Twenty million dollars in federal funding for the replacement of the 90-year-old Miller Road Bridge over Rotunda Drive and the railroad tracks has been allocated in the House 2021 Surface Transportation Authorization bill, funded by the Highway Trust Fund, which was passed by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure this week, and will go before the U.S. House of Representatives later in June.
Funding could be approved in late June
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Funding for the replacement of the Miller Road bridge over Rotunda Drive and the railroad tracks is in a bill headed to the U.S. House of Representatives in late June.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-12th District) announced June 10 that $20 million has been earmarked for the project, the largest approved for Michigan, and will be included in the House 2021 Surface Transportation Authorization bill, funded by the Highway Trust Fund, which passed the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure this week.
The bridge, which was built in 1931, carries heavy truck traffic to the nearby industrial complex. The proposed new spans would have increased clearance over active railroad tracks, while the overall length would be shortened by eliminating the bridge crossing where it is no longer needed.
“The Miller-Rotunda Bridge supports Dearborn’s local businesses and is a major economic driver for Michigan’s 12th District, but it has far outlived its safe, useful life,” Dingell said. “Replacing these bridges has long been a priority for governments at all levels in Michigan, and local businesses have voiced strong support as well.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer included the bridge in a bundling program outlined in her 2021-22 fiscal year budget, but funds for it have not been approved.
Dingell said passage of the bill is crucial to infrastructure remediation.
“This federal funding is critical to restore and repair a pair of bridges that our workers and community rely on every single day, and given the important need and strong community support, this was my top priority request for the 2021 Surface Transportation Authorization bill,” Dingell said.
“We will continue to push for the passage of this legislation and invest in much-needed infrastructure repairs so that we can rebuild our economy and support working families.”