By Sterling McGinn
To assist ongoing efforts to pave Luce County Roads 407 and 410, the Luce County Road Commission is applying for a federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant through the United States Department of Transportation.
Luce County Road Commission Engineer and Manager Stuart McTiver said the road commission is applying again for the grant after a good portion of the dirt work was completed last summer.
“There is a better likelihood since there is proof that there is a set of plans, which is typically what the grant providers want to see,” said McTiver.
Prior to the $6 million Michigan EDC grant, John Waltman had submitted grant applications for the RAISE grant for three years previous to the Michigan EDC Grant.
At their December regular meeting, the McMillan Township Board approved a resolution supporting the road commission’s efforts to apply for the grant. The resolution states, “The McMillan Township Board for the Township of McMillan finds that paving of this final section of road will connect our community with the ever-expanding visitor traffic that runs along the coast of Lake Superior from Muskallonge Lake to Munising.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced that it has $1.5 billion in grant funding for the RAISE program in 2024.
In 2023, RAISE grants helped with 162 projects in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
In Michigan, more than $31 million was awarded for projects in Pontiac, Wayne County, and Jackson.
This year, half of RAISE funding will be designated for rural areas, and the other half will serve urban areas. Selections will be announced in June.
