U.S. DOT announces $67 million for three infrastructure projects in Michigan

Washington- The U.S. Department of Transportation has allocated approximately $66.9 million to three infrastructure improvement projects in Michigan.

The funds will be used for new shared-use trails in Detroit, a 3.5-mile multi-modal mobility network in Kalamazoo and several improvements at the Port of Menominee in the Upper Peninsula.

“Due to a lack of investment, America’s infrastructure was in worse and worse shape for decades until President Biden took office,” US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a call to journalists. “These are projects that will improve daily life and the cost of living in communities across the country.”

The announcement reflects the latest effort by President Joe Biden’s administration to allocate federal funds from the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure law passed in 2021. It also reflects Biden’s effort this year campaign to convince voters that his administration has been uniquely successful in directing much-needed resources to the nation’s roads, bridges, ports, gateways and more.

Detroit

The Detroit project will fund the construction of two shared-use trails that will be part of the Joe Louis Greenway and Iron Belle Trail networks. The city of Detroit will receive approximately $20.7 million and construction is expected to begin in October 2025.

A project description from the US DOT states: “Improvements will take place on Woodmere Street and will include a shared-use trail that will be constructed in the right-of-way between Fort Street and Vernor Highway. Improvements will also take place on Dequindre Street. including a shared-use path and sidewalk that will be constructed in the right-of-way between Mack Avenue and Warren Avenue.

According to the agency, its benefits include protection of non-motorized travelers through reduced infrastructure and speeds, as well as reduced air pollution through reduced motor vehicle travel. It will also provide an overall “quality of life” improvement through new active transportation opportunities, reduced reliance on vehicles, and connections to transit corridors.

Kalamazoo

The Kalamazoo project will rebuild five segments of city streets to improve safety and make them more friendly to walkers and cyclists. The city of Kalamazoo will receive $25 million and construction is expected to begin in August 2027.

Street segments specifically include West Michigan from Douglas to Michigan, South Pitcher to South Pitcher, Lovell from Pitcher to Portage, Lovell Stadium to Michigan, and Douglas from Kalamazoo to West Michigan.

Safety improvements, according to the US DOT, will be achieved through the construction of sidewalks, lighting, bike lanes, traffic calming measures and traffic flow improvements.

Menonimee

Buttigieg specifically addressed the Menominee Harbor project, which will receive approximately $21.3 million and is expected to begin construction in January 2026, in his remarks.

“A port essential to local businesses, both for shipping and receiving products like pulp and pig iron, is getting the improvements it needs. Its quay wall is deteriorating and it lacks some of the rail infrastructure needed to transport more goods efficiently, quickly and reliably. goods, which means (fewer) heavy trucks have to pass through this port,” he said.

The project is expected to include the reconstruction of the quay wall, the installation of three rail sidings with shipping capacity, the addition of covered yards and the installation of various types of freight handling equipment.

These improvements, according to the U.S. DOT, “will reduce the number of heavy trucks on the roadways, which should improve safety for motorized and non-motorized travelers…The project will also increase the movement of goods by increasing docking maritime and rail capacity at the border. KKIL Terminal.” According to the agency, abandoning truck travel will also reduce air pollution.

Other projects

The Michigan awards announced Wednesday are among 148 awarded across the country as part of the RAISE discretionary grant program, short for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity.

For example, a project in Toledo, Ohio, will receive approximately $19.1 million to build a multi-use trail as part of the Glass City Riverwalk initiative.

Buttigieg noted that there have been more than 1,000 applications for projects this year, all coming directly from communities across the country.

“Zero of that figure was invented or concocted here at the U.S. DOT headquarters at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. These are community visions,” he said. Buttigieg added that his agency is committed to working with candidates who failed to win an award this year so they can be more successful in the future.

These awards bring the program’s total funding to $7.2 billion for 550 projects across the country, the Department of Transportation said in a news release. Eight Michigan projects, with funds totaling about $94 million, received awards in previous cycles under the Biden administration.

The RAISE program has gone by other names in the past, such as TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) under the Obama administration and BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) under the Trump administration. Fifteen Michigan projects won awards totaling nearly $180 million during those eras.

A map of all past projects, along with descriptions and funding information, is available on the Department of Transportation website.

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@GrantSchwab