Freeways and state-owned roads in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties will receive $1.38 billion of the $3.5 billion in bond proceeds the State Transportation Commission authorized Thursday as part of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's new road construction plan that relies entirely on new state debt.

Whitmer announced the bonding program Wednesday night in her State of the State address, calling it a "Plan B" for fixing deteriorating roads after lawmakers refused to entertain the hefty 45-cent-per-gallon fuel tax hike she proposed last year to generate $2 billion more annually to fund roads.

Oakland County, Michigan's second-largest county, will get the highest amount of bond funding for reconstruction projects, totaling $763 million, according to a list of project the Michigan Department of Transportation released Thursday.

The projects in Oakland County over the next five years will include a $456 million rebuild of I-696 from I-275 to Dequindre Road and a $217 million rebuild of I-96 from Kent Lake Road to Novi Road.

Wayne County, the state's largest county, will get the second-highest amount of bond proceeds at $492 million, according to MDOT.

In Macomb County, the bonding program will fund $126 million for two projects: A $60 million rebuild of I-94 from Eight Mile to 11 Mile and a $66 million rebuild of M-59 from Romeo Plank Road to I-94.

Genesee County will get the third-highest amount in bond proceeds for $295.5 million in road construction projects, primarily for reconstruction of I-475.

Calhoun County would get the fourth-most amount of bond proceeds at $256.8 million to rebuild or rehabilitate stretches of I-69 and I-94 as well as replace the I-94 bridge over the Kalamazoo River. Ingham County would get $255 million for reconstruction and rehabilitation projects on US-127 and I-496 around Lansing, according to MDOT.

The money can only go to freeways and state-owned "trunkline" roads with a U.S., I or M designation, including expressways and arteries like Gratiot or Michigan avenues in Detroit.

Reconstruction projects in Wayne County funded by the bonds over the next five years will include a $147 million rebuild of I-275 from south of Ford Road (M-153) to Five Mile Road in 2021 and a $177 million rebuild of I-275 from south of I-94 at Northline Road to Ford Road.

The State Transportation Commission on Thursday morning unanimously approved a resolution to issue 25-year bonds totaling $3.5 billion over the next four years to finance major reconstruction projects.

State officials hope to get an interest rate between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent.

"This is the perfect time to do a bond issue because we can get interest rates so cheap," Commissioner Helen Zeerip said.

The program will accelerate 73 projects across the state, enhance 23 projects in MDOT's pipeline and allow the agency to tackle 26 new projects that currently tax revenue would not support, said Laura Mester, chief administrative officer for MDOT.

The Whitmer administration has billed the bonding program as a way to finance the total reconstruction of major highways and trunkline roads instead of the strategy over the past decade of repaving the top three inches of blacktop for a temporary, seven-year fix.

"It seems to be a smart, cost-effective way to address a looming crisis on our roads," Commissioner George Heartwell said of the bonding program.

Heartwell and other transportation commissioners stressed that the bonding program won't solve Michigan's long-term road funding deficit, which most experts peg around $2 billion annually to get 90 percent of roads in good or fair condition.

"This is not a permanent fix," Heartwell said. "We still need an increased dedicated source of revenue from the Legislature to solve the long-term, going forward program. But this will put us back on track to fix our Michigan roads — and that's our duty."