GRAYLING — A Grayling roadway that’s been in development for over 20 years is closer to the finish line thanks to Michigan Strategic Fund approval of a $2.8 million grant to the Crawford County Road Commission.
The proposed project would renovate and extend Industrial Drive to 4 Mile Road. The new road would be all-season, robust enough to handle the trucking needs of the industrial park and allow easier access to I-75 for commercial traffic, avoiding downtown.
The funding provides critical matching dollars for a $5 million Michigan Department of Transportation grant to finalize two business projects in the industrial park: Stoops Freightliner-Western Star and Saab.
Altogether, said Crawford County Road Commission managing director Donald Babcock, it’s about $8 million. “The road commission certainly wouldn’t have $8 million available to construct a roadway through there. Really, without the funding, this project wouldn’t be a go at all.”
The Industrial Drive project is expected to break ground in April and be completed in the fall.