Stretch of I-94 to be renamed after late MDOT employee

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. – Governor Whitmer signed Senate Bill 48 on Thursday, which renames a section of I-94 in Benton Charter Township to the “Kevin D. White Memorial Highway” in honor of a Michigan Department of Transportation employee who died at work.

This stretch of I-94, from the highway I-196 interchange to the Napier Avenue exit, is being renamed after White, a maintenance worker who died in October 2019 when he was struck by tires that had fallen off a passing semi while clearing debris along I-94.

“Memorializing Kevin is important for his family and the communities he served,” said Governor Whitmer. “But it also is a stark reminder the people working on our roads are someone’s parents, siblings, children and caregivers who want to go home after their workday like the rest of us.”

“Kevin White was like a lot of people at MDOT and in the contracting industry working on our roads so we can make it safely and efficiently to work, school, the grocery store or a child’s soccer game,” MDOT Director Paul C. Ajegba said. “His tragic death is a reminder of the dangerous conditions road workers endure so we can get where we’re going on time.” 

White is survived by his wife of 20 years, Yolanda, and their daughter, Taylor.

He was a Benton Township Trustee from 2012 to 2-15, was appointed township supervisor in 2015, and then elected supervisor in 2016.