Michigan Construction Season Opens With Major Road Projects Across West Michigan as Governor Kicks Off Final Repair Season

Spring is here in Michigan, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer officially marked the start of the 2026 road construction season with a hard hat and an orange barrel at a construction site on M-14 in Plymouth.

"This is a big investment that was long overdue," Whitmer said. "There's still going to be more work to do here, no question, but this will represent a significant improvement in the infrastructure we all rely on."

Whitmer said the nearly $2 billion annual road funding deal substantially fulfills her signature campaign pledge to "fix the damn roads." The package came with a catch though — a significant portion relies on revenue from a new wholesale tax on cannabis products that is currently being challenged in court.

The construction season kicked off with two major projects in West Michigan that will directly impact local drivers and communities.

M-46 Reconstruction in Muskegon

The Michigan Department of Transportation is investing approximately $18.6 million to rebuild more than 2 miles of M-46 from Muskegon Avenue to Home Street in Muskegon County.

The project is expected to start on April 15, 2026, and will involve major reconstruction of one of the city's primary north-south corridors. The rebuild will improve traffic flow and road conditions for drivers traveling through the region.

M-14 Reconstruction in Plymouth

In Wayne County, MDOT has invested $143 million in the M-14/I-96 project, which is more than 60-percent complete. The three-year project will be completed in November and includes major reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads and bridges in the area.

"This year's work will focus on the westbound direction of M-14, and including the median and all of the lanes," said Adam Penzenstadler, manager of MDOT's Taylor Transportation Service Center. "We anticipate substantial completion to be at the end of this year with restoration to be in the spring of next year."

The project includes rebuilding 4 miles of highway, revamping 17 bridges, and installing sewer lines to improve drainage. MDOT estimates the investment will support more than 1,200 union jobs.

The Funding Package and Its Controversy

The road funding package was announced in October 2025, allocating nearly $2 billion a year into Michigan's state and local roads. Through seven balanced, bipartisan budgets, the administration says more than $31 billion was invested into fixing Michigan's roads and bridges.

They estimate that 26,500 lane miles of road and almost 2,000 bridges will be fixed between when Whitmer took office in 2019 and the end of the 2026 construction season.

The package includes eliminating the sales tax on fuel purchases and replacing it with a separate gasoline tax, which ensures all taxes collected at the pump go to roads. Some corporate tax revenue is also now used for roads.

But the sustainability of the funding plan is in question because it relies heavily on revenue from a new wholesale tax on cannabis products.

That tax is being challenged in two separate lawsuits filed by the state's recreational marijuana industry on the grounds it violates a 2018 voter initiative because the Legislature did not adopt it with super majorities and that it exceeds the sales tax rate set in the Michigan Constitution.

Rose Tantraphol, spokesperson for the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association, said it would be a mistake for the state to continue to count on revenue from the wholesale tax on marijuana for road revenue.

"There's nothing sustainable about the road funding plan," Tantraphol said. "It was established through an unconstitutional process and sets up a tax structure that is illegal. The road funding compromise singled out the cannabis industry and has already triggered business closures and job losses. Undercutting one industry isn't going to raise the revenue that the state hopes to raise."

Whitmer acknowledged that not everything she initially sought was included in the final package. The administration originally proposed a 45-cent per gallon increase in the gas tax, but that did not make it into the final deal.

"I'm talking about the nature of infrastructure — it's never done," Whitmer said. "You're always rebuilding and we've let it go for so long without a real infusion of sustainable dollars."

Construction Already Underway

MDOT officials said the $143 million invested on the M-14/I-96 project has already begun impacting drivers in the region. An ongoing construction project on M-14 in Wayne County was part of the focus of the event in Plymouth on Wednesday.

"That also allowed for rebuilding some of the I-275 non-motorized pathway and several major ramps at the interchange," Penzenstadler said.

You can find a complete list of all the current construction projects in the state here.

What This Means for West Michigan

For West Michigan communities, the M-46 project in Muskegon represents significant improvement to a critical transportation corridor. The rebuild will improve traffic flow and reduce road deterioration for drivers traveling between the city center and surrounding areas.

The M-14 project in Plymouth continues to impact Wayne County commuters, but the substantial investment ensures that one of the state's most heavily traveled freeways receives the attention it needs.

As construction season ramps up across the state, Michigan drivers should expect more orange barrels and road work. The nearly $2 billion annual investment represents a historic commitment to infrastructure, but questions remain about whether the funding will be sustainable if the cannabis tax challenges succeed in court.