this is called bid rigging. its supposed to be illegal but so is everything else the government does. hard to get in trouble when you answer to no one but your self ya know.
It’s stupid they hire these idiot people to do our roads you can literally predict when they will be working on a road again you’ll see them doing construction redo the roads and a few years later they’re doing them again and that’s exactly what’s happening right now where I live
@@chugginbeersMichigan was a red state for 8 years and the roads were still shit. Also the water gave children lead poisoning. Politicians in Michigan are more corrupt in general. Especially since Detroits bankruptcy.
I wonder if we started a gofundme for fixing all the michigan roads and sewers and getting rid of all the lead pipes and stop paying taxes until michigan can provide us with the documentation that our tax payer dollars aren't going too half ass companies. By cutting out the middle man we could literally pave the roads with gold. Just saying.
It's not money laundering when the road work is getting DONE. Not JUST done, but completely re-designed with roundabouts instead of old-fashioned traffic signals, in many areas, too.
@@DetroitMicroSound yeah ok money laundering comes in many forms…such as construction one can assume that the government is receiving kickbacks (quid pro quo’s) to give certain companies annual contractual approvals even though their work is poor. Why utilize millions on an annual basis when you know the work is going to go to shyt by the next year instead of going with the best contractor for the job? I’m sure if the tax payers could vote we would know which company to choose. Money laundering can easily be in the form of a $60k job costing $100k both parties profit the addition $40k and no one bats an eye because it’s the amount approved for the job to be completed.
Yes it was, but the camera work was extremely weird. What was up with filming parts from ground level? And then for no reason at one point a sepia filter was turned on for like 2 seconds? So weird.
Something tells me that all of you probably complaining about the insane amount of construction going on and blame Democrats for that too. Damned if they do, damned if they dont. If only you held both parties to the same standards. But i suppose that makes it harder for you to show up at rallies, bellies full of beer body painted red, white and blue! Go Red team!! Goooo politics!!! 🎉 Youre all such rubes!!
Just wait til they hit the part where they reveal MDOT materials testing labs are revealed they have been gundecking test reports... It's more common nationwide than you think.
I moved to Michigan in '92. From way back then, I can remember someone telling me that " they do just enough to keep them working steady". 32 years later ,& that statement appears to be more truth than conspiracy. How else can you explain " Summer construction season" every ....damn....year???
If you worked on these roads and seen how these state engineers only repair certain sections, you'd understand why the same are falls apart shortly after.
I lived in Ohio in 1980's and the word was that, "What is good for the auto industry is selling more cars, so Michigan roads are designed and not maintained to keep the demand for replacement vehicles high."
Well there's always been a huge auto industry in Ohio too, Toledo Cleveland previously lordstown, theres still steel being produced, so that's a hell of a cop out for us
@roaddawg3217 The thing is though, major interchanges have needed updated safer traffic flow patterns in Michigan for 50 years. Ohio has gotten a lot of that redone. Truck Drivers know the roads in Michigan and where these designed-to-cause wrecks places are.
@@rossjohnson1872 exactly, which is why that was the worst excuse in the history of excusedom, like I traveled in Canada daily for a time in my trucking career, same climate, or worse, same industries, and their trucks run all kinds of axle configurations and their legal gross is heavier, however they build their roads extra durable to accommodate, nice and smooth 98% of the time!
you all realize that most all federal funding and state tax revenues are spent south of Lansing. North of Grand Rapids is the hinterland in the eyes of Lansing dems and not worth the effort. Not exaggerating.
Our terrible governor ran her campaign on the saying "fix the damn roads" now she wants to be the president of the United States........ do not let that happen !
@@justinburton918 the damn roads are all under construction, lanes closed, detours.. traffic backups .. it's insane. Most people in MI are already driving SUVs and Trucks to deal with the crappy roads, open them up.
We took a trip from NC to Canada in 2019. There was no “welcome to Michigan” sign on 75 at that time. But l knew immediately the minute we crossed into Michigan. The roads were awful, the cars and trucks around me immediately started to look like something from Mad Max.
Doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure that out. They say the road is concrete yet you can just look at it and tell it isnt. They must think everyone is blind and stupid.
Our road taxes at the pump have been raised many times over the years, all with the promise of repairing the roads. Of course all it has gone to is special interest projects. Never the roads. Just a way for politicians to get more money out of tax payers.
My brother used to work for the city of Troy. He asked one of the road department guys, about the condition of the roads. He was told, "they build them for a five year lifespan".
Weird how the governor went on a spending spree the past few years and spent all sorts of money on pet projects, except the roads. Enjoy that million dollar Cricket field if you can get there without getting a flat from a pothole. This is what happens when you elect people into office without looking at what their policies/priorities are.
@@Emmy-Jthe only toll road I know of there is I-80. I was shocked when I moved to Michigan and saw huge, beautiful homes on unpaved roads in metro Detroit. They paved all the country roads in the early 90’s in Ohio so you don’t have to zigzag when going through the country to stay on a paved road.
@@Emmy-J That is not the reason - watch the report, they only use the toll road money on that one toll road not all the other roads. Ohio has 50K of roads, Michigan 25K - the do more with less. Simple, Michigan is not doing a good job.
Sounds like Michigan needs to fire all their DOT directors and start over. If they just adopt all of Ohio's processes and follow exactly what Ohio does they'd have an instant solution. You gotta love stupid politicians who think they're smarter than everybody else. Maybe now Ohio can come and teach the DOT idiots in the southern and south/west states how to build good roads as well.
Unfortunetly I've been driving Michigan roads for 57 years, it was a problem from the 60s up till today , doesn't matter who's in charge, Mich is one of few states with a .06 cent sales tax on gas, at $3 or 4 a gallon do the math, .18 to .24 a gallon that's $3.50 to $5.00 on a 20 gallon fill, that money goes into the general fund for pork barrel projects not roads.
Oh, I wouldn't do that. Ohio just wastes tax money, on the same goddamn roads, for years. They also don't look at maximizing capacity on the highways; instead, they throw bridges up on already crowded dirt.
Here’s how it goes in Michigan. Almost nothing happens except cones and traffic disruption until early November. Then suddenly miles of roads suddenly get coated with lie cost, easy to lay blacktop get done in less than two weeks before the weather goes bad. In less than a year or two those black top roads will start to degrade and you won’t be able to tell anything was ever done. Once in a while they use cheap roll and go. Where they spray a layer of tar and drop a thin layer of gravel over it. Very temporary. Repeat the cycle. Money wasted and politicians get to say they “fixed” the roads.
@@BradiKal61as someone who lived in Ohio and moved to Michigan recently, this isn’t correct. Ohio actually builds shit decently. The major i75 refresh right across the state line through Toledo has been done for many years and still smooth as silk. Michigan i75 stretch is shut down every other year and still sucks ass lmao.
I commute daily from Detroit to Toledo, the contrast is night and day right at the border. The distinction doesn’t just stop at the roads but the maintenance. During the winter, the freeways are covered in snow, slush and aren’t cleaned properly. As soon as I reach Ohio the snow is properly removed and it’s smooth driving from there. But pretty much from my house until Toledo I’m praying the whole way there.
But bridge pass Toledo just finished huge construction it's already closed for repairs and another never ending project before Dublin on hwy 33 3 years already and not near finishing. Not everything smooth in Ohio either. I move to Michigan from Chicago in 2015 and want to say it huge improvements bur still lots need to bee done.
I'm surprised that nobody realizes that "Fix the damn roads" is nothing more than an election talking point. I have lived in Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin...Michigan roads are the worst, it's not even close. If you put Stevie Wonder in a car and drive him from Ohio to Michigan, he could tell you exactly where the border is. Toll roads do make a difference, but our Democrats would funnel the tolls into some other bridge-to-nowhere project and then try to come up with another reason to raise registration fees or gas taxes.
Don’t believe the lies! They charge 55 billion a year in fuel taxes via every gallon of Gasoline & diesel! ( as well as Registration a semi registration is $2200 a year) That money is supposed to build & maintenance the roads! Instead you have most of that money paying government officials 6 & 7 figures a year salaries, paying the road workers a fraction of that and funneling juicy road contracts to their friends & families whom donate to their campaigns!
MDOT is a complete joke and is owned by certain big road construction companies. They build them for jobs, not longevity. It needs a complete overhaul.
Michigan also allows truckers to carry far heavier loads than any other state. Multiple-tens of thousands of heavier loads on one big rig will negatively impact the roads. Additionally, the "patching" Mi uses, where they do not smooth down the quickest asphalt does not help at all and leads to bumpy roads.
Excellent reporting! My father was in the road construction work, was an equipment operator, and he helped build the original I94. He is passed now, but, long ago we didnt have pot hole problems, the roads were strong and held up. His claim for the more modern road quality issues were, the pavement recipe was purposely changed, made weaker, so it would require more frequent repairs and work...which equated to more jobs to repair or replace. So, if they build them correctly, they would hold better. And some say we run too heavy now, i dont believe that. We've always run heavy in Michigan, its just now you see more axles than back then, and thats a good thing because it disperses the weight easier & more evenly onto the road.
Nah, Ohio just put lipstick on a pig that is their roads. Ohio roads are only nice when you get close to the state line, other than that Ohio roads are trash. I mean, they have been working on the 35/75 transition for over 20 years now. Ohio roads SUCK dont let this state fool you into looking at us as the standard.
Yup! I'm a truck driver, and can vouch michigan by far is the worst. I've been to every state in the upper 48. It's not even close. I do see a lot of overweight trucks on michigan roads, too.
Also a truck driver. Illinois is much worse than Michigan. Ohio has toll roads which adds money to the budget. Also the US23/I75/I475 though Toledo has been under construction for at least 10yrs STRAIGHT. Its never full open. Sure the surface is better but its never finished.
Ohio, uses new materials, not seconds, they also reinforce the concrete like it's supposed to be done. The ash Ohio use is a foot thick not a 1/4 inch.
No surprises there regarding taxation in Michigan. “The lottery money will be for schools”, “The gas taxes will be for roads”. It’s eye opening that our governor wasn’t available for an interview. I hope that in the second segment you asked, or learned how long does Ohio roads last vs Michigan roads.
Its been decades since the Michigan Legislators voted to put the Lottery in the genneral funds but blame Whitmer for that if AM radio tells you to think that way 😅
@@BradiKal61 I’m not blaming anyone but the state itself! When these things are passed they state one thing, and do entirely another thing with the money and then the finger pointing starts.
@@BradiKal61it’s definitely been both parties and unfortunately the same thing for 30+ years. I don’t think the OP was picking sides but more so blaming the whole.
michigan manages half as much miles of roadway and yet gets more in gas taxes and yet never fixes the roads properly because of the corruption with awarding the contracts and kickbacks
Michigan has the highest truck weight limits in North America, that can be utilized on a regular basis, with a limit of 164,000 lb gross weight limit, and truck trailer combinations limited to 11 axles.
The University of Michigan had a group design a tough type of asphalt formula and GAVE IT to the Road Commission. They paved some overpasses with it, but didn't say which ones and that's the last heard of that. I believe it used old tires too, to help get rid of them... There's a lot of money in road repair. Plenty enough to go 'round to every official who can keep the sad state going. Everyone with oversight powers must be on the payroll.
@@OnePride313 But she campaigned on the promise to fix the damn roads? Are they fixed in your opinion? You're of course going to say she's doing that, but will they be fixed 5 -10 years after she's gone? I am not so hopeful. I suspect it was a bullshit campaign promise to do more of the same instead of actually fixing anything,.
BS, where? I just drove that to the airport. If youre talking about the patched section past exit 10 theyre only bandaiding that until they completely repave it like theyve already done from the state line to exit 10 and from 15 to 275.
Republicans never fixed the roads, and they were the majority power in Michigan for the last 20 years until recently. The problem is corruption, and it's both parties problem.
I will say, as bad as Stretchen is, she hasn't run companies and jobs out of the state at the pace Granholm did. That bitch left this state to die and flew off to California to ruin that state
10 minutes and they gloss over one of the most important factors. Maximum allowed weight in Ohio 80,000 lbs. Maximum allowed weight in Michigan 160,000 lbs
@@bluesman311 Federal law controls maximum gross vehicle weights and axle loads on the Interstate System. Federal limits are 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, 20,000 pounds on a single axle, and 34,000 pounds on a tandem axle group. 160k load is illegal in every single state including Michigan.
@@moeal5469 Michigan has the highest truck weight limits in North America, that can be utilized on a regular basis, with a limit of 164,000 lb gross weight limit, and truck trailer combinations limited to 11 axles. if its within the state it is legal just cant cross state lines, cause that would be multi-state and that's a federal thing at that time.
As an old construction worker who worked with a lot of Mdot inspectors I can personally say that they did Not do their job. Pumpkin truck drivers were doing everything they could to let us get away with as much as possible. They didn't care how it was built, they only cared about how fast it was built.
It’s all specs and engineering. Road construction companies are HUGE political donors. And the politicians repay the favor by allowing them to build an inferior product. Thereby ensuring that they are always busy working on a hugely profitable public project. Throw a clause in the contract about a minimum guaranteed lifespan and see what happens.
You see why roads fail when working on them. Everybody blames Contractors, but it's really state engineers cutting corners to save money or speed things up.
That was 100% what I was implying with my statement. The state determines the specs. Construction companies evaluate them, then price accordingly. But our roads seem to be spec'd to last about 5 years. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
I drove from Minnesota to Toronto Canada and when I drove thru Michigan for a few hours I was hitting pot holes everywhere on the highway THE HIGHWAY!!! I ended up getting 2 flat tires before I got to the bridge to Canada
Fun fact, the Michigan legislature couldn’t agree on funding the new cross border bridge in Detroit so the Canadian federal government is paying for both sides of the bridge.
It's not as if Minnesota's are any better. Have you been to Duluth? It's like Grozny, 1995; the west side especially looks like it just endured a round-the-clock three-month-long creeping artillery barrage. I drive a lot in northern MN, WI and the UP, and unless the Lower Peninsula is just in an entirely different world than the Upper, Minnesota actually has the worst roads of the three.
One of the things I immediately noticed when I moved out of Michigan was the quality of the roads in Utah. When I lived in Michigan my car was constantly in the shop for tires and alignments. I’ve saved a lot of money on my car insurance and car repairs since leaving the Mitten.
Stop putting so much money to welfare!!! Michigan!!! Put it into roads instead!!! State Government assistance should not be a lifestyle. Yet it is!!! In Michigan.
Let's not forget 2015 when everybody's registration went up in gas tax for 1.2 billion Road funding package in Michigan and guess what not a damn thing happens Michigan is a crooked place to live
I remember when Obama suspended the gas tax and the oil companies jacked the prices up higher... even though they don't get the tax portion. Gotta love stupidity.
There was a lot done with it Michigan imported a bunch of new votes and put the rest of money into their inbreeding for a vote Section 8 Housing and Welfare programs
@@ajaxbacExactly. They shown Republican and Democrat governors saying that they will get the roads fixed at the beginning. I guess he didn’t play close enough attention.
Really?? Because it takes 3 hours to get from Southfield to Novi with that 696-96 stuff. All the construction is in that area. And they are just sitting on their a** every time you drive by. I’d say the problem is the one who is managing these projects. A 2 year old would do it better.
Blah blah blah... the problem is MDOT. They've always been the problem. Kudos to Fox 2 for reporting this issue, because no one ever talks about the heart of the problem.
Another thing that would help when the people patching the roads would care about what they are doing by not just tossing a heap of cold patch in the whole so the plows take it back out on the first snow
How many times has I-275 been completely rebuilt in my lifetime? I was born in 84. I've counted three, including this current rebuild. That is unacceptable. A road should last at least 100 years. Anything less is lazy incompetence.
Opened in 1976 using a new type of pavement design (continuous reinforced concrete) that didn't have joints and instead had continuous reinforcing steel to hold it together. They were investigating failures by 1978. They kept it passable for another 20 years until they finally rebuilt it in 1999/2000 which was with an experimental texturing that caused a lot of noise. In 2001 the texture was ground off at a cost of several million dollars and by 2005, joints started failing and the problem got progressively worse. This time it was "ASR" or "concrete cancer" that resulted from an interaction between deicing salts and the aggregate in the concrete. It was a phenomenon that was known about but not really widespread in 1999 until several years later when a huge number of these projects from 1997-2003 failed (including the original 2001 runway at Detroit Metro's McNamara Terminal to a cost of $300M). So in 2016, it was rebuilt again (although the original shoulders sit beneath the new ones). Nothing experimental this time. Hopefully it holds up. But the typical design life for concrete pavements in Michigan is 35 years. Some can go much longer with proper maintenance. 100 years is a stretch. It would be functionally obsolete by that time. Although I did just replace a 100 year old concrete pavement (part of the original 1923 US-127) but the lanes were only 10 feet wide and it rode very rough.
@@user-yv4mm6bx3c Nope, my grandpa said even back then they had surveyors going back to the 1930s that always closed lanes and screwed with traffic while they were designing it.
The Unions have all the control. Over everything, they have every incentive. To patch and keep repairing the same road every 5 years. The most u can get is asphalt resurfacing. Then after 5 years it looks the same again.
@@BradiKal61 There are 1,739 labor unions in Michigan. Combined, these Michiganian unions employ 11,080 people, earn more than $825 million in revenue each year, and have assets of $2 billion. Uaw - International Union Uaw, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Div of Ibt, Michigan Education Association, International Union UAW Local 598, and UAW Local 600.United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners - Michigan Regional Council, International Union of Operating Engineers' Local 324, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No 58 earn the majority of revenues among nonprofits in Michigan unions.
you cant fix the roads because there is too much money being embezzled by persons of interest, road construction is a lucrative cash cow for insiders and factor in the corruption at the government level..... if i wanted to undermine the road system in a country and turn it into a cash cow i would cut cracks in the road surface and get as much water into the road foundation as i could, and then blame it on freeze and thaw cycles
Can’t wait to see part 2, maybe more funding should go to MDOT instead of Health and Human Services. Michigan has mounds of revenue coming in and the roads are lacking. 😮😮😮😮😮
Why roads suck? Because corupt officials , hire crap contractors. And get major kick backs.
this is called bid rigging. its supposed to be illegal but so is everything else the government does. hard to get in trouble when you answer to no one but your self ya know.
high water table in MI ... destroys the roads
It’s stupid they hire these idiot people to do our roads you can literally predict when they will be working on a road again you’ll see them doing construction redo the roads and a few years later they’re doing them again and that’s exactly what’s happening right now where I live
Not to mention the soil type of most Michigan, along with most of the south being at or near sea level…
like for real they have discoverd how to make roman concrete why cant we just replace the roads with that. concrete that repairs itself.
Ohio. Cut and fix section. Michigan. Throw a shovel full of asphalt in the mud puddle.
And a tamper is just not on the truck at all. Only shovels
Yep
Ohio is like Iraq , the dump of USA
Yup, thhe differwnce between red and blue states. Drive anywhere in the country and the red states will have nicer roads
@@chugginbeersMichigan was a red state for 8 years and the roads were still shit. Also the water gave children lead poisoning. Politicians in Michigan are more corrupt in general. Especially since Detroits bankruptcy.
Money laundering
I wonder if we started a gofundme for fixing all the michigan roads and sewers and getting rid of all the lead pipes and stop paying taxes until michigan can provide us with the documentation that our tax payer dollars aren't going too half ass companies. By cutting out the middle man we could literally pave the roads with gold.
Just saying.
💯🎯
It's not money laundering when the road work is getting DONE. Not JUST done, but completely re-designed with roundabouts instead of old-fashioned traffic signals, in many areas, too.
@@DetroitMicroSound yeah ok money laundering comes in many forms…such as construction one can assume that the government is receiving kickbacks (quid pro quo’s) to give certain companies annual contractual approvals even though their work is poor. Why utilize millions on an annual basis when you know the work is going to go to shyt by the next year instead of going with the best contractor for the job? I’m sure if the tax payers could vote we would know which company to choose.
Money laundering can easily be in the form of a $60k job costing $100k both parties profit the addition $40k and no one bats an eye because it’s the amount approved for the job to be completed.
@@DetroitMicroSound no they literally did an investigation and found money was going missing.
For a 10 minute local news segment, this is good journalism. Lots of facts, no filler and it’s important to the local audience. Nice job. 👍🏻
Yes it was, but the camera work was extremely weird. What was up with filming parts from ground level? And then for no reason at one point a sepia filter was turned on for like 2 seconds? So weird.
It's called corruption and incompetence
It’s called: lowest bidder gets the job.
Corruption from the lowest level, all the way to the top. Your township is corrupt, your governor is corrupt.
Corruption Corruption Corruption
OH has the same problem but not bad roads. Those are just terms that always exist in government.
Remember that guy who got caught stealing $40m from Detroit? Scale that up to the whole state and it makes sense.
Exactly - where is all that weed tax money going???
@thedrainjunkie5654 probably gender studies in nigeria. Its hard to say with democrats so willing to give our wealth away.
Greed is the answer.
@@thedrainjunkie5654 Exactly. Record sales and a 10% tax for rec users there is not reason for the roads to be shit.
@@newbunny93corruption, almost every state / city has it, they steal public funds
You pay Federal, State, City, and local taxes for this NOT to be an issue, yet here we are. Where is your money going?
Overseas. In their pockets. To illegals. Stuff like that
Don't forget fuel tax and then paying for your license tabs every year. Big Gretch is a liar.
In the DemonRat's pockets !!!
Something tells me that all of you probably complaining about the insane amount of construction going on and blame Democrats for that too.
Damned if they do, damned if they dont.
If only you held both parties to the same standards.
But i suppose that makes it harder for you to show up at rallies, bellies full of beer body painted red, white and blue! Go Red team!! Goooo politics!!! 🎉
Youre all such rubes!!
@@jaydubb2636This is complete horse dung. They are talking about the Michigan of 10 years ago WHEN REPUBLICANS WERE IN CHARGE.
Michigan has been mismanaged for soooooo long. It's embarrassing.
Stupid people put up with it day in and day out.
Might be the democratic ideology
Just wait til they hit the part where they reveal MDOT materials testing labs are revealed they have been gundecking test reports... It's more common nationwide than you think.
We have the left to thank for that
Its been this way for 25+ years so cant blame the left or the right here.
keep trying tho lol
Our roads in mid Michigan suck and we see why. Our corrupt government is the reason we tax so much for the scrappiest roads.
I moved to Michigan in '92. From way back then, I can remember someone telling me that
" they do just enough to keep them working steady". 32 years later ,& that statement appears to be more truth than conspiracy. How else can you explain " Summer construction season" every ....damn....year???
Exits closed for repairs, then months later shut down again to fix the repairs.
Lol! For real dude. All the exits near me are blocked off for "construction" even though they were allegedly just repaired not even 2 years ago!
yea
If you worked on these roads and seen how these state engineers only repair certain sections, you'd understand why the same are falls apart shortly after.
I lived in Ohio in 1980's and the word was that, "What is good for the auto industry is selling more cars, so Michigan roads are designed and not maintained to keep the demand for replacement vehicles high."
that's stupid. and probably false.
@@W.J.M. was just saying what the joke has always been. Truth.
Liars see lies everywhere, liar.
Well there's always been a huge auto industry in Ohio too, Toledo Cleveland previously lordstown, theres still steel being produced, so that's a hell of a cop out for us
@roaddawg3217 The thing is though, major interchanges have needed updated safer traffic flow patterns in Michigan for 50 years. Ohio has gotten a lot of that redone. Truck Drivers know the roads in Michigan and where these designed-to-cause wrecks places are.
@@rossjohnson1872 exactly, which is why that was the worst excuse in the history of excusedom, like I traveled in Canada daily for a time in my trucking career, same climate, or worse, same industries, and their trucks run all kinds of axle configurations and their legal gross is heavier, however they build their roads extra durable to accommodate, nice and smooth 98% of the time!
It’s Money Laundering going on in Michigan. No way some of these roads take 2 years to fix just to fix the other side once it’s done
It's coming through this state.
I 75 in Toledo has been under construction for well over 5 years, not to mention the 8+ year project in Dayton.
you all realize that most all federal funding and state tax revenues are spent south of Lansing. North of Grand Rapids is the hinterland in the eyes of Lansing dems and not worth the effort. Not exaggerating.
Our terrible governor ran her campaign on the saying "fix the damn roads" now she wants to be the president of the United States........ do not let that happen !
She is Fixing the roads .. that's the problem causing traffic .. people complain more about traffic than bumpy roads.
@@KrustyKlown what you just said makes no sense. And she hasn't done anything any previous governor hasn't done for the roads.
@@justinburton918 I agree. Wherever I go, there are orange barrels, but I don’t see shit being done. She needs to part ways with dans contracting
She put covid patients in nursing homes all while emergency covid shelters sat empty. Yet she still got re "elected"
@@justinburton918 the damn roads are all under construction, lanes closed, detours.. traffic backups .. it's insane. Most people in MI are already driving SUVs and Trucks to deal with the crappy roads, open them up.
We took a trip from NC to Canada in 2019. There was no “welcome to Michigan” sign on 75 at that time. But l knew immediately the minute we crossed into Michigan. The roads were awful, the cars and trucks around me immediately started to look like something from Mad Max.
Somebody at the road commission is cutting corners so it's money left to steal
Doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure that out. They say the road is concrete yet you can just look at it and tell it isnt. They must think everyone is blind and stupid.
Our road taxes at the pump have been raised many times over the years, all with the promise of repairing the roads. Of course all it has gone to is special interest projects. Never the roads. Just a way for politicians to get more money out of tax payers.
Like the 70 dollar a month service charge on Flint's water bill January 1st it gets put in the general fund.
My brother used to work for the city of Troy. He asked one of the road department guys, about the condition of the roads. He was told, "they build them for a five year lifespan".
Weird how the governor went on a spending spree the past few years and spent all sorts of money on pet projects, except the roads.
Enjoy that million dollar Cricket field if you can get there without getting a flat from a pothole.
This is what happens when you elect people into office without looking at what their policies/priorities are.
Bot. Calling it out for the boomers
So where is part 2 video. I’d like to know where the gas tax dollars are going. That’s the one question not answered that really needs to be answered.
Ohio has free state parks, free metro parks and great roads
Common thieves
You also have tolls which Michigan does not
@@Emmy-Jthe only toll road I know of there is I-80. I was shocked when I moved to Michigan and saw huge, beautiful homes on unpaved roads in metro Detroit. They paved all the country roads in the early 90’s in Ohio so you don’t have to zigzag when going through the country to stay on a paved road.
@@Emmy-Ja single road going east to west that can be totally bypassed… and is cheap if you want to use it…
@@Emmy-J That is not the reason - watch the report, they only use the toll road money on that one toll road not all the other roads. Ohio has 50K of roads, Michigan 25K - the do more with less. Simple, Michigan is not doing a good job.
As I truck driver, I can attest to this. MI has some of, if not the worst roads in America, OH some of the best.
How does Ontario compare to Michigan?
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453cross the bridge to Canada and the roads are good.
Big trucks destroy roads
@@MrBasscase5174 oh yes, how silly of me, big trucks don’t use the roads in OH .
Sounds like Michigan needs to fire all their DOT directors and start over. If they just adopt all of Ohio's processes and follow exactly what Ohio does they'd have an instant solution. You gotta love stupid politicians who think they're smarter than everybody else. Maybe now Ohio can come and teach the DOT idiots in the southern and south/west states how to build good roads as well.
Unfortunetly I've been driving Michigan roads for 57 years, it was a problem from the 60s up till today , doesn't matter who's in charge, Mich is one of few states with a .06 cent sales tax on gas, at $3 or 4 a gallon do the math, .18 to .24 a gallon that's $3.50 to $5.00 on a 20 gallon fill, that money goes into the general fund for pork barrel projects not roads.
Don't forget the 3 wicked witches either. End the insanity.
Oh, I wouldn't do that. Ohio just wastes tax money, on the same goddamn roads, for years. They also don't look at maximizing capacity on the highways; instead, they throw bridges up on already crowded dirt.
Great work on this report. We need more of this.
Follow the money. I guarantee the majority of the money is being allocated somewhere else and politicians' pockets.
Ohio actually take their time to fix their roads properly, not rushing through projects.
Ohio never stops fixing their roads even after they have been fixed
Here’s how it goes in Michigan. Almost nothing happens except cones and traffic disruption until early November. Then suddenly miles of roads suddenly get coated with lie cost, easy to lay blacktop get done in less than two weeks before the weather goes bad. In less than a year or two those black top roads will start to degrade and you won’t be able to tell anything was ever done. Once in a while they use cheap roll and go. Where they spray a layer of tar and drop a thin layer of gravel over it. Very temporary. Repeat the cycle. Money wasted and politicians get to say they “fixed” the roads.
there road weight limits are way lower almost by half!
Someone once told me the roads are so bad it’s because of the Unions they need Job security.
@@BradiKal61as someone who lived in Ohio and moved to Michigan recently, this isn’t correct. Ohio actually builds shit decently. The major i75 refresh right across the state line through Toledo has been done for many years and still smooth as silk. Michigan i75 stretch is shut down every other year and still sucks ass lmao.
I frequently travel across the US and Michigan has the worst roads.
yea
Yep, RIP my suspension.
I commute daily from Detroit to Toledo, the contrast is night and day right at the border. The distinction doesn’t just stop at the roads but the maintenance. During the winter, the freeways are covered in snow, slush and aren’t cleaned properly. As soon as I reach Ohio the snow is properly removed and it’s smooth driving from there. But pretty much from my house until Toledo I’m praying the whole way there.
That Slush is Dangerous to Drive in.Rather drive on Snow.
It's the same with Indiana. As soon as you cross the border you notice an immediate difference.
But bridge pass Toledo just finished huge construction it's already closed for repairs and another never ending project before Dublin on hwy 33 3 years already and not near finishing. Not everything smooth in Ohio either. I move to Michigan from Chicago in 2015 and want to say it huge improvements bur still lots need to bee done.
I couldn’t agree more
Dear Michigan, there are materials other than concrete to build roads from. Sincerely, the state of Ohio.
@@rng8891 Commenter,
Michigan is using materials other than concrete to build roads.
Sincerely,
A native Michigander
Concrete done properly will outlast and cost less than asphalt. They used shit base courses for so long it didnt matter.
@@Tigersfan829thank you! I’ve been meaning to say this!
Two words…. Poor Management!
SOME REAL NEWS
About time. This affects us all
I'm surprised that nobody realizes that "Fix the damn roads" is nothing more than an election talking point. I have lived in Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin...Michigan roads are the worst, it's not even close. If you put Stevie Wonder in a car and drive him from Ohio to Michigan, he could tell you exactly where the border is. Toll roads do make a difference, but our Democrats would funnel the tolls into some other bridge-to-nowhere project and then try to come up with another reason to raise registration fees or gas taxes.
Other than propaganda, what the hell does vehicle registration or gas tax have to do with anything?
Let’s keep toll roads out of it. They’re so bad and expensive in IL that I’m skeptical about implementing them in MI.
i thought whitmer was gonna fix all the roads? what happened to the money?
There has been a ton of work going on for years but you seem to need to make a political statement despite reality .
@@BradiKal61 and yet our roads still suck
Campaign promise she no intention of filling.
@@4knanapapa LOL
I say give her a shovel and let her sling black top and stay out of politics
Don’t believe the lies! They charge 55 billion a year in fuel taxes via every gallon of Gasoline & diesel! ( as well as Registration a semi registration is $2200 a year) That money is supposed to build & maintenance the roads! Instead you have most of that money paying government officials 6 & 7 figures a year salaries, paying the road workers a fraction of that and funneling juicy road contracts to their friends & families whom donate to their campaigns!
They use cheap materials for one. And whitmer is corrupt so theres that.
So we pay more and get less. We already knew that. Thanks!
MDOT is a complete joke and is owned by certain big road construction companies. They build them for jobs, not longevity.
It needs a complete overhaul.
You get the government you deserve - simple.
Michigan also allows truckers to carry far heavier loads than any other state. Multiple-tens of thousands of heavier loads on one big rig will negatively impact the roads. Additionally, the "patching" Mi uses, where they do not smooth down the quickest asphalt does not help at all and leads to bumpy roads.
WOW!! You can click on all the thumbs up.
You guys have nailed it and it is throughout this corrupt America.
We have said this for year. Michigan and mdot just dont change things.
Excellent reporting! My father was in the road construction work, was an equipment operator, and he helped build the original I94. He is passed now, but, long ago we didnt have pot hole problems, the roads were strong and held up. His claim for the more modern road quality issues were, the pavement recipe was purposely changed, made weaker, so it would require more frequent repairs and work...which equated to more jobs to repair or replace. So, if they build them correctly, they would hold better. And some say we run too heavy now, i dont believe that. We've always run heavy in Michigan, its just now you see more axles than back then, and thats a good thing because it disperses the weight easier & more evenly onto the road.
In Europe they drive on the left, in Michigan we drive on what’s left!
😂
Nah, Ohio just put lipstick on a pig that is their roads. Ohio roads are only nice when you get close to the state line, other than that Ohio roads are trash. I mean, they have been working on the 35/75 transition for over 20 years now. Ohio roads SUCK dont let this state fool you into looking at us as the standard.
As someone taking a road trip across the entirety of Michigan right now, I can attest to this.
Money laundering, inept state workers, horrifying governor. Never have I driven on freeways with huge potholes.
The patch crews accomplish zero but steal state money
Inept State Workers - Thanks Affarmitive Action...
**cough New York State cough. Though, Michigan roads DO look absolutely horrifying, lol
Hay how else is the snow plow going to know when they have clean black top
State workers aren’t building the roads. Maybe the MDOT inspectors on site should do their job to make sure they are built up to standards.
Yup! I'm a truck driver, and can vouch michigan by far is the worst. I've been to every state in the upper 48. It's not even close. I do see a lot of overweight trucks on michigan roads, too.
Also a truck driver. Illinois is much worse than Michigan. Ohio has toll roads which adds money to the budget. Also the US23/I75/I475 though Toledo has been under construction for at least 10yrs STRAIGHT. Its never full open. Sure the surface is better but its never finished.
@@philsonnenberg6092 The one toll road does not fund anything else. It is a separate entity.
Overweight trucks will tear up roads.
Ohio, uses new materials, not seconds, they also reinforce the concrete like it's supposed to be done. The ash Ohio use is a foot thick not a 1/4 inch.
What ash is that?
We have a badly run Dept. of Trasportation. We use low grade products. Poor repair planning.
👉Democrats.👈
Nothing else needed to be said.
No surprises there regarding taxation in Michigan. “The lottery money will be for schools”, “The gas taxes will be for roads”. It’s eye opening that our governor wasn’t available for an interview.
I hope that in the second segment you asked, or learned how long does Ohio roads last vs Michigan roads.
Its been decades since the Michigan Legislators voted to put the Lottery in the genneral funds but blame Whitmer for that if AM radio tells you to think that way 😅
@@BradiKal61 I’m not blaming anyone but the state itself! When these things are passed they state one thing, and do entirely another thing with the money and then the finger pointing starts.
@@BradiKal61it’s definitely been both parties and unfortunately the same thing for 30+ years. I don’t think the OP was picking sides but more so blaming the whole.
imagine paying taxes and having those roads you paid for destroy your vehicle 🤡🤡🤡
Tax on your car, that gets taxed each year, taxed when you fill up, then get your car wrecked because they can't do their job with your money.
It's all about the last Lane. They put more money into the roads and do it right. it takes away from the governor's pocket.
Fantastic journalism here, thank you!
They're working on the roads, but they're not fixing them. Get the FBI involved, follow the money.
FBI is in on it too.
The FBI only exists to fight against the American people.
The FBI would probably help those bureaucrats that are stealing our money.
Maybe, you should start finding out where your politicians are embezzling all the money.
michigan manages half as much miles of roadway and yet gets more in gas taxes and yet never fixes the roads properly because of the corruption with awarding the contracts and kickbacks
That's what happens when you vote democrat
Michigan sucks. Lived here too long.
Take the money put it in there pockets
Bro Iraq has better roads than Michigan
Yeah because the US spent trillions rebuilding that country after bombing it.
Michigan has the highest truck weight limits in North America, that can be utilized on a regular basis, with a limit of 164,000 lb gross weight limit, and truck trailer combinations limited to 11 axles.
Larger trucks = terrible roads
The University of Michigan had a group design a tough type of asphalt formula and GAVE IT to the Road Commission. They paved some overpasses with it, but didn't say which ones and that's the last heard of that. I believe it used old tires too, to help get rid of them...
There's a lot of money in road repair. Plenty enough to go 'round to every official who can keep the sad state going. Everyone with oversight powers must be on the payroll.
Michigan roads aren't fit for horse and buggie
You have not seen Kentucky. I65 has been under construction - due to failing concrete for decades. Louisville is worse.
yea what happen, it was apx 20 years ago it was builr brand new or say rebuilt, i 65 was in better shape when it was a toll road
Problem? Her name is Gretchen.
Yea right
Roads have been crap long before her
@@sportsgamer2342 exactly ppl wanna push narratives
Gretchen is a great governor. Much better than Snyder and way better than Tudor Dixon would have been
@@OnePride313 But she campaigned on the promise to fix the damn roads? Are they fixed in your opinion? You're of course going to say she's doing that, but will they be fixed 5 -10 years after she's gone? I am not so hopeful. I suspect it was a bullshit campaign promise to do more of the same instead of actually fixing anything,.
The brand new section of 75 that they just laid is already cracked and blown out in Monroe. It’s bs already
Bro, again!??? I'm 52 yrs old and that stretch of road has never been right, wtf??
yea and the paul henry in grand Rapids did not even make 16 years
BS, where? I just drove that to the airport. If youre talking about the patched section past exit 10 theyre only bandaiding that until they completely repave it like theyve already done from the state line to exit 10 and from 15 to 275.
@@Tigersfan829 nope, just around the bridge at mile marker 4 going north, middle lane. I drive it every other day.
The roads werent being fixed because of greed and pocket stuffing. Now, the pocket stuffing is still happening, but the roads are shut down.
Because of greed and pocket stuffing.
I left MI in '79 and the roads were mucked up then.
The obvious answer is Ohio has a governor and legislature that actually cares about the well being of thier people; we have Dolores Umbridge.
Republicans never fixed the roads, and they were the majority power in Michigan for the last 20 years until recently. The problem is corruption, and it's both parties problem.
I will say, as bad as Stretchen is, she hasn't run companies and jobs out of the state at the pace Granholm did. That bitch left this state to die and flew off to California to ruin that state
Spent most of last year working in Ohio. Gov Dewine is a fucking idiot
and is not dem run
@@dknowles60 Republicans in Michigan were the majority for the last 30 years until recently, and they did nothing to fix the roads. Try again.
10 minutes and they gloss over one of the most important factors. Maximum allowed weight in Ohio 80,000 lbs. Maximum allowed weight in Michigan 160,000 lbs
funny I don't see trucks at the border and turning around so as not to take their heavy loads into Ohio
@@bluesman311 Federal law controls maximum gross vehicle weights and axle loads on the Interstate System. Federal limits are 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, 20,000 pounds on a single axle, and 34,000 pounds on a tandem axle group. 160k load is illegal in every single state including Michigan.
the truth is hard to report these days!
@@moeal5469 Michigan has the highest truck weight limits in North America, that can be utilized on a regular basis, with a limit of 164,000 lb gross weight limit, and truck trailer combinations limited to 11 axles. if its within the state it is legal just cant cross state lines, cause that would be multi-state and that's a federal thing at that time.
@@darkcash5520Like prove it
As an old construction worker who worked with a lot of Mdot inspectors I can personally say that they did Not do their job. Pumpkin truck drivers were doing everything they could to let us get away with as much as possible. They didn't care how it was built, they only cared about how fast it was built.
If they actually worked on it instead of spending months staring at it
It’s all specs and engineering. Road construction companies are HUGE political donors. And the politicians repay the favor by allowing them to build an inferior product. Thereby ensuring that they are always busy working on a hugely profitable public project.
Throw a clause in the contract about a minimum guaranteed lifespan and see what happens.
You see why roads fail when working on them. Everybody blames Contractors, but it's really state engineers cutting corners to save money or speed things up.
That was 100% what I was implying with my statement. The state determines the specs. Construction companies evaluate them, then price accordingly.
But our roads seem to be spec'd to last about 5 years.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
I drove from Minnesota to Toronto Canada and when I drove thru Michigan for a few hours I was hitting pot holes everywhere on the highway THE HIGHWAY!!! I ended up getting 2 flat tires before I got to the bridge to Canada
Fun fact, the Michigan legislature couldn’t agree on funding the new cross border bridge in Detroit so the Canadian federal government is paying for both sides of the bridge.
It's not as if Minnesota's are any better. Have you been to Duluth? It's like Grozny, 1995; the west side especially looks like it just endured a round-the-clock three-month-long creeping artillery barrage. I drive a lot in northern MN, WI and the UP, and unless the Lower Peninsula is just in an entirely different world than the Upper, Minnesota actually has the worst roads of the three.
Stevie B. at Warholak tire shop is the absolute best!
They do a great job, honest and fair pricing.
Always happy with my service there. 5-stars 🌟
😎
Follow the money.
Good thing we have high registration fees, gas taxes, insurance to have great roads………
One of the things I immediately noticed when I moved out of Michigan was the quality of the roads in Utah. When I lived in Michigan my car was constantly in the shop for tires and alignments. I’ve saved a lot of money on my car insurance and car repairs since leaving the Mitten.
Well Utah doesn't get freezing temperatures like Michigan, so you can't really compare those states. Weather plays a big role in road wear and tear.
Stop putting so much money to welfare!!! Michigan!!!
Put it into roads instead!!!
State
Government assistance should not be a lifestyle.
Yet it is!!! In Michigan.
Same problem with any road in Illinois. Go from Indiana to Illinois you don’t need a sign to say welcome. You can feel the difference.
Let's not forget 2015 when everybody's registration went up in gas tax for 1.2 billion Road funding package in Michigan and guess what not a damn thing happens Michigan is a crooked place to live
I remember when Obama suspended the gas tax and the oil companies jacked the prices up higher... even though they don't get the tax portion. Gotta love stupidity.
There was a lot done with it Michigan imported a bunch of new votes and put the rest of money into their inbreeding for a vote Section 8 Housing and Welfare programs
Take a look as to who’s running the state. They are all talk and no action!
LOL
It's not just this administration, the roads go back decades. Get your facts right.
@@ajaxbacExactly. They shown Republican and Democrat governors saying that they will get the roads fixed at the beginning. I guess he didn’t play close enough attention.
@@andrewcrawford4635 We all know Michigan is run by liberals.
Yep, under BOTH Republican and Democratic years!!
As a former Indiana resident we had that joke for years. Going to MI huh? Hope I don’t loose a filling.
Years ago I drove to Michigan and rove down a road that was horrible. Ohio has very good rods compared to the areas around.
Really?? Because it takes 3 hours to get from Southfield to Novi with that 696-96 stuff. All the construction is in that area. And they are just sitting on their a** every time you drive by.
I’d say the problem is the one who is managing these projects. A 2 year old would do it better.
My brother in law told me the inspectors get paid off to half inspect the roads. Not to mention I never see the workers actually doing anything.
Don't we all think it's like magic fairies doing all the work when we go to sleep😂
Blah blah blah... the problem is MDOT. They've always been the problem. Kudos to Fox 2 for reporting this issue, because no one ever talks about the heart of the problem.
Where's Gretchen when Taryn requested an interview since April..???..crickets..
Gretchen too busy filling her mouth with those chocolate flavored eggplants.
Whitmer is awful.
A pile of chit! Is it (her)
Oh but 275, 96, 696 gets redone in Oakland county? Of course, it makes sense. Of course they are going to appease the wealthy people
Michigan roads are better than a lot of states.
Just drive i40 through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona
Roads around the Michigan capitol downtown Lansing are a joke and tell you all you need to know about the governments priorities.
It's amazing that as a state representative at the time. Gretchen never really did much to address that in her backyard.
Another thing that would help when the people patching the roads would care about what they are doing by not just tossing a heap of cold patch in the whole so the plows take it back out on the first snow
How many times has I-275 been completely rebuilt in my lifetime? I was born in 84. I've counted three, including this current rebuild. That is unacceptable. A road should last at least 100 years. Anything less is lazy incompetence.
475 in toledo has been rebuilt at least 4 times in my memory but 75 has been under construction basically everytime I drove it for 30 years.
@@98f5 I think there was one Christmas day where I-75 wasn't under construction. Back before it was built.
LoL
Opened in 1976 using a new type of pavement design (continuous reinforced concrete) that didn't have joints and instead had continuous reinforcing steel to hold it together. They were investigating failures by 1978. They kept it passable for another 20 years until they finally rebuilt it in 1999/2000 which was with an experimental texturing that caused a lot of noise. In 2001 the texture was ground off at a cost of several million dollars and by 2005, joints started failing and the problem got progressively worse. This time it was "ASR" or "concrete cancer" that resulted from an interaction between deicing salts and the aggregate in the concrete. It was a phenomenon that was known about but not really widespread in 1999 until several years later when a huge number of these projects from 1997-2003 failed (including the original 2001 runway at Detroit Metro's McNamara Terminal to a cost of $300M). So in 2016, it was rebuilt again (although the original shoulders sit beneath the new ones). Nothing experimental this time. Hopefully it holds up. But the typical design life for concrete pavements in Michigan is 35 years. Some can go much longer with proper maintenance. 100 years is a stretch. It would be functionally obsolete by that time. Although I did just replace a 100 year old concrete pavement (part of the original 1923 US-127) but the lanes were only 10 feet wide and it rode very rough.
@@viktorakhmedov3442 I appreciate the background info.
@@user-yv4mm6bx3c Nope, my grandpa said even back then they had surveyors going back to the 1930s that always closed lanes and screwed with traffic while they were designing it.
Keep voting liberal folks that seems to be working. Ask where the $6T Infrastructure money went to?
We have billions of dollars for Ukraine but nothing for our roads
The Unions have all the control. Over everything, they have every incentive. To patch and keep repairing the same road every 5 years. The most u can get is asphalt resurfacing. Then after 5 years it looks the same again.
No they dont have control. Turn of your AM radio
@@BradiKal61lol
@@BradiKal61stop fighting the truth
don't be fooled, the politicians still call the shots
@@BradiKal61 There are 1,739 labor unions in Michigan. Combined, these Michiganian unions employ 11,080 people, earn more than $825 million in revenue each year, and have assets of $2 billion. Uaw - International Union Uaw, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Div of Ibt, Michigan Education Association, International Union UAW Local 598, and UAW Local 600.United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners - Michigan Regional Council, International Union of Operating Engineers' Local 324, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No 58 earn the majority of revenues among nonprofits in Michigan unions.
I saw a County Road worker throw Hot Patch into a water filled Pothole.
Stupid. This is the best you can do Michigan?
Won't last long. It's job security to some of these people unfortunately.
Reaching out to Gretchen why she to worried about bringing in more illegal immi grants into that state and sending a 100 yr old ford plant down south
LOL
you cant fix the roads because there is too much money being embezzled by persons of interest, road construction is a lucrative cash cow for insiders and factor in the corruption at the government level..... if i wanted to undermine the road system in a country and turn it into a cash cow i would cut cracks in the road surface and get as much water into the road foundation as i could, and then blame it on freeze and thaw cycles
Roads are a scam in michigan. Constant construction and theyre still garbage. Def some corrupt stuff going on
Finally, starting to understand that Michigan sucks.....
How long did it take you to figure that out?
Michigan would be great if it were Red again.
@@mitchherber3120nothing changed under Snyder, the roads still sucked
@@sportsgamer2342 So what's the excuse with Gretch upping our gas taxes and vehicle and plate fees? Where's the money going?
Can’t wait to see part 2, maybe more funding should go to MDOT instead of Health and Human Services.
Michigan has mounds of revenue coming in and the roads are lacking. 😮😮😮😮😮