The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is awarding a state Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF) Category F grant of $375,000 to the Marquette County Road Commission (MCRC) to improve County Road 492.
County Road 492, between Wright Street and the Marquette city limit, serves as part of the main commercial route in Marquette Township on the northern outskirts of the city of Marquette. Substantial commercial traffic, primarily related to the mining and forestry industries, have contributed to the deterioration of the roadway. To preserve the route’s all-season capability, the MCRC will resurface the roadway and enhance safety by constructing new dedicated left-turn lanes at the intersection of County Road 492 and Forestville Road/Commerce Drive.
The total cost of construction is $500,000, with $375,000 in Category F funds and $125,000 from the MCRThe grant was one of 10 announced throughout the state, ranging from $168,000 to $375,000 and totaling more than $3.1 million. The grant funding is a competitive program; 43 applications totaling $13.9 million were received.
Enacted in 1987 and reauthorized in 1993, the TEDF helps finance highway, road and street projects that are critical to the movement of people and products, and getting workers to their jobs, materials to growers and manufacturers, and finished goods to consumers. TEDF “Category F” or “Urban Areas in Rural Counties” grants provide state funding for public roadway improvements that create system continuity with the secondary all-season road system.
Category F grants provide funding for projects that include improving access to the state all-season system or improving safety and all-season capabilities on routes having high commercial traffic. Eligible road agencies include county road commissions, cities and villages. More information about the program is available online at www.michigan.gov/tedf.
