Road improvements funds allocated

Several counties in West Michigan are receiving state funds to improve road conditions.

The Neighborhood Roads Fund (NRF) is a long-term road funding plan which is used to rebuild roads across Michigan with nearly $2 billion aimed to be invested annually. Adjustments are designed to keep the pace up with evolving needs throughout Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office said in a release.

The money is set to come from:

$1 billion per fiscal year from a sales tax plus a motor fuel tax swap which started on January 1, 2026. This dedicates all taxes paid at the pump for state and local roads without an increase in costs to motorists.
$420 million to roads from revenue generated from a tax on the marijuana industry.
Shifts $600 million from the individual income to the corporate income tax, which protects the general fund and provides a reliable base for transportation funding.
It also works in an additional $440 million from corporate income tax growth, which breaks down to approximately $88 million per year.
More than $31 billion has been invested to fix Michigan’s roads and bridges the past seven years, Gov. Whitmer’s office said.

This year, St. Joseph County is slated to receive funding at more than $820,000. Cass County will receive more than $850,000. Kalamazoo County has the third-highest funding in the state at almost $2.4 million. The only counties higher than Kalamazoo are Kent ($5.5 million) and Ottawa ($3.4 million).