This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Road Work Takes Break for Memorial Day

MDOT lifts most traffic restrictions for Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Even construction goes on vacation.

Motorists should expect to get a temporary reprieve from road construction this weekend as the Michigan Department of Transportation is suspending work on 75 out of the current 142 projects statewide over the Memorial Day holiday.

The suspension of work begins at 3 p.m. Friday and continues through 6 a.m. Tuesday in an effort to aid the 1.1 million motorists who are expected to take to the roads this weekend, according to AAA Michigan.

Find out what's happening in Trenton Grosse Ilewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“The Memorial Day holiday is a great opportunity for motorists to experience and discover the natural beauty of our great state,” state transportation director Kirk T. Steudle said in a statement. “Safety is our number one priority. Please wear your safety belt, put away you hand-held devices, and pay close attention, especially when traveling through construction zones.”

Motorists should be reminded that there will still be some construction zones still in effect throughout the weekend, including equipment and temporary traffic configurations, like minor shifts.

Find out what's happening in Trenton Grosse Ilewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In metropolitan Detroit, there are a handful of construction projects that could still cause headaches for motorists.

In the city of Detroit, Interstate-96 eastbound and westbound ramps to northbound M-39 are closed. Traffic is detoured via U.S.-24.

The Southfield Freeway is also closed in both directions between M-5 and M-10 for reconstruction. Traffic is detoured via U.S.-24.

In Oakland County, Crooks Road is reduced to a single lane in each direction over M-59.

In addition, the I-75 northbound exit to eastbound M-59 is closed with a posted detour. In conjunction with this project, the M-59 eastbound ramps to northbound and southbound I-75 are also closed, as is the westbound ramp to southbound I-75. Detours are posted.

In Macomb County, the 11 Mile Road westbound entrance ramp to westbound I-94 is closed and Van Dyke Ave. is reduced to two lanes over I-696.

In downtown Mount Clemens, the southbound Gratiot Avenue bridge over the Clinton River is closed and traffic is detoured to the northbound bridge with a single lane open in each direction on the northbound structure.

Some of the major construction projects still in effect throughout the state include:

  • The Mackinac Bridge will have intermittent lane closures during off-peak hours for painting.
  • U.S. 131 Business Route in downtown Cadillac in Wexford County will be closed with a posted detour.
  • I-196 in Grand Rapids will be shifted under Fuller Ave. with two lanes of traffic maintained in each direction. Fuller Avenue will have one lane open in each direction; a left-turn lane from northbound Fuller Avenue to westbound I-196 will be open. The ramp from Fuller Ave. to eastbound I-196 will remain closed.
  • I-94 in Kalamazoo will have two lanes maintained in each direction at Westnedge Avenue. The following ramps are also closed: southbound Westnedge Ave. to eastbound I-94; southbound Westnedge Ave. to westbound I-94; northbound Westnedge Ave. to westbound I-94; westbound I-94 to southbound Westnedge Ave.; westbound I-94 to northbound Westnedge Ave.; and eastbound I-94 to northbound Westnedge Ave.
  • I-75 in Bay County will have northbound traffic shifted to southbound lanes from Linwood to Pinconning roads, using a moveable barrier to separate traffic. Through Saturday, two northbound lanes and one southbound lane will be open. Saturday through Wednesday, two southbound lanes and one northbound lane will be open.
  • I-75 in Saginaw and Bay counties will have three lanes maintained in each direction from M-84 to Crane Road. Three northbound and two southbound “express” lanes are shifted and open on the northbound side of the highway; one southbound “local traffic” lane is running on the southbound side. Access to I-675 and M-84 is maintained on the southbound lane.
  • I-675 in Saginaw County remains closed from M-13 to Veterans Memorial Highway. Alternate routes include: M-13 to M-81 to I-75, and northbound I-675 to I-75. Downtown access is available via southbound I-675, using the Warren/Jefferson exit.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?