Our goal is to keep Michigan's motorists safe, informed, and mobile. That is why MDOT offers many ways to help ease the stress of commuting by providing information that commuters want and need as they make daily travel decisions.
Did you know that millions of people visit the Great Lakes State every year? Whether you are from out of state or right here in Michigan, we want to ensure your travel throughout Michigan is informative, comfortable, and fun.
At MDOT, safety is paramount. It is our goal to improve overall safety for all road users, internal staff, contractors performing work on roads, and emergency responders.
Every year, MDOT produces an updated version of the state transportation map. The department also produces numerous geographic information system maps to assist commuters, tourists, and businesses.
In Michigan, there are three publicly-owned and operated bridges: Mackinac Bridge, Blue Water Bridge, and International Bridge. There are also two privately-owned and operated border crossings: Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
A vibrant and sustainable multimodal transportation system is vital to Michigan's future economic viability and competitiveness. From aviation to public transportation, rail, freight, and marine, MDOT is involved in all modes of transportation.
MDOT's Office of Business Development (OBD) manages external civil rights programs, such as the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program, the On-the-Job Training Program, and the Small Business Program, and ensures compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, equal opportunity requirements for contractors, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
MDOT is committed to ensuring that projects, programs and services are performed without discrimination, under Title VI.
Contractors and vendors who work on federally assisted projects are required to establish and carry out policies to assure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, national origin, age, or disability.
The Bureau of Bridges and Structures is responsible for statewide policy, procedure development, and execution to ensure all bridges and structures are designed, constructed, maintained, and operated to ensure safety.
MDOT provides funding for competitive grant and loan programs primarily, but not exclusively, for state and local road agencies for the greatest impact on economic development and job creation.
MDOT's highway programs focus on the development and management of the department's roadsides, environmental efforts and policies, and federal-aid highway information.
The Bureau of Transportation Planning develops and implements a comprehensive transportation planning process which results in investments that are consistent with the policies of the State Transportation Commission.
Research Administration supports and promotes innovative research that encourages safe, sustainable and cost-effective transportation solutions throughout Michigan.
MDOT provides technologies and partnerships in order to make the transportation system safer and less congested.
MDOT has ongoing government-to-government communication with 12 federally recognized sovereign tribal governments whose lands are situated within Michigan.
The Office of Communications works with the media to inform the public of MDOT's mission, policies and practices in a positive, consistent and credible manner. The office is responsible for media relations, social media, and website development.
Public participation is integral to efficient, effective and responsive transportation decisions. At MDOT, we want to ensure your voice is not only heard, but makes a difference in moving Michigan forward.
Transportation Reality Check takes on transportation myths and misconceptions, and explains why MDOT does things the way they do.
Resources for the development of quality transportation project documents and services.
Resources for specialized engineering and technical support for construction staff.
Resources for prequalification, bid letting, contract awards, and payments.
Resources for consultant advisories, prequalification information, contracts, and proposals.
Resources for grant and economic development opportunities and project coordination.
The Real Estate Services Section of MDOT’s Development Services Division is responsible for establishing and maintaining statewide MDOT real estate standards, policies and procedures, and training.
Resources for general work zone mobility guidelines for engineering and technical staff.
Resources for rules, guidelines, restrictions, and permits to safely transport goods.
Open data refers to data that has been officially classified as public that can be made freely available for everyone to use without credentials or restrictions. MDOT promotes transparency, innovation and informed decision-making by providing datasets classified as public freely available to everyone.
MDOT's goal is to support the implementation and use of GIS software and hardware through innovative solutions that solve spatial problems and support more informed decisions about Michigan's transportation infrastructure.
The technical training (TT) course schedule lists the various technical training courses offered through the Office of Organizational Development during the construction off-season months for the local agencies and consultants.
The Internship Program offers undergraduate and graduate students interested in civil engineering and construction management careers, valuable experience by working with professional field staff.
MDOT's Engineer Development Program (EDP) is a rotational program that provides new engineers experience in multiple work areas while being assigned a senior-level mentor.
The Veteran Internship Program assists honorably discharged veterans of the United States Armed Forces as they transition into the civilian workforce.
The MDOT Transportation Career Pathways Program is committed to helping you build a fulfilling and rewarding career in the transportation industry, even if you're not entirely sure where to start.
The STEM Outreach Program engages high school and middle school students in solving real-world problems, such as designing bridges or analyzing the environmental effects of building a highway.
Engineering Week videos and lesson plans are all-inclusive resources to show early elementary to high school students the career of civil engineering at MDOT.
At MDOT, we are here to help. If you can't find what you are looking for in our popular topics, frequently asked questions or website search, give us a call at 517-241-2400 or fill out our contact form.
Mi Drive (Michigan.gov/Drive) is MDOT’s construction and traffic information website that helps Michigan travelers plan routes by displaying road construction, speeds, cameras, incidents, snowplow/maintenance vehicles and truck parking.
MDOT's seven region offices each handle transportation-related construction, maintenance and programs within the region's geographic boundaries.
The Office of Policy and Government Relations represents MDOT's interests as new or amendatory legislation is developed or moving through the legislative process.
Commissions and councils provide a public forum for policy development and implementation.
Policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility and integrity of the MDOT's work.
Allows MDOT's regions and engineers to expand their knowledge on how Michigan freeways are operating over time and how they compare to each other.
Transportation innovations are transforming how people and goods move by advancing safety, efficiency and sustainable mobility solutions.
MDOT and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan (ACEC/MI) have entered into a Partnership Charter Agreement to continue to develop an enhanced business partnership based on mutual trust, collaborative teamwork, effective communication, continuous product and process improvement, and timely resolution/avoidance of problems.
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MDOT will continue to study and eventually pilot the potential of transitioning Michigan’s primary road funding formula to a road user charge (RUC) instead of traditional state gas tax.
Learn more about the RUC study.
A road usage charge, or RUC, is a new way to pay for roads. It is a per-mile charge that drivers pay, replacing fuel taxes.
Most gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicle owners pay fuel taxes that are built into the cost of gas at the pump. As more cars driving Michigan roads are increasingly fuel efficient, gas tax revenues to fund roads, bridges and infrastructure are not keeping pace with inflation.
Michigan roads are funded by a mix of federal, state and local funds. Around half of state funding comes from the state gas tax, and half from vehicle registration fees.
There are a few challenges if we continue to rely on the gas tax. Vehicles are becoming more fuel efficient, and an increasing number of vehicles on the road use no gas at all (like electric vehicles). While cleaner, more efficient vehicles are good for the environment, transportation agencies may not receive enough money from the state gas tax to maintain Michigan's roads in the future! People with older, less efficient vehicles pay more than those who drive newer, more fuel-efficient ones. Many people feel there should be a fairer way to pay based on how much someone uses the roads.
Michigan Public Act 22 of 2025 also authorized the creation of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on RUC. The TAC will guide the development and evaluation of an RUC study and pilot program to assess the potential, positive and negative findings for mileage-based revenue collection for this state’s roads and highways as an alternative to the fuel tax system.
It is important that MDOT conducts the pilot correctly rather than quickly. Given the timeline established by the 2025 legislation, MDOT needs through the end of 2027 to design, implement and evaluate the pilot and prepare a comprehensive report for the Legislature that documents key findings and lessons learned to inform future decisions.
MDOT is exploring a variety of options to report mileage in the pilot, including both location-based and non-location-based options. Pilot participants will be able to choose from low-tech odometer readings to higher-tech smartphone-based apps.
MDOT will follow all applicable state laws and policies to protect participant data in the pilot. The pilot will develop a specific privacy policy and share it with all participants in advance of their participation for their review and agreement.
The pilot will use a simulated RUC rate and be equivalent to today’s gas tax. The final rate is to be determined.
No real money will be exchanged during the pilot; all charges and credits will be simulated.
The average fuel efficiency of passenger vehicles on Michigan roads is 23 miles per gallon (MPG). Michiganders like to travel and, on average, drive about 11,000 miles per year per vehicle.
At our current (2026) gas tax rate of 52.4 cents per gallon, a Michigan driver with a 23 MPG vehicle driving 11,000 miles annually would pay about $250 in fuel tax per year. Under an RUC-equivalent rate of 2.3 cents per mile, they would also pay about $250 per year.
Of course, more fuel-efficient vehicles would pay a little more in RUC, since they pay less in fuel tax, and less fuel-efficient vehicles would pay a little less since under an RUC everyone pays for the miles they drive on Michigan roads, not how much fuel they consume.
No, this is just a study and pilot to understand how people feel about changing to an RUC system and how MDOT would make sure any such system is fair, reliable and easy to manage. All changes would be required to go through a rigorous process and involve our elected officials, additional public input and new legislation.
This pilot is intended to understand whether an RUC system may be right for our state. No changes are planned at this time and participation in the pilot will be voluntary.
The process to implement an RUC system will require our lawmakers to pass new legislation. This process has several steps to make sure Michigan residents can have their say.
Many other states are exploring RUCs and some have already implemented programs. Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Hawaii and Vermont have enacted RUC programs.
In addition to Michigan, many other states have studied or are currently studying RUCs, including California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Washington.
No. An RUC is intended to be an alternative to the state gas tax, not an additional fee on top of it. During the pilot, participants will continue paying state and federal fuel taxes as they normally do, but the pilot will calculate what they would have paid under a mileage-based system. The pilot is for testing and learning only. If Michigan were to consider an RUC in the future, policymakers would determine how to avoid having drivers pay both a state fuel tax and a mileage-based fee for the same road use.
No. Cameras would never be used to record mileage. The pilot is designed to evaluate mileage reporting options while protecting participant privacy. Drivers will have multiple reporting options to choose from, including options that do not record location. The pilot will only collect the information needed to measure miles traveled and test how an RUC could work in Michigan.
