LANSING, Mich. (WNEM) - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) awarded $50 million to Michigan for emergency repairs made after the May 2020 dam failures in mid-Michigan.
The funding will reimburse the state for road and bridge repairs made following the flooding.
Nearly 30 roads and bridges across the region were closed and suffered damage, according to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Office. Three bridges were closed to traffic after being washed away. US-10 at Sanford Lake was also closed due to extreme scour of bridge piers and the bridge approaches being washed away.
The Michigan Department of Transportation has been working with the FHWA, the Midland County Road Commission, the village of Sanford to reestablish mobility across Midland and Gladwin counties.
“This grant will bring federal taxpayer dollars back to Michigan and help us continue to fix the damn roads and bridges,” Governor Gretchen Whitmer said. “In 2020, after historic flooding and dam failures, we took action to fix impacted roads and bridges, and I am grateful that Michigan is getting that money back. Since I took office through the end of this year, we will fix 16,000 lane miles of road and 1,200 bridges, and we need to maximize every dollar we have to invest in our infrastructure and make it easier for families and businesses to get around our state. We have been through a lot over the last couple of years, but tough times call for tough people, and we will keep getting things done and moving Michigan forward.”
“These funds with help communities across our nation repair roads and bridges damaged by severe weather events, which are becoming increasingly common because of climate change,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “From recent hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast, to wildfires in California and floods and mudslides in numerous states, we must address the devastating impacts of climate change and work to build more sustainable transportation infrastructure to better withstand its impacts for years to come.”