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The Road to Better Transportation Projects Michigan US-23: Avoiding Costly Expansion The proposed expansion would have paralleled US 23 through the towns of Alpena and Standish, severely compromising protected wildlife habitat, state and national forest land, coastal wetlands, and the Au Sable River Corridor. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) had pushed the construction of a four-lane freeway parallel to the existing two-lane US-23 for close to a decade. The expansion would have re-routed and widened the existing US-23 through undeveloped country in the northeastern part of the state. It would have forced the largest single wetlands loss within Michigan, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Friends of the Earth listed the US-23 expansion among the nation's "Fifty Most Wasteful Roads in America." Phases II and III of the project would have severely compromised protected wildlife habitat, state and national forest land, coastal wetlands, and the Au Sable River Corridor. Along with environmental concerns, residents did not support the expansion and maintained a preference for adding passing lanes and other safety improvements, according to the Michigan Land Use Institute. "Right from the start, that was our whole focus. Fix what we have and don't build a new, billion-dollar freeway," said Paul Bruce, founder of People for US-23 Freeway Alternatives, a citizen group in Alpena. A draft Environmental Impact Statement was made public in 1995. At that time, the only choices listed were to build the extension or do nothing. Upon discovering MDOT's failure to comply with the NEPA requirement to analyze alternatives to new construction, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rejected the proposal, which was the largest, most expensive project canceled in Michigan's history. The FHWA directed MDOT to upgrade the existing US-23 two-lane highway or study the creation of a less-damaging boulevard. After reviewing the state's Final Environmental Impact Study (EIS) on US-23, the FHWA recommended alternatives supported by residents, including passing lanes, traffic signal upgrades, and turn lanes to improve the road. Kelly Thayer, transportation project coordinator at the Michigan Land Use Institute, said the intervention was a huge success. Instead of a costly and damaging expansion, safety and mobility improvements were made. "NEPA kept alive the public's opportunity to give input," said Thayer. Due to the NEPA review process, these communities will be spared the devastating impacts of unneeded and unwanted expansion. And in the end, an eyepopping $1.5 billion will be saved. Graphic courtesy Taxpayers for Common Sense; used with permission. Up to Top | Printer-friendly version of this page