The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) recently approved its 2008-2012 Five Year Transportation Program that will invest millions of dollars in transportation programs in south-central Michigan in 2008.

A total of $100.1 million in transportation improvements is planned for MDOT's University Region this year. The University Region serves 10 counties in south-central Michigan including Clinton, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, Shiawassee, and Washtenaw counties.

"We are making substantial improvements to our roads and bridges in 2008," said University Region Engineer Mark Chaput. "Whether it involves a long-term fix or a preventive maintenance project, people traveling in south-central Michigan deserve good roads. We understand the needs of our economy with the need to make repairs on our infrastructure, and we make every effort to balance those needs."

Significant projects are planned in the University Region this year. Highlights include:

• Bridge and road repairs along US-127 Business Route in St. Johns in Clinton County
• Concrete pavement repairs along 5.7 miles of eastbound Interstate 69 in Shiawassee County
• Road and bridge repairs along Old-27 (Lansing Road) between Potterville and Charlotte in Eaton County
• Reconstruction and resurfacing M-36 in Mason, including streetscape improvements
• A grade-separation project on Michigan State University's campus along Farm Lane between Mt. Hope Road and Wilson Road in Ingham County
• Repairs to nine bridges along US-127 between Jackson and Leslie in Jackson and Ingham counties
• Improvements to the Interstate 94/Dearing Road interchange, along with resurfacing 4.6 miles of Interstate 94 near Jackson in Jackson County
• Reconstructing M-49 in Litchfield in Hillsdale County
• Completion of a two-year project to widen M-59 to a four-lane boulevard between Interstate 96 and Michigan Avenue, near Howell, in Livingston County
• Ramp reconstruction at the Interstate 96/D-19 interchange in Livingston County
• Bridge repair along the M-14 corridor in Washtenaw County
• Resurfacing 3.5 miles of M-153 (Ford Road) in Washtenaw County
• Resurfacing 4.1 miles of the Interstate 94 Business Loop in downtown Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County
• A sign replacement project along the Interstate 75 corridor in Monroe County

For a complete copy of the 2008-2012 Five Year Transportation Program, visit MDOT's website at: www.michigan.gov/mdot5yearplan.