LANSING – Nine Mile Road in Warren will get a $3.8 million makeover, and more than 1,600 autoworkers will get to keep their jobs in 2007.

At the request of two Warren-based Chrysler Corp. and General Motors assembly plants, the city will repair Nine Mile Road between Mound and Van Dyke roads to improve traffic conditions for both automakers.

Warren applied for the Transportation Economic Development Fund grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to support construction costs.

“These are federal grants that we administer to promote increased economic potential,” MDOT’s Barbara Hicks said. “There is a required 20 percent local match from the city.”

Warren plans to contribute $1.4 million on top of the MDOT grant of $2.4 million.

The city pledged the reconstruction as an incentive to keep both companies in town.  GM’s plant has operated in Warren for almost 50 years. 

Recent investments by GM and Chrysler in their Warren plants total $354 million, and both companies expressed concern with poor conditions on Nine Mile Road.

“Chrysler was investing $106 million to retool its assembly plant, and GM was investing $248 million, so the city of Warren made the request for the companies to repair Nine Mile Road,” said Michael Kapp, administrator of the Office of Economic Development and Enhancement in MDOT.

Chrysler’s investment retained more than 1,300 jobs, and GM’s new six-speed transmission project retained 300 jobs, MDOT said.

Kapp said construction is tentatively set to begin in June.

The city plans to completely rebuild the road, including replacement of the curb and gutters and entrances to existing businesses.

Ben Ippolito, communications manager for GM’s Powertrain Headquarters in Pontiac, said truckers will benefit from the construction.

“The road is used on a daily basis with trucks coming in and out of our plant,” Ippolito said. “There’s always a potential to damage supplies that are entering and leaving the plant.  The resurfacing will limit that potential.”

The construction job hasn’t been given to a contractor yet, and bids haven’t been solicited.

“State construction jobs have to be bid out and they are awarded to the lowest bidder,” Hicks said.  

Chrysler plans to renovate its truck access gate and guard shack.  The company requested a right-turn lane on eastbound Nine Mile Road to ease traffic flow from the plant.

MDOT grants to cities in Van Buren and Manistee counties were not nearly as large. 

Manistee County received $300,000 to rebuild Filer City Road in Manistee, where North Star Ethanol is investing $100 million to construct an ethanol plant.  North Star expects to create 50 jobs.

Van Buren County will rebuild the road surface of Industrial Park Road in Bangor because of a $3.5 million investment by Michigan BioDiesel, which will create 22 jobs. MDOT gave a $69,000 grant to the project.

The three road projects will receive a combined $4.2 million from MDOT to maintain strong business relationships in their areas.