MDOT officials outline Section 107 design-and-engineering structure, staffing and consulting mix

Michigan Department of Transportation officials told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Local Transportation on May 21 that Section 107 of the state transportation budget covers the department’s design and engineering services and that most construction-related federal funds flow through capital outlay road and bridge appropriations.

The briefing, led by Demetrius “Dee” Parker, bureau director of MDOT’s Bureau of Development, and Patrick McCarthy of MDOT’s Bureau of Finance and Administration, explained MDOT’s central-office and regional roles, staffing counts, consultant use and several current initiatives including digital 3-D modeling pilots and ongoing public-private partnership payments for I‑75.

MDOT’s Section 107 appropriation, Parker said, supports three broad “buckets” of work: program development and delivery (PDD), which includes region and Transportation Service Center (TSC) staff; system operations management (SAWM), which covers central-bureau functions such as permits and research; and business services, which include small-business support and legal services. “PDD” staff, Parker said, are the region- and TSC-based employees who manage projects and oversee construction in the field.

The nut graf: The committee sought specifics because Section 107 funds pay for personnel and services that support design, inspection and project delivery across Michigan. Lawmakers pressed MDOT for clearer dollar-level mappings of federal and state funds to TSCs, regions and central bureaus, and requested follow-up reports from MDOT on how appropriation lines map to actual expenditures.

Most important facts and supporting details

• Organization and scope: Parker described an MDOT structure led by Director Bradley Wefrick with a chief administrative…