What's happening: Two Upper Peninsula roads crucial to local infrastructure efforts will get an upgrade, thanks to their inclusion in a $4 million grant program for Michigan roads. Lake Road in Gogebic County and Cherry Creek Road in Marquette County will receive a combined $750,000 to help pay for the $1.33 million projects.
How will this impact local infrastructure: Gogebic’s Lake Road is the major connecting road between U.S. 2 and the Gogebic-Iron airport. New asphalt and markings will make these roads safer for travelers and for those looking to use the airport as a part of their business. The road is currently unpaved, with lots of deep ruts that hold water and freeze in the winter.
Marquette’s Cherry Creek Road is a major connector to the Marquette suburb of Harvey. With an elementary school, factories, a fishery and apartment complexes and subdivisions, this road is quickly becoming a cultural and economic hub.
What they're saying: “These grants will help communities across Michigan fix local roads faster to get people to work, allow businesses to expand, and move goods all year round,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Since I took office, Michigan has fixed 20,000 lane miles of road and 1,400 bridges while supporting more than 100,000 jobs, and today’s funding will add to that total. Let’s keep working together to fix the damn roads so people can go to work, drop their kids off at school, and run errands without blowing a tire or cracking an axle. Let’s get this done to make a real difference in people’s lives.”
What's next: With funding in place, the projects will go to the county’s respective road commissions for bidding procedures and engineering before ground is broken.
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