OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Transportation announced Wednesday morning that due to weather delays and additional work added to the original contract, switching northbound I-75 traffic to its pre-construction configuration has been delayed until late December.
UPDATE: I-75 construction in Oakland County: New northbound lanes to start opening Fridau, Dec. 27
Right now, both directions of I-75 are sharing the southbound side of the freeway, separated by a temporary concrete barrier between 13 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway. Two lanes are open in each direction. Originally, the traffic switch to place northbound traffic on the newly constructed northbound lanes was to occur by Thanksgiving, MDOT said.
- Segment 2 of the I-75 modernization project involves reconstructing 8.5 miles of pavement in each direction and improving 18 bridges over a two-year period.
- The 2019 work focused on rebuilding the northbound lanes and replacing 11 bridges from 13 Mile Road to Coolidge Highway
- Due to weather delays, the opening of the northbound lanes is expected to occur in late December.
“The delay is primarily due to lost production caused by an abnormally wet spring, heavy rain events during the summer, extreme temperatures, and a record snowfall in November,” reads a statement from MDOT. “The process to move northbound traffic onto the northbound lanes and opening additional lanes will be completed in stages starting this month.”
MDOT said that since March 1 crews have lost roughly 60 days of production due to adverse weather. Before northbound traffic can be switched over, crews need to complete ramp work and some mainline paving.
This video shows construction on I-75 in Oakland County as of Nov. 20, 2019:
During the winter months, crews will be working on a sound wall near Wattles Road on northbound I-75 that was not included in the original contract. This will result in a single-lane closure on northbound I-75 from Big Beaver to Wattles roads during the winter months. Crews will also begin prep work for the reconstruction of the southbound lanes in 2020.
This $224 million project involves reconstructing more than 8 miles of pavement in each direction, improving 18 structures, upgrading drainage, constructing community-developed aesthetics and federally approved noise walls, and continuing construction of an additional travel lane between Coolidge Highway and 13 Mile Road.
Watch this report from August: I-75 construction project now expected to take 10 years less