Michigan Department of Transportation Director Brad Wieferich says 2025 showed how collaboration and long-term investment continue to improve roads statewide, even amid funding challenges.
Speaking on the Talking Michigan Transportation Podcast, Wieferich said drivers may not care who owns a road, but many local Main Streets are actually state trunk lines, making coordination with cities and counties essential.
“Many, many, many towns, villages, cities have a trunk line that operates as their main street, so we know how important it is that we engage with those folks,” Wieferich said.
The planned reconstruction of Main Street in St. Joseph, starting in 2027, is an example of such a project.
Major projects that took place in 2025 included a $19 million interchange expansion connecting US-131 with the Business Loop in Kalamazoo.
“This is another one of those legacy gifts that the engineers of today were given by our predecessors. It was kind of a one-way interchange. You could get on northbound and off southbound, but that was it. I think by providing the additional connections, you’re opening up not only improving operations and the ability for people to move, but also for economic development.”
There was also the ongoing $204 million I-94 reconstruction project in Berrien County. MDOT completed another stretch of the highway this year and will resume in the spring with the third and final year of that work.
Wieferich says strong community relationships, clear communication, and listening to local needs remain key to delivering projects that truly serve Michigan residents.
MDOT has released a Year in Review video, which you can see here:
