Pontiac residents could see road construction begin in spring 2027 after voters approved a $75 million bond proposal for improvements to streets and road facilities. More than 70% supported the measure, allowing the city to move toward addressing pavement that residents and officials say has lacked substantial improvements for decades.
Mayor Mike McGuinness said the city is aiming to launch work during the next construction season. The plan still needs authorization from the Pontiac City Council, although the mayor said council members support it. He said Pontiac intends to pay the bonds’ annual debt service using existing resources rather than adding a financial burden for taxpayers.
The city has not decided which streets will be first in line. McGuinness said he will work with city staff and council members over the coming weeks to develop the first year’s project schedule. The work could vary by location, with some streets needing major reconstruction and others receiving resurfacing.
Scheduling will also take account of how construction affects travel through neighborhoods. McGuinness said officials want to pace the projects to avoid leaving neighborhoods gridlocked by roadwork. Alongside pavement improvements, the planned work will include repairs to sidewalks and sewer drains.
For Danielle Holt, the vote offers the prospect of changes to conditions she has known for much of her life. Holt, 48, said a street where she lived as a newborn has continued to receive patches over the years. She described uncertainty about potholes and the need to keep swerving around them, saying those conditions led her to support the bond proposal.
Viktor Vulaj, who owns D’Anton’s Coney Island and has served Pontiac customers since 1992, described similar frustrations with Green Street outside his restaurant. He compared the repeatedly patched pavement to Oreo cookies, saying the material comes back up. Vulaj said he sometimes jokes with city workers about adding more of those patches.
With the funding proposal approved, attention now turns to when residents will see construction begin. McGuinness said improvements can move forward in the near future without years of additional waiting. For Holt, visible progress is the priority: “I just want to see them start the work,” she said. The mayor likewise said he wants residents to experience the results on the roads they use.
