DETROIT, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Monday that the Michigan Department of Transportation received almost $1 million to fund the state's bridge construction and repairs.
The Bridge Bundling program falls under Whitmer's $300 million executive budget recommendation to repair or replace hundreds of bridges in the city of Detroit.
MDOT says the bridge bundling program will cover several projects under one contract, save money on production, and streamline coordination and permitting, all while improving bridge conditions and routes.
"Investing in infrastructure creates good-paying jobs, supports working families and communities, and drives our economy forward," said Whitmer.
U.S Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, "I am grateful for the support from our federal partners who recognize Michigan's potential to lead in this space. This critical investment will create jobs and work in tandem with our Michigan Economic Jumpstart plan to ensure we continue our economic comeback as we emerge from the pandemic. Michigan can become a national leader in infrastructure. So let's fix the damn roads together."
The bridge bundling grant is a part of the $5.6 million granted in the Accelerated Innovated Deployment (AID) Demonstration program announced by The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administrations.
Representatives at MDOT say they are continuing to add to the approach already in use by the state on trunkline projects in efforts to rebuild bridges.
"This AID grant funding to further our local agency bridge bundling project represents national validation of our approach," said Matt Chynoweth, Chief Bridge Engineer for MDOT.