For those who have been dancing the orange barrel polka for weeks on end, you will be happy to know that in at least a number of cases, the team at the Michigan Department of Transportation will pull the barrels to the side of the road, easing lane restrictions on a number of roadways to make your holiday weekend travel a bit less hectic.
MDOT says that they are once again removing lane restrictions on state road and bridge projects as much as possible for the Labor Day holiday weekend to ease traffic delays for travelers. While AAA forecast summer travel (June 1 – Sept. 30) to be down 15-percent this year, vehicles were expected to make up 97-percent of the favored mode of transportation. AAA has also predicted car trips will have the smallest drop in year-to-year traffic volumes for the summer, at only 3-percent.
Beginning at 3 pm this Friday, September 4th, and continuing until 6 am on Tuesday, September 8th, a total of 144 out of 200 projects statewide will have lane restrictions removed. While motorists will see suspended operations in most MDOT construction zones for the weekend, drivers are advised that equipment and certain traffic configurations may remain in place, like temporary shifts or shoulder closures.
State Transportation Director Paul C. Ajegba says, “While this has been a summer travel season unlike any other due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still many travelers on Michigan roadways. We expect many more folks to also take advantage of one last weekend of summer travel.” He notes, “Road and bridge construction workers continue to follow proper safety procedures to ensure their health and safety, and we expect drivers to do their part for the health and safety of everyone in work zones, including themselves. Slow down, stay alert and avoid distractions in all construction zones. While most work zones are being suspended for the holiday weekend, there are still areas where the barrels cannot be pulled back due to the nature of the work in progress. Let’s make sure everyone goes home each and every night.”
Visitors traveling up north are reminded that the Mackinac Bridge Authority voted in May to suspend this year’s Annual Bridge Walk due to the pandemic. The event is expected to resume in 2021.
MDOT oversees I, M, and US routes and is responsible for nearly 10,000 miles of state highways, which carry more than 50-percent of all traffic and approximately 70-percent of commercial traffic in Michigan.
For up-to-date information on MDOT projects, you can always go to the Mi Drive website at http://www.Michigan.gov/Drive.
The following is a list of work zones that will remain active or have lane restrictions during the Labor Day holiday weekend. If necessary, detour routes will be posted at the project location.
Southwest Michigan
– I-69 near Coldwater, Branch County, has one lane open in each direction at Newton Road.
– I-94, Berrien County, has two lanes open in each direction at the New Buffalo Weigh Station.
– I-94 BR in Benton Township, Berrien County, has one lane open in each direction at Crystal Avenue.
– US-12, Berrien County, one lane open in each direction at US-31.
– US-131 in Three Rivers, St. Joseph County, has one lane open in each direction with traffic shifts from Cowling Road to Gleason Road.
– US-131 BR, Kalamazoo County, is closed between West Dunkley Street and US-131. Detour posted.
West Michigan
– 100th Street, Kent County, is closed over US-131. The 100th Street on ramp to southbound US-131 is closed as well.
– I-196 in Grand Rapids has eastbound lane closures and a traffic shift between Market Avenue and US-131. The following ramps are closed:
– Eastbound M-45 (Lake Michigan Drive) to eastbound I-196,
– Westbound M-45 to westbound I-196, and
– Market Avenue to eastbound I-196.
– I-196 in Grand Rapids has eastbound lane closures and a traffic shift between Fuller Avenue and I-96. The eastbound I-196 and eastbound I-96 ramps to M-44 (E. Beltline Avenue) are closed.
– I-196, Ottawa and Kent counties, has lane closures and a traffic shift between 32nd Avenue and Kenowa Avenue. All eastbound I-196 traffic is detoured to eastbound M-6. The westbound M-6 ramp to westbound I-196 is closed. The on and off ramps at eastbound I-196 and 32nd Avenue are closed.
– M-66, Barry County, is closed between Huff and Day roads.
– M-115, Osceola County, is closed near Marion, between M-66 and 20 Mile Road.
– US-31 in Muskegon has the southbound off ramp to Laketon Avenue closed.
– US-31 BR (Shoreline Drive) in Muskegon has the northbound lanes closed at Webster Avenue.
Northern Lower Peninsula
– I-75, Cheboygan County, will have lane-width restrictions in each direction from Topinabee Mail Route to Riggsville Road.
– M-72, Kalkaska County, will have passing lanes closed east of Kalkaska.
– M-204, Leelanau County, will have one lane open on the bridge over Lake Leelanau with a temporary traffic signal.
– US-23, Presque Isle County, will have one lane open over the Swan River with temporary traffic signals.
– US-31 in Benzonia, Benzie County, will have one lane open with a temporary traffic signal.
– US-127, Roscommon County, will have lane width restrictions with two lanes open in each direction from M-55 to Mile Marker 200.
Upper Peninsula
– M-28 in Munising, Alger County, will have a directional detour in place. Westbound M-28 traffic will stay on M-28 through the roundabout under construction. Eastbound M-28 will follow the posted detour from M-28 to Chestnut Street, then Superior Street back to M-28. There will be one lane of alternating traffic over Jones Creek via temporary traffic signals.
– M-28, Ontonagon County, will have one lane open in alternating directions over the Baltimore River west of Bruce Crossing via temporary traffic signals.
– M-35, Marquette County, is closed from north of Marquette County Road 480 to south of Marquette County Road 492. A detour is posted.
– M-35, Menominee County, will have one lane open in alternating directions over Deer Creek via temporary traffic signals.
– US-2 in Marenisco, Gogebic County, will have one lane open in alternating directions over the Big Presque Isle River via temporary traffic signals.
– US-2/US-41, Delta County, has one lane open in each direction between Gladstone and Rapid River.
– US-41 in Hancock, Houghton County, has one lane open in each direction between Quincy Street and Lake Annie Road.
Central Michigan and Thumb
– I-69, Shiawassee County, will have one lane open in each direction from the Clinton/Shiawassee county line to Colby Lake Road.
– I-94, St. Clair County, will have the eastbound ramp to Range Road closed. Detour posted.
– M-46, Saginaw County, has lane closures and traffic shifts at the I-75 interchange. The following ramps will be closed:
– The southbound I-75 ramp to eastbound M-46,
– The eastbound M-46 ramp to southbound I-75,
– The eastbound M-46 ramp to northbound I-75, and
– The northbound I-75 ramp to eastbound M-46.
– M-54, Genesee County, will have one lane open in each direction from Coldwater Road to Mt. Morris Road.
– M-90, Sanilac County, will have one lane of alternating traffic open from Claridge Drive to Croswell Road via a temporary signal.
– US-127, Isabella County, has the northbound exit ramp to US-127 BR closed; the westbound M-20 ramp to southbound US-127 will also be closed.
Note: the following closures remain in effect due to flooding earlier this summer.
– M-30, Gladwin County, is closed over the Tobacco River.
– M-30, Midland County, is closed over the Tittabawassee River.
– M-65, Arenac County, is closed from Jose Road to Ostrander Road. Traffic is detoured via US-23 and M-55.
Southern Michigan
– I-75, Monroe County, has one lane closed from the Ohio state line to Erie Road for reconstruction. The southbound I-75 ramp to Summit Road is closed.
– I-496, Ingham and Eaton counties, has the westbound lanes closed from Lansing Road to I-96.
– US-127 service drive (Homer Street) in Lansing will have one northbound lane open from M-143 (Michigan Avenue) to M-43 (Saginaw Highway).
Metro Detroit
Macomb County
None.
Oakland County
– 10 Mile Road has one lane open at M-10.
– Evergreen Road has one lane open at M-10.
– Mt. Vernon Street is closed over M-10
– Novi Road has one northbound lane open at I-96.
– I-75 has two lanes open in each direction between M-102 (8 Mile Road) and Adams Road.
– I-75 has the northbound ramps to eastbound and westbound I-696 closed.
– I-696 has one westbound lane closed from M-1 to Coolidge Highway.
– I-696 has the eastbound exit ramp to Couzens Avenue closed.
– M-5 (Grand River Avenue) has one westbound lane closed west of M-102 (8 Mile Road).
– M-24 (Lapeer Road) has one lane closed in each direction between Goldengate Street and Drahner Road; the northbound lanes are closed from Drahner Road to Harriet Street.
Wayne County
– Second Avenue is closed over I-94.
– I-75 has lane closures and traffic shifts near Milwaukee Avenue. The Milwaukee Avenue bridge over I-75 remains closed.
– I-75 has the right lane closed in each direction between Springwells and Clark streets.
– The I-75 service drives remain closed in each direction between Springwells and Green streets.
– I-94 has lane and ramp closures at East Grand Boulevard and Mt. Elliott Street. The Grand Boulevard and Mt. Elliott Street bridges over I-94 remain closed.
– M-5 (Grand River Avenue) has one lane open from Evergreen Road to US-24 (Telegraph Road).
– M-10 has the northbound and southbound ramps to eastbound I-94 closed.
– M-10 has lane closures between 6 Mile Road and 8 Mile Road, including the service drives.
– M-39 (Southfield Freeway) has one lane open in each direction under US-12 (Michigan Avenue). The M-39 service drives have one lane open in each direction at US-12. The northbound M-39 ramps to eastbound and westbound US-12 are closed, as well as the southbound M-39 ramp to eastbound US-12. US-12 has two westbound lanes open from the US-12 service drive to Mercury Drive.
– M-102 (8 Mile Road) has two lanes open in each direction between M-53 (Van Dyke Avenue) and M-3 (Gratiot Avenue).
