It’s been six years since voters elected Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on her promise to “fix the damn roads,” yet they continue to crumble faster than the state can repair them.

Despite billions spent on road repairs during Whitmer’s two terms, Michigan roads remain far from her goal of 90% in good or fair condition, and the governor isn’t interested in discussing what she plans to do about it.

“Whitmer says she’s fixing the roads. But she’s been vague about specifically how she is defining success and unwilling to clarify or evaluate her efforts and discuss her strategy for long-term solutions,” MLive reports. “Since August, MLive interview requests have been repeatedly declined, instead only offered written response to submitted questions, which went unanswered.”

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Through 2024, Whitmer’s administration will have fixed about 23,000 lane miles of state-owned roads, as well as 1,600 bridges since the governor took office. But those efforts have only increased the percentage of good/fair state-owned roads by 2% in that time, while the percentage of primary and local roads in the same condition are up 8% and 6%, respectively.

After six years, none are even close to meeting Whitmer’s goal of 90% in good/fair condition.

“This administration’s focus on roads the past couple of years has been just on state highways,” Michigan House Speaker-elect Matt Hall, R-Richland Twp., told the news site. “We have been listening to our neighbors and local officials who know things aren’t getting fixed and that our local communities haven’t been a priority.”

Whitmer initially proposed to increase Michigan’s motor fuels tax by 45 cents to the highest rate in the nation to fund her road repair efforts, but was instead forced to borrow $3.5 billion for the work after lawmakers rejected the tax hike.

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That money runs out this year, with no concrete long-term plans from Democrats to address what has ballooned into a $3.9 billion annual road funding shortfall.

Lame duck Democrats have instead focused on legislation to increase gun control, release violent offenders early, redesign the state flag, provide taxpayer subsidies for the film industry, mandate vaccines, and other top Democratic priorities.

Michigan roads, meanwhile, are projected to continue to decay, “deteriorating faster than the agencies can repair them,” according to Michigan’s 2023 Road & Bridges Annual Report.

The report shows while the state improved 16.2% of roads eligible for federal aid between 2021 and 2023, 21.2% of those roads declined. It’s the same deal for non-federal aid roads, of which “47% were found to be in poor condition … (or) 2% more than from 2021 and 2022,” according to the report.

The roads report, compiled by the Michigan Asset Management Council, predicts that by 2035 52% of roads will be in poor condition, 28% in fair condition, and 20% in good condition.

“We are now merely treading water, and our county road professionals are fighting a losing battle by trying to do the job at current funding levels,” Denise Donohue, CEO of the Michigan County Road Association, told MLive.

In late November, Republicans introduced legislation to boost annual road funding by about $2.7 billion by adjusting how fuel is taxed and allocating a portion of corporate income tax revenue to road repairs.

Democrats are also promoting a plan to spend $5 million to study a new funding system that involves tracking and taxing Michigan motorists by the mile, though that idea has not gained traction in Lansing.

Hall told The Detroit News politicians are “spending billions of dollars every year on new projects and new programs, and then, they turn around and say they have no money available for our local roads.”

“It’s a lie,” he said. “We need to dedicate this funding off the top to keep our politicians from blowing this money year after year.”

Hall said in a statement Michiganders “are sick and tied of inaction and empty words.”

“That’s why House Republicans are taking over the state House,” he said. “We are ready to get to work and actually get things done, starting with a real roads plan we can pass on the first day we get back in December.”