Gaylord/Otsego Chamber
101 West Main
P.O. Box 513
Gaylord, MI 49734
Phone: (989) 732-6333
Phone: (800) 345-8621
Fax: (989) 732-7990
Contact us via email:
I-75 East-West Crossing, Gaylord, Michigan
UPDATE: I-75 Crossing Task Force Considers Local Funding
Gaylord, Michigan — October 10, 2005 — In their continued effort to solve the growing traffic problem on west M-32, a subcommittee of the I-75 Crossing Task Force has put together a plan to raise the funds necessary to match the $12 million earmarked in the recently passed federal transportation bill for two new I-75 crossings in Gaylord. Michigan Department of Transportation officials had previously indicated that the state would not be able to fund the required 20% non-federal portion of community initiated projects funded by the transportation bill. The subcommittee’s plan calls for approaching the voters in 2006 to approve a 5 year millage to fund the balance of the costs to build an at-grade crossing and interchange at Milbocker and McCoy and an overpass at Van Tyle and South Wisconsin.
“The state has indicated that they are not able to help us out with funding at this point,” said Ken Glasser, Vice Chair of the Otsego County Board of Commissioners and Task Force member. “And this project is too important for us to stand by and wait. Our federal elected officials worked hard to secure the $12 million for our community. We feel it is now up to us to make the project happen and that means coming up with the balance of the funds locally.”
The subcommittee, composed of representatives of the County Board, three Township Supervisors, the City Manager, County and City Treasurers, and Economic Alliance Director, will be making a formal presentation to the Otsego County Township Officers Association on November 1 and the Otsego County Board of Commissioners on November 8. The public is invited to both presentations.
“Our federal and state elected officials have really worked hard to help us solve this traffic problem.” said Joe Duff, City Manager and Task Force member. “We are now focused on the steps necessary to utilize the $12 million earmark. That means additional studies and design engineering. The federal funds we received require at least 20% of the project cost to come from non-federal sources. If the state can’t provide it, it means it is up to us.”
UPDATE
The U.S. Senate approved and sent to the president a $286.4-billion transportation bill that will provide more than $1.123 billion annually to fund transportation projects in Michigan, including $12 million for the I-75 East-West Crossing Project.
What can you do to help?
The planning process involved a partnership of City, County, Townships, Road Commission and Economic Development. The implementation will require an even bigger partnership that will include our federal and state legislators, the Governor’s office, our federal and state highway agencies, and the support of our community and region.
Now that our elected federal officials have done their work, we need to direct letters of support to our state elected officials including our Governor. Senator Stamas and Representative Elsenheimer have been working to secure funding in the state appropriations legislation for the balance of this project, but we need to let Governor Granholm know how important it is to us so that it stays in.
To this end and at the behest of our elected state officials we are asking our community to send letters in support of state funding for the proposed crossings. We have prepared a draft template letter for this purpose along with addresses for our legislators (see menu on left).
Improvements to the transportation system in the Gaylord/I-75 corridor are vital to the economic success of Gaylord and Otsego County and will benefit all of Northern Lower Michigan. We hope you recognize this and will help support our efforts
What’s Next?
The I-75 Crossing Task Force will be working very closely with the Michigan Department of Transportation to determine what will need to happen next and when. We will also need to redouble our local efforts to plan and construct improvements to the local road network to support the planned crossings. Two of these projects will be done this year (Dickerson and South Townline Roads) and a third (Krys Road) is already scheduled for 2007.
As this critical project moves forward this community has to continue working together. This project will have significant long-term implications for growth and development throughout our community. Everyone in our community is affected by our growth and development no matter which jurisdiction you live in. We want to continue to encourage our County, City and Township leaders to embrace the coordinated planning effort now being led by the County Land Use Services Director. Good land use planning in and around Gaylord will be critical to achieving the community’s desired balance between growth and maintaining our up north character. We can build infrastructure to lessen some of the congestion caused by our growth, but only good coordinated land use planning can manage it for the long-term.
History of I-75 East-West Crossing Study, Gaylord, Michigan
BackgroundIn February 2002 several local leaders initiated a meeting with representatives of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) North Region and Grayling TSC. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the emerging traffic congestion on M-32 at the I-75 interchange. The result was MDOT’s acknowledgement of the problem and the recommendation to apply for MDOT planning funds to conduct a detailed traffic study of the corridor. By August 2003, funding had been secured. Working with the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments and committee of local leaders and citizens, the study was completed in July 2004.
The study verified the growing traffic congestion problem and determined that with continued growth in the community, the level of service of the main roadways in the corridor would deteriorate to the lowest levels. The study recommended a number of improvements. Those generating the most significant impact were the construction of two crossings to reconnect roads severed by the construction of I-75 back in the 1960’s. The study also suggested that one of these crossings be constructed as a new interchange.
Implementation of Study
A Task Force of local elected and community leaders, formed to implement the recommendations of the study, determined that the first priority is the funding and construction of the two I-75 crossings including a new interchange. However, the estimated cost of these projects and improvements to the local roads to support these crossings will require significant federal and state funding support.
On April 22 the Implementation Task Force made a presentation to our elected federal and state officials, the Governor’s Northern Michigan Representative and staff from the Michigan Department of Transportation. This presentation outlined our planning process and results, discussed the specific projects and their costs and asked what we, as a community, will need to do to secure federal and state investment in these projects.
Contact
If you have any questions or require any additional information, please call Jeff Ratcliffe at the Otsego County Economic Alliance at (989) 731-0288 or via e-mail at ratclifj@msu.edu. You can also contact any of the members of the Implementation Task Force.
I-75 Crossing Implementation Task Force
Paul Beachnau, Chair, Otsego County Board of Commissioners
Allen Bentz, Otsego County Board of Commissioners
Norm Brecheisen, Supervisor, Livingston Township
Tom Deans, P.E., Otsego County Road Commission
Joe Duff, Manager, City of Gaylord
Dick Edmonds, Director, Otsego County Land Use Services
Bill Giles, Supervisor, Bagley Township
Ken Glasser, Vice Chair, Otsego County Board of Commissioners
Denise Koning, Administrator, Otsego County
Jeff Ratcliffe, Executive Director, Otsego County Economic Alliance
Mike Roper, Manager, Otsego County Road Commission
Brian Sanada, Community/Transportation Planner, NEMCOG
Mary Sanders, Supervisor, Hayes Township
Gladys Solokis, Mayor, City of Gaylord
Don Tobor, Chair, Otsego County Planning Commission
