Whitmer announces rebuild of Haggerty Road to prepare for new gigafactory
(CBS DETROIT) - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a rebuild of Haggerty Road in Van Buren Township to support Our Next Energy's (ONE) new gigafactory.
"Investments in our roads and bridges help Michiganders go to work, drop their kids off at school, and run errands safely," said Whitmer. "Since I took office through the end of this year, Michigan will have fixed 16,000 lane miles of road and 1,200 bridges, bolstering our economy and connecting our hardworking communities. With today's grants, we are investing in Michigan communities and making Michigan more competitive. I will work with anyone to advance our economic development and build a Michigan where everyone can envision a bright future for themselves."
ONE is a battery storage company based in Novi. The company uses safe and low-cost battery chemistries for consumer and commercial electric vehicles, according to a news release from the governor's office.
The new factory was announced in October and is expected to create 2,112 engineering, manufacturing and operational jobs by 2025 and $1.6 billion of investment in the economy.
After developing sustainable ways to manufacture lithium iron phosphate and anode-free cells, the company planned for the construction of a facility to support the new battery manufacturing methods.
According to the release, the company wanted to use a building at the Crossroads Distribution Center in Van Buren Township, but the roads were in poor condition and not suitable for existing traffic, and would not support an increase in traffic the area would see once the new facility was up and running.
So, Wayne County and Van Buren Township worked to get $3.5 million in funding through the Michigan Department of Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF).
In addition to this, ONE will invest more than $1.6 billion to house the 659,589-square-foot gigafactory at the Crossroads Distribution Center.
The road work will include:
- demolishing the existing roadway and replacing it with a new concrete roadway
- adding a center left-turn lane and right-turn lanes at existing and new driveways (excluding intersections)
- including curb and gutterwork throughout the project limits
- installing a new traffic signal midway on Haggerty Road at a new service drive to the building
- enclosing drainage structures, adding underdrains, and completing water main work