OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – The traffic on I-75 in Oakland County will be so bad this summer as the construction project resumes that the Michigan Department of Transportation is already apologizing for it.
The project will stretch from Eight Mile Road to Coolidge Highway. Last year, the barrels started at 13 Mile Road.
All lanes of I-75 are back open for now, but we’re only a few months away from dealing with another major I-75 headache. This time, it’s going to be worse than before, MDOT officials said.
“Now we have two segments that are going simultaneously,” MDOT spokesperson Rob Morosi said.
In the spring, I-75 drivers will not only need to get around phase two of the construction project -- they’ll also have to get around phase three, which begins at Eight Mile Road.
“A complete rebuild of I-75 between Eight Mile and 13 Mile,” Morosi said.
Phase three will also go in quadrants, working on different parts of the stretch of I-75 until 2023.
“Do it all at once and be done with it instead of having stops where lanes are open then it’s not anymore,” one driver said.”
Phase three will include tearing down bridges, new pavement, new retaining walls and new siding. The bridge work will start at the end of the month.
“We’re going to start knocking down Meyers, Woodward Heights, John R bridges,” Morosi said.
The bridge demolition will completely close the highway for two weekends at the end of February and the beginning of March.
“In order to knock down three bridges, you’re going to have to work around the clock, so overnight hours -- a lot of banging, a lot of concrete falling, a lot of steel,” Morosi said. “It’s going to be disruptive for the community.”
That’s why MDOT officials are encouraging residents to come to a meeting about the project and learn more about how it will affect them.
“If you live along the corridor or you drive the corridor, come to the meeting,” Morosi said. “There’s going to be info there regarding how we’re going to manage this quadrant this year.”
The open house meeting will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Hazel Park Rec Center.