DETROIT – President Joe Biden will be in Detroit on Wednesday to discuss the infrastructure plan.
The $1 trillion federal infrastructure spending law includes billions of dollars for Michigan. The money will go to fixing roads, replacing lead water pipes, expanding access to high-speed internet, and electric vehicle charging stations.
Read: What $1T federal infrastructure law means for Michigan
Sarah Leblanc experienced flooding in her home and said she believes now more than ever that Michigan residents are paying attention to aging infrastructure and the crumbling roads.
“I was driving with my daughter on Telegraph Road yesterday and my trunk popped open,” Leblanc said.
The infrastructure bill will send billions to Michigan, including $7.3 billion to fix roads and $563 million for bridges.
“We’re making a huge dent into our road and bridge problem that we have in Michigan. But we certainly haven’t fixed our long-standing sustainable solution that we need,” Lance Binoniemi, with the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA), said.
MITA said the bill is a promising first step but costlier problems impacting homeowners aren’t necessarily visible.
“As long as your toilet is flushing and you’re getting relatively clean water out of your tap, people think everything is fine,” Binoniemi said. “We see issues like Benton Harbor and Flint and you see sinkholes and Frasier. Our underground infrastructure Michigan is past its lifecycle.”
There will be $1.3 billion for underground infrastructure. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist said federal support backs state funding to “fix the damn roads.”
“It’s going to be a game changer. It’s going to be a job creator and lay the groundwork for the future of our economy,” Gilchrist said.
Read: Biden signs $1T infrastructure deal with bipartisan crowd