MDOT briefs appropriations subcommittee on how Michigan plans, builds and maintains roads

Greg Bruner, Michigan Department of Transportation chief operations officer and chief engineer, told the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Local Transportation at a committee meeting that MDOT organizes statewide planning, design and construction through five bureaus and seven regional offices and that the agency runs a roughly $3.8 billion Michigan Transportation Fund supplemented by federal aid.

Bruner said the department oversees about 10,000 miles of state routes and nearly 4,800 bridges and that Michigan’s overall road network is extensive — roughly 122,000 miles of roads and almost 12,000 bridges statewide — with large freight volumes passing through the state. “About $944,000,000,000 in freight is moved each year through Michigan” across highways, rail, air and water, he said.

The overview sought to explain why the department uses specific procurement, permitting and maintenance practices and how MDOT coordinates with local governments and outside agencies. That matters because MDOT-controlled routes carry a disproportionate share of commercial traffic and because the department’s choices affect travel safety, freight movement and the timing of local repairs and projects.

Bruner outlined MDOT’s project life cycle: multi-year scoping and local engagement, design, a public advertisement period for bids (typically six weeks), award to the low bidder and field inspection…