Estimated $2.3 billion needed to fix poor county roads and bridges

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – County Executive Mark A. Hackel today joined leaders from the Macomb County Department of Roads (MCDR) in announcing that more than $2.3 billion in funding is needed to fix all 1,278 lane miles of poor roadway and 39 deficient bridges under the county’s jurisdiction. The announcement came during an event that featured the unveiling of a new digital tool that provides taxpayers and legislators with current information on road conditions and repair costs. The asset will ultimately assist in discussions around current road funding.

“Expert estimations say that it will cost billions of dollars to fix Michigan’s roadways. In Macomb County we now have a system in place that details exactly what we need to fix and where,” said Executive Hackel. “With our new system, we’ve developed a data driven approach and can now say with certainty how much we need to get our roads in good condition. The next step is fixing the funding mechanism.”

MCDR is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of 44 percent of Macomb County’s 4,045 miles of roadway – including major roads, bridges and subdivisions. Together with Macomb County Planning and Economic Development, the department created the new interactive mapping tool to track what roads were in good, fair or poor condition. Using PASER data and engineered estimates, it was determined that 20 percent of primary and local roads are in good condition, 22 percent are in fair condition and 58 percent are in poor condition.

“Now that we have this complete set of data, we stand ready to tackle the road repairs in Macomb County,” said Bryan Santo, director, Macomb County Department of Roads. “But as we've stated before, obtaining the necessary funding is a top priority. It’s the first step in any improvement project and we are looking for a solution that works.”

The cost to fix poor roads in Macomb County is estimated at $2.3 billion; with $976 million needed for major roads, $78 million needed for bridges and $1.24 billion needed for subdivision roads. In 2019, the county will receive $70 million from the state in Michigan Transportation Funds for road repair and reconstruction.

“Given the amount of road funding Macomb County receives from the state, it could take 20 years to reconstruct our most critical roads,” said Hackel. “There are plenty of legislative proposals out there that could help us fix the problem. But at this point, all we can do is use what resources we have and advocate for a solution.”

To view the road conditions and costs map, visit macombgov.org. For more information on MCDR initiatives, click here.