Whitmer Announces Federal Grant For MDOT Bridge Bundling Program

LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday that the Michigan Department of Transportation received nearly $978,000 from the Federal Highway Administration.

The grant will help to expand the state's bridge bundling efforts on local agency routes.

MDOT expects bridge bundling, which covers several projects under one contract, to streamline coordination and permitting, increase economies of scale, and improve bridge conditions on local routes.

The program groups or ''bundles'' several bridges into one contract using criteria such as proximity, environmental factors, type of work, external coordination required, or complexity. MDOT is working to expand the approach, already in use on state trunkline projects, to address locally owned bridges.

Whitmer said investing in infrastructure "creates good-paying jobs, supports working families and communities, and drives the economy forward."

"I am grateful for the support from our federal partners who recognize Michigan's potential to lead in this space. This critical investment will create jobs and work in tandem with our Michigan Economic Jumpstart plan to ensure we continue our economic comeback as we emerge from the pandemic. Michigan can become a national leader in infrastructure. Let's fix the damn roads together."

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