The City of Sterling Heights, City of Warren and the Macomb County Department of Roads are entering a Cost Sharing Agreement to seek federal grant monies to repair 9 miles of Mound Road.
The City of Sterling Heights, City of Warren and the Macomb County Department of Roads are entering a Cost Sharing Agreement to seek federal grant monies to repair 9 miles of Mound Road.
Over the last 20 years, Mound Road has deteriorated with age, from harsh weather conditions and heavy traffic. To repair 9 miles of Mound Road, stretching from I-696 to M-59, would cost an estimated $100 million. Absent federal funding, Macomb County Department of Roads, Sterling Heights and Warren do not have sufficient funds to make road improvements of this magnitude.
“Traditional road funding mechanisms are limited in dollars and provide for only the ability to make preventative maintenance type repairs such as concrete patching. The grants that are being pursued are high dollar grants that offer the ability to fully reconstruct the pavement, which is the proper repair due to the existing condition of the road,” said City Engineer Brent Bashaw.
Two grants currently being offered by the federal government have been identified as potential sources of funding, the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant (TIGER) and the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-Term Achievements of National Efficiencies grant (FASTLANE). The TIGER grant project awards for 2017 are anticipated to range between $5-20 million, depending on the project. The FASTLANE grant project awards are anticipated to be between $40-165 million, depending on the project.
A third possible source of funding, the Defense Access Road (DAR) Program could also offer funds for the Mound Road repairs. The DAR Program, made available through the Department of Defense, assists local governmental units in offsetting the cost of public highway improvements necessary to mitigate an unusual impact of a defense activity. The amount of DAR funding is determined by the United States Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, after a multilayer evaluation process.
The TIGER, FASTLANE and DAR Program funding is highly competitive, and are awarded based on merit, project scope, impact on military support among other factors all of which must be presented through an extensive application process. The County, Sterling Heights and Warren understand that a collaborative effort between all three governmental bodies and retention of professional grant writing specialists and civil engineers is critical to provide the best opportunity to pursue and obtain federal funding for the proposed Mound Road Project.
To facilitate this process City Council, Sterling Heights, Warren and the Macomb County Department of Roads need to enter a Cost Sharing Agreement to share in the cost of retaining the services of Hanka Advisor, LLC, a federal grant writing specialist, as well as civil engineer consultant, Hubbel, Roth & Clark, Inc. to assist in applying for and obtaining the TIGER, FASTLANE and DAR funding for the proposed Mound Road Project.
As Mound Road is a “County” roadway running through Warren and Sterling Heights, the County has agreed to cover 50% of the costs associated with the services of these consultants, Sterling Heights and Warren have agreed to share the cost of these consultants in proportion to the amount of miles of Mound Road within their borders, 33.33% and 16.67% respectively. Full payment of the City portion ($50,000) will be due upon execution of a Cost Sharing Agreement.
For more information, contact Community Relations Department at (586) 446-2470.