MDOT taps Johnson for top U.P. spot

Aaron Johnson is the new regional MDOT head. MDOT

The U.P.'s regional Michigan Department of Transportation office has a new administrator, Aaron Johnson.

Johnson has been with MDOT for 18 years, most recently managing the Ishpeming Transportation Service Center. His new title is Superior Region engineer, replacing Randy Van Portfliet, who has been at MDOT for nearly 40 years.

His new duties will include overseeing 1,900 miles of state trunkline across the Upper Peninsula, 187 employees, and managing both capital and maintenance budgets for the region.

Johnson is originally from Bruce Crossing and is a graduate of Michigan Technological University. He's served as an operations engineer, traffic and safety engineer, maintenance engineer and bridge design engineer with MDOT, after a stint as a U.S. Army officer. He's also chaired the U.P. Traffic Safety Committee, and served on several statewide transportation teams.

Writer: Kim Eggleston
Source: Michigan Department of Transportation