New Macomb County road website shows street conditions

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After tons of complaints of bumpy rides through Macomb County, Executive Mark Hackel is introducing a system to help drivers stay up-to-date on road conditions. 

"We've got problems and there's some issues that need to be addressed," he says. "This information is now going to now be at your fingertips." 

That info can be found with a new interactive road mapping tool, available at Macombgov.org.

"This is a full scale mapping of all the infrastructure that needs to be fixed," Hackel explains. "These are the problem areas in Macomb County which are in red. Touch the red line, that is how the rating is done. The engineers look at a section of road and say, 'This one is going to require this.'" 

Officials tell FOX 2 currently a little over 800 lane miles are rated as being in poor condition, and 44 bridges are in need of repair in Macomb County.

"In totality, it's over $1 billion dollars needed right now, today, funding, to fix those roads," he adds.

The portal also includes information about the funds currently available to fix the roads, which Hackel says is insufficient. 

"I have $1 billion in need but for current problems, do the math," Hackel said. "How long will that take me? It will take 20 years."

Macomb County Public Works Commissioner says it's not just a county problem.
 
"If you have a failing infrastructure you're going to have a failing state," Candice Miller said.

Hackel says it's time to put more pressure on lawmakers to allocate necessary funding for road repairs.

"You're going to promise the money, you created disastrous monumental hole for us," Hackel says. "And you gave an impression that it's $1.2 billion with a b is going to solve the problem, when in reality you come to realize, it's really $1.2 billion with a B-S."