities — $50 million
- Maintenance — $818.8 million
- Equipment — $174.9 million
- Federal aid-eligible roads — $792.6 million
- Nonfederal aid-eligible roads — $2 billion
To read the full plan, visit here.
