It’s summer, so the constant churn of road construction is part of the Michigan experience.
There’s a pair of one-lane situations you should know about for your weekend travels.
Northbound I-75 at I-696
In our inboxes this morning word that Northbound I-75 will be going down to one lane between I-696 and 12 Mile near the Royal Oak and Madison Heights border. Although that isn’t a huge distance, any time you take the freeway down to one lane there’s the large potential for traffic delays.
They’re adding materials to increase the tire grip of the road to the area of northbound I-75 at Gardenia Avenue. The nearly $200,000 project includes cleaning the road surface, adding a specialized overlay and additional stone, and removing loose material.
The work is going to start tonight (Friday) at 10 p.m. and roll through early Monday morning July 18 finishing up by 5 a.m. in time for rush hour.
Both Sides Of M-53 From 15 Mile to 18 Mile
This one begins this weekend but is going to last awhile – they expect till near the end of this month (July).
Beginning Saturday from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., northbound and southbound M-53 will each have one lane open from 15 Mile Road to 18 Mile Road. If needed, the work may also continue on Sunday from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., depending on the weather.
Weekday work would be between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., after rush hour, or during evening and overnight hours, and would have short-term lane closures in various locations for work such as landscaping. This is expected to occur during the next few weeks as the project wraps up.
The final phase of this $34 million project requires multiple lane closures to complete ramp/curb work, minor concrete work, traffic signal work at intersections, and other finishing work. While a majority of the lane closures will occur this weekend, there may be additional intermittent lane closures during midday, nights, or on future weekends, if necessary. They’re hoping this work will extend the road’s life 20 years.
Merge well, friends.