FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 13, 2022

Contact: [email protected]

Gov. Whitmer Announces Another Three Infrastructure Projects Completed as the State Continues to Fix Roads and Bridges at a Record Pace

In 2022, Gov. Whitmer is making the largest infrastructure investment in Michigan’s history

LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the completion of three infrastructure projects in Gogebic, Livingston, and Luce counties as the administration continues to fix roads and bridges at a record pace across the state. The recently completed projects include the rebuilding of 2.7 miles of US-2 in Gogebic County, the Iosco Road Rebuilding Our Bridges project in Livingston County, and the Dollarville Road Rebuilding Our Bridges project in Luce County.

“Thanks to our hard work, we are moving dirt to fix roads and bridges across Michigan at a record pace. With the completion of the projects in Gogebic, Livingston, and Luce counties, Michiganders will have a smoother drive, saving them time and money as they run errands, go to work, or travel,” said Governor Whitmer. “Through the end of 2022, we will fix over 16,000 lane miles of road and more than 1,200 bridges, supporting nearly 89,000 jobs. The bipartisan budget I recently signed, will continue to support more projects like these across the state. The projects we’re moving forward with will support more good-paying jobs and deliver on an issue that matters to us all—safe, reliable infrastructure.”

Rebuilding US-2 in Gogebic County 

Major work wrapped up on Friday, October 7 on the two-year, $9.9 million project to rebuild 2.7 miles of US-2 from Powdermill Creek to east of Cedar Avenue through the city of Bessemer in the western Upper Peninsula’s Gogebic County. The work included reconfiguring lanes to add a center left-turn lane along with other safety improvements, storm sewer upgrades, and city sanitary sewer and water main replacements. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to have supported 126 jobs.

Rebuilding Our Bridges project in Livingston County 

The Iosco Road bridge over the west branch of the Red Cedar River Drain, built in 1948, was in serious condition prior to rebuilding, which started August 15. The bridge had its superstructure replaced and slightly widened, along with substructure repairs and approach work. The bridge was reopened to traffic on Monday, October 10, four days ahead of schedule.

Livingston County had two structures included in the Rebuilding Our Bridges program, on Mason and Iosco roads. Iosco Road, while not as heavily traveled as Mason Road, is a vital connector for many areas in the county.

“Having this bridge included in the Rebuilding Our Bridges pilot was a tremendous benefit to be able fix the bridge with no impacts to our budget,” said Steve Wasylk, managing director of the Livingston County Road Commission.

Rebuilding Our Bridges project in Luce County

The Dollarville Road (Luce County Road 405N) bridge over Teaspoon Creek, southwest of Newberry in Luce County, was built in 1951 and was in serious condition before rebuilding. The bridge had its deck and beams replaced, along with substructure patching. The bridge was reopened on Thursday, October 6 to traffic.

“This bridge provides a critical link for residents, commuters, and emergency response between Newberry, the M-28 corridor, and the western part of Luce County,” said Mike McTiver, engineer-manager for the Luce County Road Commission. “Prior to the project, the structure had been posted for reduced weight allowance, limiting its capacity for commercial traffic use. I’m grateful that we were given this opportunity to have this bridge rehabilitated to continue to provide a critical link in this community for years to come. And it will be nice to have the bridge open just in time for peak fall color.”

About Rebuilding Our Bridges

Sixteen local agency bridge rebuilding projects are now largely finished, with work on three others ongoing. The last of the bridges is scheduled to be completed by November 20.

This year’s Rebuilding Our Bridges program, the first of its kind in Michigan, is repairing 19 bridges in serious or critical condition that are owned by local agencies. Each bridge will have its superstructure replaced, which includes full removal and replacement of the bridge deck and supporting beams.

All of the bridges encompassed by the Rebuilding Our Bridges program will be completed within 60 or 90 days from the start of repairs.

The Rebuilding Our Bridges program is funded by Federal Highway Improvement Program (HIP) dollars. Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) bridge staff and consultants are doing preliminary design and construction administration work for the program.

An online dashboard at Michigan.gov/BridgeBundling provides project updates and shows percent completion, detour routes, and other information for each project.

The pilot program is only the first phase of the Rebuilding Our Bridges initiative. $196 million in federal COVID relief funds appropriated by Govenor Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature will allow the state to execute Phase II of the Rebuilding Our Bridges program, beginning planning and development later this year, to address 59 more bridges.

A list of the Phase II bridges, which were prioritized based on regional mobility and safety, is available here. Phase II focuses on closed and load-posted bridges. Some will be permanently removed while others will be fully replaced.

MDOT expects the Rebuilding Our Bridges program, which covers several bridge locations under one contract, to streamline coordination and permitting, increase economies of scale, and improve bridge conditions on local routes around the state. MDOT is working to expand the approach, already in use on state trunkline projects, to address locally owned bridges.

Rebuilding Michigan’s Roads and Bridges 

Through the end of 2022, Governor Whitmer and Lt. Governor Gilchrist will have fixed, repaired, or replaced more than 16,000 lane miles of road and 1,200 bridges, supporting more than 89,000 jobs without raising taxes by a dime. These and future repairs are made possible by the Rebuilding Michigan plan, a five-year, $3.5 billion investment in our highways and bridges, and the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan, the largest one-time investment in Michigan’s infrastructure in state history. These strategic investments in Michigan’s infrastructure ensure that future Michiganders will have safer roads and bridges to run errands, travel, and strengthen the economy.

Learn more about the Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration’s historic infrastructure investments by clicking on the following link: Infrastructure Accomplishments.

Infrastructure Investments in the FY 2023 Budget

Governor Whitmer and Lt. Governor Gilchrist’s fourth balanced and bipartisan budget expands on the investments in the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan signed in April by speeding up replacement of lead service lines, reducing traffic congestion at local rail crossings, improving state fish hatcheries, and funding long-overdue maintenance projects at state facilities.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 4, 2022

Contact: [email protected]                                                                                                  

PHOTOS: Lt. Governor Gilchrist Joins EV Charger Operator FLO to Launch U.S. Manufacturing Facility Creating 133 Jobs in Oakland County

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist joined Louis Tremblay, the chief executive officer of FLO, a leading North American electric vehicle charging network operator and smart charging solutions provider, to cut the ribbon at a new electric vehicle charger manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills. The Auburn Hills facility is FLO’s first-ever U.S. manufacturing facility and is expected to support 730 jobs by 2028, including creating 133 jobs in 2023. The facility builds on Michigan’s momentum leading electric vehicle-related investments as the state prepares for an electric future.

“We are proud to welcome FLO to Michigan and serve as the home for their very first manufacturing facility in the United States,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “As we look toward growing our economy, investing in our workforce, and creating good-paying jobs, we know the importance of leading the transition to electric vehicles. FLO’s presence in Oakland County builds on our tradition of automotive manufacturing with an eye toward our electrified future. I could not be prouder that the world’s manufacturing leaders know Michigan is the place to be.”

FLO offers smart home charging solutions for both single-family houses and multi-unit residential buildings, as well as access to thousands of public charging stations across the country. Located near the heart of the U.S. auto industry, the facility’s state of the art testing lab will help FLO build chargers compatible with the latest new EVs coming off nearby production lines. The company expects to produce 250,000 electric vehicle chargers by 2028 for the U.S. market.

“There is no better location for FLO to plant roots in the U.S. than Michigan – the birthplace of the American auto industry,” said Louis Tremblay, FLO President and CEO. “Our new facility will establish FLO’s American operational foothold, helping us to create jobs, strengthen charging infrastructure, and meet the charging needs of EV drivers nationwide. Michigan has created a clear roadmap for success for EV charging companies like FLO, providing funding and launching initiatives aimed at expanding charging access and accelerating EV adoption. We look forward to building the efficient, reliable, and safe charging network of tomorrow, right here in Michigan.”

The Auburn Hills facility is slated to start production later this year and will continue scaling up workforce and production. An economic report released by BMW Research estimates the facility will generate $51.7 million in labor income for Michigan workers that benefit from the construction and operations of the facility. It is projected to generate $134 million in revenue from sales of electric vehicle chargers and $76 million in gross state product in the state of Michigan by 2028.

Governor Whitmer has launched several initiatives to advance Michigan’s electric vehicle infrastructure to draw investments from companies such as FLO. Those include the Michigan Revolution for the Electrification of Vehicles (MiREV), which works directly with employers to ensure Michigan has the programs and resources to fill both current and future talent gaps for in-demand and emerging jobs in the mobility and electrification industry and played a key role in helping to attract FLO to expand and grow in Michigan.

The governor also launched the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, which works across state government, academia, and private industry to enhance Michigan’s mobility ecosystem, and unveiled the MI Future Mobility Plan, which maps out a comprehensive roadmap to guide Michigan’s future mobility investments. The governor launched the electric vehicle Jobs Academy and Mobility Talent Action Team to prepare Michigan’s workforce for electric vehicle and component manufacturing jobs and partnered with Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin to announce the Lake Michigan Circuit, a network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure around Lake Michigan.

Additionally, the governor partnered with the City of Detroit, Ford, and Google to launch Michigan Central, a mobility innovation hub, and enacted the Building Michigan Together Plan, which invests $25 million in the mobility futures initiative to put Michigan in the lead on future mobility and electrification.

“Michigan is an ideal location for EV charging companies wanting to change the world. We offer customer proximity, a strong supply chain, a talented workforce, commitment to innovation, and aggressive programs to rollout charging infrastructure,” said Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan. “We are honored to have FLO, one of the most exciting charging companies in the world, join our mobility and electrification industry as they expand their presence across North America.”

“The Auburn Hills community welcomes FLO and the hundreds of jobs they’ll generate for our residents,” said Mayor Kevin McDaniel. “Auburn Hills has been on the cutting edge of the automotive industry for decades, and this new facility will help us embrace the transition to electric and the future of the industry.”

 “GM is working toward an all-electric future, which requires accessible and reliable charging infrastructure. We appreciate FLO’s collaboration with us to make charging access more widespread,” said Hoss Hassani, GM Vice President of EV Ecosystem. “Their new Auburn Hills facility will strengthen this collaboration as we work to help build a North American EV charging supply chain and put everyone in an EV.”