As work continued behind him, Buttigieg commended Democratic party leadership for gathering the necessary support in Washington to pass the infrastructure law in 2021. Without the funding the law provided, he said, this project along with more than 600 other infrastructure projects across the state would never have begun.

Buttigieg also took the time to highlight how the numerous construction projects have increased the amount of "good, paying" jobs in the area. He referenced how the UA Local 333 has had to build up its home facility due to an influx of new apprentices.

"That’s putting the 'industrial' back into the 'industrial Midwest'," Buttigieg said. "And it means presents under the tree, it means a new car or truck in the driveway, it means the chance to own a home, and that’s the transformation that’s happening."

Despite the current delays in traffic and general inconvenience of the construction, Slotkin has said, the long-term benefits of the project are more than worth it. Construction is expected to continue until December 2025.

"A lot of Lansing residents know that their commute to work is different, or when you’re coming in to tailgate, you’ve got to adjust because of the construction," Slotkin said. "But it’s for an extremely good, once in a generation investment in our roads, our bridges and our infrastructure."