TRAVERSE CITY -- Michigan's transportation funding crisis could delay more than half of the state highway reconstruction projects in northern Michigan and shelve some county road projects dependent on state funding.
The Michigan Department of Transportation's five-year plan for the 24 northern-most counties in the lower peninsula calls for repairs to 94 of 1,962 miles of state highway and 2 percent of the region's bridges by 2014 -- if funding is available.
It's not, so MDOT intends to delay or shelve six of the seven bridge projects and 17 of 35 highway projects, including two in Grand Traverse County.
"We do not have enough revenue and that is not going to change even if the economy improves," said Mike Nystrom, vice president of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association trade group. He's also co-chairman of the Michigan Transportation Team, a business and local government group pushing for more state funding for transportation.
"There's no good time to raise taxes but an improved road system ... will be good for everybody, not just the road building industry," Nystrom said.
Revenue from the state's 19-cent per gallon gasoline tax declined more than $100 million over the last five years, and vehicle registration fees also dropped with the state's poor economy.
MDOT estimates it won't have enough state money to meet the local match requirements for available federal highway funding beginning in 2011, and will lose $2.1 billion in federal road funds through 2014.
Projects slated for delay include: the M-22 bridge over the Platte River and Frankfort Avenue in the Village of Elberta in Benzie County; restoration of M-22 from M-201 to Omena in Leelanau County; restoration of M-88 between Central Lake and Bellaire in Antrim County; restoration of M-113 between U.S. 131 and M-186 in Fife Lake Township; and reconstruction of U.S. 31 over Tobeco Creek in Acme Township.
Mary Gillis, manager of the Grand Traverse County Road Commission, said it too is struggling to meet match requirements.
The road commission needs $317,000 to match a $400,000 federal safety grant to pave South Long Lake Road and add paved shoulders. Gillis said typically the road commission would use its cut of the state transportation funds to provide a local match, but it expects to cut about $1 million from that fund in 2010.
Gillis said the project may have to be cut back if she can't find other funding sources.
An almost $1 million reconstruction project for Cedar Run Road from Gray to Harris roads could also be stalled because it relies on state money for the local match of federal funding.
"If the state funds are cut then the project won't be done," Gillis said.
