Local 4 Traffic Blog by: Lauren Podell

The following construction activities are planned for the weekend beginning Friday, May 7 thru Monday, May 10. As always, some of this work maybe postponed due to adverse weather or any unforseen circumstance.

One total closure is scheduled.

I-96
In Detroit:

Eastbound and westbound I-96 will be closed between Grand River/Schaefer and Joy Road for bridge demolition. The full closure begins at 5 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m. on Saturday. The eastbound detour will use Grand River Avenue to the eastbound service drive to enter eastbound I-96 at Joy. The westbound detour will utilize the westbound service drive from Joy to Grand River.

In conjunction to the full closure:
The eastbound express lanes will be closed at Outer Drive from 9 p.m. on Friday until 7 a.m. on Sunday.
Eastbound and westbound I-96, between Livernois and Davison, will have a three lane closure (single lane open) from 9 p.m. on Friday until 7 a.m. on Sunday.

I-94
In St. Clair County:

the entrance ramp from Fred Moore Highway to eastbound I-94 will be closed beginning at 6 a.m. on Friday until late May for reconstruction. Ramp traffic will be directed to Wadhams Road.

In Macomb County:

Beginning at 10 p.m. on Saturday until 8 a.m. on Sunday, the ramp from westbound I-94 to westbound I-696 will be closed for construction. A detour will be posted.

Beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday the entrance ramp from 12 Mile Road to westbound I-94 will be closed until early Nov. for work at the I-94/I-696 interchange. A detour will be posted.

Beginning at 10 p.m. on Friday, and ending at 9 a.m. on Saturday, the eastbound I-94 ramp to westbound I-696 will be closed. A detour will be posted.

Beginning at 10 p.m. on Friday, the eastbound I-94 exit ramp to 11 Mile Road is closed until late June for construction at the I-94/I-696 interchange. A detour will be posted. 

In Wayne County:

Bridge work will require a right lane closure on eastbound I-94 over I-275 starting at 6 a.m. and ending at Noon on Saturday. From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, the left and center lanes will be closed. 

Beginning at 6 a.m. on Saturday and ending by 5 a.m. on Monday, the left and center lanes of westbound I-94 will be closed at I-275 for bridge repair.

I-696
In Macomb County:

The 11 Mile Road entrance ramp to westbound I-696 will be closed from 10 a.m. on Saturday until late June for construction at the I-94/I-696 interchange.

M-10 (Lodge Freeway)
In Oakland County:

Beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday and ending at 5 a.m. on Monday, the northbound M-10 exit to 9 Mile Road will be closed. Traffic will be directed to exit at 8 Mile.

M-39 (Southfield Freeway)
In Detroit:

 Northbound and southbound M-39 will be reduced to a single lane between M-153 (Ford Road) and McNichols Road for resurfacing. The double lane closures begin at 9 p.m. on Friday and end by 5 a.m. on Monday.

M-59
In Macomb County:

Eastbound and westbound M-59 will have two lanes closed between I-94 and Elizabeth Street for pavement repair. The two lane closures begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday and end at 3 p.m. on Monday.

In Oakland County:

The right lane of eastbound and westbound M-59 will be closed between Williams Lake Road and Airport Road for pavement repair beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday and ending at 6 a.m. on Monday.

M-3 (Gratiot Avenue)
In Macomb County:

Southbound M-3 will have two lanes closed from Cass Avenue to Sunnyview Street beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday until 5 a.m. on Monday.

Dixie Highway
In Oakland County:

Scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 10, southbound Dixie Highway will be reduced to a single lane at Telegraph Road for intersection improvements. The lane closures will remain in place until the end of May.

Local 4 Traffic Blog by: Lauren Podell

Here we go again! Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but the fact is weekend construction is not going anywhere. Now, something to keep in mind — Local 4 Casters are calling for rain, even mild thunderstorms this weekend. So a lot of this construction will be weather permitting.  Here goes nothing…

I-96

In Detroit:

The two left lanes of eastbound I-96 will be closed from Davison to Livernois avenues for bridge painting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. This work is weather dependent.

I-75

In Wayne County:

Maintenance work will require the closure of the ramp from northbound I-75 to northbound US-24 (Telegraph Road) from 9 p.m. on Saturday to 9 a.m. on Sunday. During the closure, traffic will be directed to use Eureka Road to access Telegraph. This work is weather dependent.

I-696

In Macomb County:

The two left lanes of eastbound and westbound I-696 will be closed between Dequindre and Van Dyke from 6 a.m. on Saturday to 5 a.m. on Monday. This work is weather dependent.

M-10 (Lodge Freeway)

At the Detroit/Southfield border:

Northbound and southbound M-10 will be reduced to a single lane at 8 Mile Road for bridge work from 5 a.m. on Saturday to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Due to Tigers home games on Saturday and Sunday, crews will open two lanes southbound from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days.

M-39 (Southfield Freeway)

In Detroit:

 Northbound and southbound M-39 will have the two right lanes closed for resurfacing work from 9 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday. The work is scheduled between M-153 (Ford Road) and McNichols Road and is weather dependent.

M-59

In Oakland County:

Scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 3, westbound M-59 will be reduced to a single lane from Opdyke to Woodward for resurfacing work. The restrictions will be in place around the clock until Monday, May 17. In addition, the westbound M-59 exit ramp to Opdyke Road will be closed until Friday, May 21.

From 7 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Monday, the right lane of eastbound and westbound M-59 will be closed between Williams Lake Road and Airport Road for pavement repairs.

In Macomb County:

Ryan Road under M-59 will be closed for bridge demolition from 9 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday. A detour will be posted for each direction of Ryan Road, using Rochester and Auburn roads. The work is in conjunction with the ongoing reconstruction between Crooks and Ryan roads.

Starting Monday:

I-94

In St. Clair County:

Scheduled to begin Monday, May 3, there will be an intermittent single lane closure on eastbound and westbound I-69 between Allington Road and Range Road for installation of median cable guardrail. The single lane closure, when needed, will occur during off peak hours and alternate between the eastbound and westbound side of the freeway until the end of May.

Local 4 Traffic Blog by: Lauren Podell

So here’s the deal, in the past two days I have received several e-mails from the MDOT Office of Communications alerting me of several (to say the least) new construction projects getting ready to start in the next week. 

Count ‘em, FIVE freeways are going under the construction knife, some starting as early as this Friday.  Construction season has officially begun when five BIG projects start in less than a week. So I wanted to take the time to let you know what’s happening out there. Because if you drive in Metro Detroit, you are bound to get stuck in delays from one of these projects. 

PROJECT #1  STARTS APRIL 9 

M-39 (Southfield Freeway) resurfacing in Detroit  

Preliminary work on a $3 million project to resurface 6 miles of M-39 (Southfield Freeway) will begin Friday, April 9, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The resurfacing will take place between M-153 (Ford Road) and McNichols Road in Detroit. 

Contract documents restrict work to overnight on weekdays and all times on weekends. Overnight lane restrictions begin at 9 p.m. and will be removed by 5 a.m. the following mornings. Weekend work runs continuously from 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. 

In addition to the resurfacing work, crews will patch sections of concrete pavement that carry M-39 under I-96. Weather permitting, crews will close two lanes on northbound M-39 under I-96 for patching beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, April 9 until 5 a.m. Monday, April 12. In order to allow for proper cure time, patching work will take place on weekends in April and May. 

All work is expected to be completed in early June. This project is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). 

PROJECT #2  STARTS APRIL 10 

I-94/I-696 interchange rehabilitation 

Road and bridge rehabilitation begins on Saturday, April 10, when contracting crews begin a large-scale project at the I-696/I-94 interchange in Macomb County. According to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), this $31 million investment includes: 

            – Reconstructing both directions of I-696 between Neiman Road and I-94; 

            – Reconstructing ramps and rehabilitating bridges within the interchange; and 

            – Resurfacing both directions of I-94 between M-102 (8 Mile Road) and I-696. 

During construction, two-lane ramps will be constructed maintaining one lane. The one exception is the ramp from eastbound I-696 to eastbound I-94, which will close in late June for bridge deck replacement. The ramp is expected to open in early November. During the ramp closure, motorists looking to head east will exit at M-3 (Gratiot Avenue) to Metro Parkway in order to access eastbound I-94. 

The reconstruction of I-696 near the interchange will be constructed maintaining two lanes in each direction during peak travel periods. 

The I-94 resurfacing will begin after July 4 and be completed in mid-October. Lane closures during the resurfacing work will be restricted to weekday nights and all times on weekends. 

In 2011, crews will focus on replacing the 11 Mile Road bridge over I-94. This bridge is located within the interchange and will remain open in 2010 as a way for local traffic to access nearby neighborhoods. 

PROJECT #3 STARTS APRIL 12 

Pavement repairs on M-8 (Davison Avenue) in Detroit  

Crews will begin repairs to approximately 2 miles of M-8 (Davison Avenue) on Monday, April 12. The project limits, between Woodrow Wilson and Tuller streets, are located between the M-10 (Lodge Freeway) and I-96 interchanges in Detroit. 

All work will be completed via lane closures. The section between Woodrow Wilson Street and Livernois Avenue will be resurfaced, while concrete pavement patching will improve the riding surface between Livernois Avenue and Tuller Street. 

Included in this project are curb repairs to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, and constructing median islands with crosswalks and pedestrian signals to improve safety. This $1.85 million project is expected to be completed by the end of September.   

PROJECT #4 STARTS APRIL 12 

M-59 pavement repair begins in Macomb County  

Concrete pavement repair will begin the week of April 12 on a 6.8 mile section of M-59 in Macomb County, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The work will be separated into four phases to maintain mobility on this heavily traveled commercial corridor. 

The project limits are between I-94 and Van Dyke Road in Clinton, Macomb and Shelby townships, and in Sterling Heights and Utica. The four phases are as follows: 

-         Phase 1 between I-94 and Elizabeth Street; 

-         Phase 2 between Romeo Plank and Garfield roads; 

-         Phase 3 between Garfield Road and Schoenherr Highway; and 

-         Phase 4 between Schoenherr Highway and Van Dyke Road. 

During construction, phases 1 and 4 will be done simultaneously. Phases 2 and 3 will be done afterward. Motorists should expect lane closures with a minimum of two lanes open in each direction during active work hours. 

Weekday lane closures are scheduled to occur nightly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. To minimize the impact on local businesses, weekend lane closures will occur continuously from 9 p.m. Saturdays to 3 p.m. Mondays.  This $1.6 million project is expected to be completed in August.   

PROJECT #5 STARTS APRIL 12 

I-94/I-275 interchange project begins in Romulus  

Ramp reconstruction and repair to three bridges begins Monday, April 12, at the I-94/I-275 interchange in Wayne County. According to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the first ramp to be closed will be eastbound I-94 to southbound I-275. During this ramp closure, motorists who want to use southbound I-275 will be directed to continue east on I-94 to Vining Road, and enter westbound I-94 to access southbound I-275. The ramp is expected to open in late May. 

The ramp closure is part of a $12.8 million investment to upgrade this heavily used interchange. Included in this project is the resurfacing of more than 2 miles on northbound and southbound I-275 between Northline and Hannan roads. The resurfacing work is expected to start later this summer.  

Also, the northbound I-275 ramp to westbound I-94 is expected to close the week of April 12 for a period of five days in order for crews to construct a temporary crossover for a future traffic shift. During this ramp closure, all traffic will be diverted to the Vining Road detour. 

The week beginning Monday, April 19, crews will close the northbound I-275 ramp to eastbound I-94 for reconstruction. Detoured traffic will head west on I-94 to Haggerty Road to access eastbound I-94. This ramp is expected to open in early June. 

The dates for the ramp closures are subject to change based on weather or any unforeseen circumstances. All ramps, bridges and lanes at the interchange are expected to be open by late November.

Local 4 Traffic Blog by: Lauren Podell

Bumper-to-bumper traffic is America’s collective nightmare, and unfortunatly for us it happens EVERY day! So a website called the Daily Beast set out to figure out the worst of the worst, because this problem isn’t going anywhere. They researched the top 75 in the county! I’ve listed below the top 10 — and I know we want to know — where does Michigan rank?

Anthony Downs, author of Stuck In Traffic has identified four reasons for America’s congestion problem: first, most of us work during the same hours of the day; second, the country’s economic success has allowed households to buy multiple cars; third, there are more people now than when most roadways were conceived; fourth, more cars means more accidents which means more delays.

Here’s how they did it: Ranking the metropolitan areas with the worst rush-hour congestion. The order is based on the peak hour Travel Time Index (TTI) for the metropolitan area each highway is in. TTI is a measure of how much longer it takes to complete a road journey during peak congestion hours compared to free-flow hours. (Peak hours are defined as 6 a.m. to 10a.m., and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) Speeds during non-peak hours are used by INRIX to establish this free-flow baseline.

I’ve posted the top 10 below — but 1st here is where Michigan falls on the list!

#39. Edsel Ford Freeway (I-94), Detroit
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 174
Worst bottleneck: Eastbound, Linwood St/Exit 214
Length of worst bottleneck: .34 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 21
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 24 mph

Commuter Buzz: “It’s flat and straight and people like to fall asleep out there,” says Michigan State Police Sergeant Chris Pascoe of I-94 outside the Detroit city limits.

********************

#1.  Hollywood Freeway, Los Angeles
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 686
Worst bottleneck: Southbound, Vermont Avenue
Length of worst bottleneck: .64 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 77
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 14 mph

#2. Lunalilo Freeway (H-1), Honolulu
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 347
Worst bottleneck: Eastbound, S Vineyard Blvd/Ward Ave
Length of worst bottleneck: .82 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 36
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 16.4 mph

#3. Capital Beltway, surrounds Washington DC
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 194
Worst bottleneck: Southbound, Exit 2A-B
Length of worst bottleneck: 1.26 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 31
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 21.2 mph

#4. I-35, Austin
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 460
Worst bottleneck: Northbound, Riverside Dr
Length of worst bottleneck: .92 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 47
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 16.2 mph

#5. James Lick Freeway (US 101), San Francisco
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 190
Worst bottleneck: I 80 Northbound, 4th St/5th St
Length of worst bottleneck: .52 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 46
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 12.9 mph

#6. Cross Bronx Expressway, New York City
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 421
Worst bottleneck: Southbound, Bronx River Parkway/Exit 4B
Length of worst bottleneck: .36 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 94
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 11.2 mph

#7. I-5, Seattle
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 256
Worst bottleneck: Southbound, 45th St/Exit 169
Length of worst bottleneck: 1.46 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 34
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 21.3 mph

#8. I-95, Bridgeport, CT
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 272
Worst bottleneck: Northbound, US 1/Connecticut Ave/Exit 14
Length of worst bottleneck: 1.4 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 27
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 22.7 mph

#9. Kennedy Expressway, Chicago
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 712
Worst bottleneck: Westbound, I 90/I 94/Edens Expressway
Length of worst bottleneck: .2 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 64
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 17.2 mph

#10. Airport Expressway (State Road 112), Miami
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 183
Worst bottleneck: Eastbound, 72nd Ave/Milam Dairy Rd
Length of worst bottleneck: .46 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 22
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 16.3 mph

FOR THE FULL LIST CLICK HERE >> http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-19/americas-75-worst-commutes/full/

Local 4 Traffic Blog by: Lauren Podell

One of the biggest events in Michigan is in full swing! The cars, the glam, & bright lights have arrived for the 2010 International Auto Show!  For those of you are plan on going or have done this before know that getting downtown is the biggest battle of all. The charity preview is expected to bring 20,000 people to Cobo alone! So here is the official parking and people mover information released by the City of Detroit.

2010

Individuals attending the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) at Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center will find convenient and accessible parking and transportation in downtown Detroit. The public show runs from January 16 – 24th

PARKING

ALL OF THESE LOTS AT $10!  These sites are conveniently located near Detroit People Mover stations. In addition, MPD has parking available at the following Cobo Center parking facilities, but heavy traffic and demand are expected at these locations.

Ford Underground Garage 

Mon. – Fri. (6 a.m. – 11 p.m.)  Sat., Sun. and Holidays (9 a.m. – 9 p.m.)

Millennium Garage  

Mon. – Sun. (6 a.m. – 11 p.m.) 

Premier Underground Garage 

24 hours                                                       

Cobo Arena Garage 

Mon. – Sun. (6 a.m. – 11 p.m.)

Cobo Hall Garage

Mon. – Sun. (6 a.m. – 11 p.m.)

Cobo Roof Deck

Mon. – Sun. (6 a.m. – 11 p.m.) 

Joe Louis Arena Garage

Mon – Fri.   (6a.m. – 9:30p.m.)

Sat., Sun. and Holidays (9 a.m. – 9 p.m.)

For more information regarding the parking facilities, and a map of the locations, go online to www.detroitmi.gov/parking or call (313) 221-2500.

DETROIT PEOPLE MOVER

In addition, individuals can park at a City parking facility and catch the Detroit People Mover to the Auto Show.  The Detroit People Mover (DPM) service begins earlier on the weekends during the Auto Show.  On all other days during the show period, the DPM will operate on its normal schedule.  Here are the People Mover hours during the Auto Show:

January 14                                6:30 a.m. – Midnight

January 15                                6:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.

January 16                                7:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.

January 17                                8 a.m. – Midnight

January 18 – 21                        6:30 a.m. – Midnight

January 22                                6:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.

January 23                                7:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.

January 24                                8 a.m. – Midnight

Local 4 Traffic Blog by: Lauren Podell

WEEKEND CONSTRUCTION

I-96

In Detroit:

Eastbound and westbound I-96 will be closed between Schaefer Road and Livernois Ave. for bridge demolition. The full closure will begin at 9 p.m. on Friday and be removed by 5 a.m. on Monday. During the full closure, all eastbound and westbound traffic will be directed to Grand River Avenue. Crews will be demolishing the Elmhurst Road and Oakman Blvd overpasses.

M-10 (Lodge Freeway)

At the Detroit/Southfield border:

Northbound and southbound Lodge will be closed under 8 Mile Road for ongoing bridge work. The full closure begins at 6 a.m. on Saturday and will end by 5 a.m. on Monday. During the full closure, traffic will be routed up the 8 Mile exit ramp and down the 8 Mile entrance ramp for each direction.

I-696

In Oakland County:

• Bridge work will result in closing the two left lanes of westbound I-696 from M-1 (Woodward Ave) to Evergreen Road. The double lane closure begins at 5 a.m. on Saturday and will end by 5 p.m. on Sunday.
• Bridge work will result in closing the two left lanes of eastbound I-696 from Franklin to Greenfield roads beginning at 5 a.m. and ending at 7 p.m. on Sunday.

I-275

In Wayne County:

Bridge repair will reduce northbound I-275 to a single lane at US-12 (Michigan Ave) beginning at 6 a.m. on Saturday and ending by 5 a.m. on Monday. In conjunction, the ramp from eastbound Michigan Ave to northbound I-275 will be closed during the same time frame.

I-94/M-39 (Southfield Freeway)

In Wayne County:

The following lane restrictions are needed for detailed bridge inspections at the I-94/M-39 interchange in Allen Park. The work is weather permitting.

• Friday, Dec. 4, the left lane will be closed on the existing two lane ramp from northbound M-39 to westbound I-94 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 5, the left lane of northbound M-39 will be closed at I-94 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 6, the right lane of northbound M-39 will be closed at I-94 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 7, alternating right and left lane closures on the existing two lane ramp from eastbound I-94 to northbound M-39 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The following permits have been issued for Holiday Parades this weekend:

Are you ready for this?

M-24:

• In Oakland County, M-24 will be closed between Broadway and 1st Street from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

M-150 (Rochester Road):

• In Oakland County, M-150 will be closed between Avon and Tienken roads from Noon until 5 p.m Sunday

M-59:

• In Oakland County, eastbound and westbound M-59 will be closed between Saginaw Street and Dwight/Cherokee streets for Pontiac’s holiday parade. The closure will be from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday

Local 4 Traffic Blog by: Lauren Podell

It’s an ongoing battle between state’s and the government: finding the money to fix crumbling roads across the country, especially here in Michigan. 

This morning, transportation officials met with Congressional leaders to urge the government to fund 9,500 transportation and road construction projects, totaling nearly $70 billion! The goal? To sustain and create hundreds of thousands of jobs nationwide and improve the roads we drive on everyday!

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials released the list today in Washington. It includes 305 projects in Michigan with a nearly $1.4-billion price tag.

The projects MDOT are focusing on range from big reconstruction projects to smaller resurfacing project.

• $115 million for I-69 between Miller Road and M-19 in St. Clair County
• $45.6 million for Fort Street between Sibley and Goddard roads in Wayne County 
•  M-15 and I-75 in Oakland County and I-94 in Wayne County

“We think transportation has proven it’s an effective way to get people back to work, and it almost always increases economic activity in the areas where improvements have been made”, Michigan Department of Transportation spokesman Bill Shreck said.

AASHTO executive director John Horsley said 10,600 transportation projects totaling more than $30 billion have been funded through President Barack Obama’s $787-billion American Recovery and Investment Act. About 9,000 of those were highway construction projects, and more than half are under way or finished.

**In the mean time we’ll keep our fingers crossed here in the mitten….

Local 4 Traffic Blog by: Lauren Podell

Here we go again people! Another round of weekend construction is upon us. In *my* opinion, there really isn’t a whole lot! All pretty standard lane closures, no major closures EXECPT for tonight!  Below is full list released today from MDOT…enjoy! hehe

STARTING TONIGHT

I-75 in Oakland County:

• Ongoing bridge work will result in the full closure of northbound and southbound I-75 at Nine Mile Road beginning at 9 p.m. on Thursday and ending by 5 a.m. on Friday. During the full closure, all traffic will be routed to the service drives in each direction.

STARTING FRIDAY

M-59 in Oakland County:

• Westbound M-59 will be reduced to a single lane from Dequindre to Rochester roads beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m. on Friday for ongoing road repairs.

US-12 (Michigan Avenue) in Wayne County:

• Eeastbound Michigan Avenue will have the right lane closed from Oakwood Boulevard to Elm Street in Dearborn for utility work. The right lane closure begins at 9 a.m. on Friday and ends by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24.

THIS WEEKEND

I-696 in Macomb County:

• Eastbound and westbound I-696 will be reduced to a single lane between I-94and Hayes Road.
• In conjunction to these lane closures, the ramp from westbound I-94 to westbound
• I-696 will be closed. The lane and ramp closures are scheduled from 8 p.m. on Friday until 5 a.m. on Monday.

In Oakland County:

• The right lane of westbound I-696 will be closed at Southfield Road for sign work beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at noon on Sunday.

I-94 in Wayne County, bridge inspections will result in the following lane closures:

• Beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at noon on Saturday, the right lane of eastbound I-94 will be closed at the Southfield Freeway.
• Beginning at noon and ending at 3 p.m. on Saturday, the left lane of eastbound I-94 will be closed at Southfield Freeway.
• Beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at noon on Sunday, the left two lanes of westbound I-94 will be closed at Southfield Freeway.
• Beginning at noon and ending by 3 p.m. on Sunday, the right lane of westbound I-94 will be closed at Southfield Freeway

US-24 Business Route (Square Lake Road) in Oakland County:

• Eastbound and westbound Square Lake Road will be reduced to a single lane between Telegraph and Woodward beginning at 7 a.m. and ending at 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Local 4 Traffic blog by: Lauren Podell

The bulk of the 9 mile overpass re-construction begins tonight! MDOT teased us the past few weeks with a lane closure here and there but now it’s time to brace ourselves for freeway closures. Fortunately for you and me, they are nightly closure, but could create problems for evening drivers & early risers! 

What it looks like now...

The shutdowns this week are so crews can lay steel beams for the replacement bridge. “The fact that we’re already setting bridge beams in mid-November shows we’re serious about getting this bridge open by the end of the calendar year,” Morosi said.

So here is the complete schedule from The Michigan Department of Transportation:

TONIGHT 8PM – 5AM

• All lanes of Southbound I-75 at 9 Mile CLOSE
• An additional northbound lane during those hours.

WEDNESDAY 8PM – 5AM

• All lanes of Southbound I-75 at 9 Mile CLOSE 
• An additional northbound lane during those hours.

THURSDAY 9PM – 5AM 

• All lanes of Northbound I-75 at 9 Mile

DETOURS:

• Traffic is to be detoured using ramps at 9 Mile and the freeway’s service drive.
• Drivers should consider alternates such as Woodward or John R

The tanker explosion!

The bridge reconstruction was ordered after a tanker caught fire under the 9 Mile Road bridge during a three-car collision in July. Bridge replacement work is expected to be finished in December. The I-75 freeway reconstruction is scheduled to begin in April and be completed in July 2010.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL 4 NEWS FOR MORE UPDATES!