PONTIAC, Mich. — After Pontiac voters overwhelmingly approved a $75 million bond proposal to improve the city’s roads and road facilities, city leaders say residents could begin seeing construction as soon as next spring.
The proposal passed with more than 70% support, clearing the way for the city to tackle roads that officials and residents say have gone decades without substantial improvements.
WATCH: Pontiac voters approve $75M road bond; construction could begin next spring
For residents like Danielle Holt, the work is long overdue.
“I used to live on this street when I was born and I’m 48 years old and it’s been like this, just patching,” Holt said. “You don’t know what type of pothole you’re going to get. Or, you’re constantly swerving around.”
Holt said those conditions are why she voted in favor of the proposal.
Viktor Vulaj, owner of D’Anton’s Coney Island, has been serving customers in Pontiac since 1992. He described the condition of Green Street outside his restaurant by comparing the constantly patched pavement to Oreo cookies.
“It’s like Oreo cookies! It just comes up,” Vulaj said. “We joke with the city workers sometimes and say, ‘Oh, you guys are just putting some more Oreo cookies in there.’”
Now that the bond has passed, the question for residents is how quickly they will see that money turn into construction.
Pontiac Mayor Mike McGuinness said the city’s goal is to begin work during the next construction season, likely in spring 2027.
“We don’t have to sit on this and wait for years,” McGuinness said. “We can start seeing movement and improvement in the very near future.”
McGuinness said the plan still requires authorization from the Pontiac City Council, but said council members are on board. He said the city intends to cover the annual debt service on the bonds through existing resources rather than placing an additional burden on taxpayers.
Exactly which streets will be addressed first has not yet been determined.
McGuinness said he, city staff and council members will spend the coming weeks mapping out the first year of projects. Some streets may require major reconstruction, while others could receive resurfacing.
“We’re going to want to make it so that neighborhoods aren’t totally gridlocked with work,” McGuinness said. “We want to pace ourselves.”
The improvements will extend beyond the roads themselves. The mayor said the work will also include repairs to sidewalks and sewer drains.
For residents who have waited years for smoother streets, the next step is simple.
“I just want to see them start the work,” Holt said.
McGuinness said that is exactly what he wants residents to see.
“I want to deliver for the people of Pontiac to show it’s real,” he said. “You’re going to see it, feel it and drive on it.”
