ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. – General Motors announced a $4 billion investment in its Orion Township Assembly last year to transform it to make EV Silverado pickups.
When announced, one thing was clear, the pothole-laden mess surrounding the plant and the immediate commercial corridor had to go.
“We can’t open the most state-of-the-art plant on planet earth with infrastructure that doesn’t support it,” said Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett. “Some of our gravel roads are in better shape.”
The 2.6-mile stretch of Giddings, Silverbell, and Brown roads has been awful for years but lobbying the county wasn’t working, and Lansing wasn’t ready to commit either.
Barnett, a Republican, found a partner in Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat. Through their work and bipartisanship, Slotkin announced $7 million in federal dollars, which will pay for rebuilding the roads, not just a patch job.
Senator Gary Peters managed to secure $1 million to add to it, which means that not only the plant but the Brown Road commercial corridor is getting an upgrade with talks of a new hospital facility being placed there as well.
“I’m such an advocate for regionalism and bipartisanship,” Barnett said. “We have to work together across city and county lines. It just makes sense.”