Whitmer Kicks Off Final Road Repair Season as West Michigan Counties Brace for Orange Barrels and Construction Delays

Spring is here in Michigan, and so is another year of orange construction barrels and detours across West Michigan.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer officially marked the start of the 2026 road construction season Wednesday at a ceremony in Plymouth, calling it her final year to deliver on her signature campaign pledge to fix state roads.

"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."

The governor rolled out an orange barrel and moved gravel at an M-14 construction site to launch the warm weather road repair season, celebrating what she called a nearly $2 billion annual funding deal with the Legislature.

[What This Means for West Michigan Drivers]

Across West Michigan, motorists should expect traffic delays, lane closures, and detours throughout the construction season. The governor's office projects the administration will repair more than 26,500 lane miles of road and nearly 2,000 bridges since Whitmer took office in 2019.

[Specific West Michigan Construction Projects]

In Mason County, the Michigan Department of Transportation plans resurfacing work on U.S. 10 between Brye Road and U.S. 31. The Mason County Road Commission has also scheduled multiple road projects as part of its annual program.

In Oceana County, MDOT has scheduled bridge work on U.S. 31 over the Pentwater River. The Ottawa County Road Commission plans on installing three roundabouts, overhauling two bridges, and working on four resurfacing projects in 2026.

In Muskegon, city officials have announced reconstruction and infrastructure work on several streets, including Catherine Avenue and Lakeshore Drive.

In Lake County, state officials said crews are looking to repair bridges over U.S. 131 at 144th Avenue near Dorr, as well as I-196 over the Kalamazoo River east of Saugatuck.

The Allegan County Road Commission has six major road resurfacing efforts on its slate for the year.

[The Funding Deal That Keeps Giving]

The governor said 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.

"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 with the Michigan Department of Transportation. "We anticipate substantial completion to be at the end of this year with restoration to be in the spring of next year."

Whitmer said the package substantially fulfills her signature campaign pledge to "fix the damn roads." She noted that through seven balanced, bipartisan budgets, more than $31 billion has been invested into fixing Michigan's roads and bridges.

[The Marijuana Tax Problem]

But a significant portion of that road funding is in question because it relies 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.

An industry spokesperson 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," said Rose Tantraphol, spokesperson for the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association. "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."

[Construction Projects Across the Region]

The Allegan County Road Commission has six major road resurfacing efforts on its slate for the year.

In Kent County, the northbound U.S. 131/Franklin Street on and off ramps just south of downtown Grand Rapids will be closed from early April through mid-November, 2026. The southbound ramps will remain open as part of a project to rebuild the Martin Luther King Jr. Street bridge over U.S. 131. Martin Luther King Jr. Street itself will be closed from U.S. 131 to Ionia Avenue, and traffic will be detoured using Division Avenue, Hall Street and Century Avenue.

In Oceana County, the OCRC plans on installing three roundabouts, overhaul two bridges, and work on four resurfacing projects in 2026.

[The Bigger Picture]

"This start of construction season isn't just good news for our roads, it's good news for Michigan families, Michigan workers, and Michigan communities," said Rob Coppersmith, executive vice president of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association. "This boost in investment was decades in the making, and it happened because leaders finally put Michigan ahead of politics."

The long-term road funding package was announced in October 2025, allocating nearly $2 billion a year into Michigan's state and local roads. The administration says the road funding package protects funding for schools and other essential services.

"We will fix more of the damn roads in communities across Michigan," Whitmer said in a statement. "I ran on fixing the damn roads, and I am proud to keep my promise and get it done with this year's balanced, bipartisan budget. We're making a historic nearly $2 billion investment to fix state and local roads, create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and lower costs for drivers across Michigan. We have a lot of work to do, so let's move some dirt and fix those damn roads!"

[What Drivers Need to Know]

Officials said motorists should expect traffic delays, lane closures and detours throughout the construction season. While the governor celebrated the investment, drivers across West Michigan will feel it in their daily commutes as crews work on state highways and county roads simultaneously.

The full list of current construction projects can be found on MDOT's Mi Drive Construction List, which allows users to view traffic cameras, speeds, locate incidents, and construction updates.

[The Final Season]

This is Whitmer's final year in office, and she said the road package substantially fulfills her signature campaign pledge to "fix the damn roads." While not everything she initially sought, including an ill-fated 45-cent per gallon increase in the gas tax, Whitmer said the almost $2 billion a year road funding deal she signed last year is a long-term funding source to fix roads and bridges, although more will be needed at some point.

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