Tag: Michigan roads

Roadbuilding

Michigan DOT: Mild winters create perfect scenario for potholes

Mild temperatures in the winter are nice for the people of Michigan, but the state’s department of transportation says long snaps of warm weather contribute to road damage. That’s because the freeze-thaw cycle of warm to cold temperatures tend to create potholes. “It’s normal to get a few days throughout the winter that are warmer […]

February 15, 2017

Roadbuilding

Michigan DOT seeks public comment on long-range transportation plan

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has made its state long-range transportation plan (SLRP)—also know as MI Transportation Plan: Moving Michigan Forward—available for public comment. The plan covers project plans through the next 24 years. “The 2040 MI Transportation Plan (2040 MITP) is an extension of previous long-range plans, and serves as the strategic vision […]

May 9, 2016

Roadbuilding

Michigan researchers looking at ways to lessen spring thaw impact on roads

Researchers with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Michigan State University (MSU) have created a statistical model in an attempt to predict soil frost conditions to better time when the state’s “frost laws” go into affect. These load restrictions help reduce damage to roadways. MDOT requires truck weights be reduced 25 percent for concrete […]

April 8, 2016

Roadbuilding

Michigan Senate panel passes $1.5 billion highway plan funded by fuel tax increases

A Michigan Senate panel approved a package on Tuesday to provide $1.5 billion to infrastructure improvements in the state. The plan would fund roads by raising the gas and diesel taxes over three years and send some money from the general fund to pay for road projects, MLive.com reported. The plan would also get rid of the […]

July 3, 2015

Roadbuilding

Michigan House passes $1.2 billion road package

Lawmakers in the Michigan House of Representatives narrowly passed a 12-bill package to provide $1.16 billion for infrastructure work. The funds from the package largely come from existing tax revenue and by eliminating a tax break for low income families, the Detroit News reported. About $700,000 million of the funds would come from earmarking some of […]

June 15, 2015

Roadbuilding

Michigan TAMC releases road condition dashboards with historical data

The Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC) has created a series of online “dashboards” that provide road condition comparisons across the state. The 2014 Pavement and Pavement Comparison Dashboards provide overall views of pavements, pavement comparisons, bridge and bridge comparisons, traffic data, safety information, preventative road maintenance details, and statewide road and bridge expenditures by category. […]

April 23, 2015

Roadbuilding

TRIP report ties Michigan economic health to road and bridge conditions

The Road Improvement Program’s latest report examining the conditions of Michigan’s transportation system identifies issues with “long-term economic growth” if roads and bridges within the state are not improved within the next few years. “Failure to make needed improvements to Michigan’s transportation system could threaten the state’s economic recovery,” the organization said. In the report, […]

April 22, 2015

Roadbuilding

Michigan road conditions on downward spiral

A recent preliminary report by the Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC) shows roads in Michigan are deteriorating at an accelerating pace. The data collected by the council, titled the PASER report, showed that over the past nine years, miles of roads rated “good” or “fair” declined from 77 to 62 percent, with roads rated “poor” […]

March 20, 2015

Roadbuilding

Michigan campaign to raise sales tax for highway funding launches first TV ad questioning safety of roads

The first television spot by the Safe Roads Yes! campaign aired March 9 to push for approval of Michigan’s Proposal One, which will increase state sales tax to create an estimated $1.2 billion for road and bridge projects. The proposal is up for vote this May and would increase the state sales tax from 6 […]

March 10, 2015