Macomb County executive calls out Lansing on road issue

Michigan roads are a mess and now Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel is calling out state lawmakers for failing to act.

Now road repairs that were already in the works are now in jeopardy.

"That was a terrible moment to have to tell people in the north end we have to close your 32 Mile (Road) bridge shut down," Hackel said. "That was not received very well."

But the bridge built in the 50s only has a 50 year life expectancy.

Dan O'Leary, Washington Twp. Supervisor   "Something has to be done, we need to put politics aside reach down deep and come up with a solution to this problem," said Dan O'Leary, Washington Township Supervisor. "It is impacting real people's lives."

Not unlike a lot of Michigan's roads. So who is to blame?

"I think you have to look at the inertia in the legislature, they can't seem to get their act together," said Rob, a concerned resident. "When they don't prioritize their budgets, I think you have issues."

Blame the Legislature, now that hurts.

Charlie Langton caught up with Rep. Peter Lucido, (R-Macomb County) to ask him about it.

FOX 2: "You guys are on vacation right now, shouldn't you stick around until the job gets done?"

"Is this the way I dress for vacation, I highly doubt it," quipped Lucido. "I am over here doing my work in the district like anyone else who is in the Legislature."

He may be working, but on the roads?

"We have road projects that are planned out and the money has already been decided as to where it is going to be spent," Hackel said. "Yet other needs come up and we have to tell people sorry, something else came up and we might not get on the list for the next four or five years."

Even if the Michigan Legislature does get money to fix the roads this year, the work probably won't start until next year in that year's budget cycle.

"We're talking about Sen. Arlan Meekhof, Senate Republican Majority Leader, Rep. Kevin Cotter, our House Speaker and our governor (Rick Snyder) is sitting down and trying to have a compromise committee to get the package they feel will pass in the House and the Senate."

FOX 2: "But the governor is in China."

"This is what the governor does," Lucido said. "He puts two people together and says what does your leadership need to have to go to your members and get it passed."

And yet, in the meantime, northern Macomb County is going to get a new bridge.

"There is no funding available for projects like this," Hackel said. "Like I mentioned, if we're not going to get it from the state for bridges, we're going to have to borrow it from money we have set aside for the match from projects we lined up for the next four years."