Gazette file photo This July, 2024 file photo shows a Keweenaw ATV Club picnic at Ahmeek's Gabriel Chopp Park. The village of Ahmeek has been awarded more than $100K for street repair

MARQUETTE — The Keweenaw County community of Ahmeek is among a trio of Upper Peninsula municipalities that are among more than two dozen statewide to receive state grants for road repair.

The Village of Ahmeek was awarded $101,956 to repair Wright and Hubbell streets. Also in the western UP, the city of Ironwood received $250,000 to repair various streets. In the central UP, the city of Negaunee, in Marquette County, received $250,000 to repair Hungerford Avenue and West Prince and Ann street.

The program is the Community Service Infrastructure Fund Category B initiative. Established by the state Legislature in 2018 and administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation, it’s considered a stop-gap program to help fund road projects in small communities.

“I ran on fixing the damn roads, and I’m proud to keep my promise and get it done,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a written statement. “This year’s balanced, bipartisan budget makes a record nearly $2 billion annual investment to fix our state and local roads, which will make everyone’s drive safer and faster. We’re getting this done by ensuring every penny you pay at the pump goes toward our roads. I’m so grateful to legislators on both sides of the aisle for coming together to get this done so we can build reliable roads that last for decades while supporting tens of thousands of good-paying local jobs. We have a lot of work to do, so let’s move some dirt and fix those damn roads!”

Successful projects were selected, in part, because they are paired with planned infrastructure work, coordinated with other road agencies, focused on extending the useful life of the road and have limited other funding sources. Grant awards ranged from $50,000 to $250,000 for road resurfacing, culvert replacement, pavement crack sealing and other preservative measures.