For three years, the Michigan Department of Transportation has warned that the state would lose a ton of federal loot if it could not put up its 20 percent local matching money.

Now, that day is heading toward us like a train. Unless the governor and Legislature act quickly, Michigan will lose half its transportation program over the next four years.

In a just-released draft of the state's next five-year transportation plan, MDOT anticipates a loss of $2.1 billion in federal aid from 2010-14 because the state can't put up $350 million in match money. Michigan's transportation spending will drop from $1.4 billion this year to less than $600 million for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. The state is set to kill 234 road and bridge projects over the next four years. The long-range picture is even grimmer: By 2020, the share of state roads in good condition will drop from 90% to 25%, said MDOT spokesman Bill Shreck.