5 biggest metro Detroit road construction projects this summer

Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press
·7 min read

As temperatures rise around metro Detroit, so does the racket of jackhammers and bulldozers along Michigan roadways.

While some of the projects have been ongoing for years, there are numerous construction projects reconstructing, repairing and improving major metro Detroit roads, freeways and highways this summer. But, as expected, road closures and detours have the potential to create bumper-to-bumper traffic and otherwise affect residents' daily commutes.

With the help of the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, here are five major construction projects to look out for across metro Detroit this summer and beyond.

I-75 and Fisher Service Drive

In building the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a stretch of Interstate-75 and the Fisher Service Drive in southwest Detroit will continue to undergo construction throughout most of the summer and beyond.

The ongoing work focuses on pedestrian bridges over the freeway and ramps that will connect I-75 to the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is expected to be completed next year, as well as other road improvements.

Until the project's completion, intermittent and moving single-lane closures along with total street and ramp closures are subject to change. Stay updated on changing road conditions and detours at gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com.

Southfield Freeway (M-39)

Almost 5 miles of the Southfield Freeway, from Pinecraft Drive just south of I-94 to Ford Road, will be under construction into the fall as crews work to repair the freeway, including concrete patching, milling and resurfacing, pavement markings, drainage cleaning and barrier wall repairs.

Work began on April 29 with single-lane closures on the right lanes during weekday hours and double lane closures overnight and over the weekend.

According to MDOT, crews will initially work in the right lanes, including ramps and the service drives/collector-distributor lanes near I-94 and Michigan Avenue, but when work on the right lanes is completed throughout the entire project limits, crews will move to work on the left and center lanes.

Ramp closures between I-94 and Ford Road, including the I-94 ramps, will be announced before closing.

Through late July, there will be only two lanes open on northbound M-39 from I-94 to Rotunda Drive and on southbound M-39 from Ford Road to Oakwood Boulevard.

Van Dyke Freeway (M-53)

Southbound lanes on the Van Dyke Freeway from 18 Mile Road and Hall Road (M-59), which has been under construction since early March, will remain under work through mid-summer for milling and resurfacing of M-53 and bridge work.

The eastbound and westbound M-59 ramps to M-53 will also be closed along with local closures of Utica Road, 19 Mile Road and Canal Road.

According to MDOT, traffic on southbound M-53 will continue to be detoured via westbound Hall Road to southbound Mound Road, then eastbound 18 Mile Road to southbound M-53.

After work is completed on southbound Van Dyke Freeway in mid-summer, construction and road closures will switch to the northbound portion for work through late fall.

Square Lake Road (I-75 Business Loop)

The I-75 Business Loop, otherwise known as Square Lake Road, is being rebuilt between Woodward Avenue and I-75 in Bloomfield Township, including rebuilding pavement, drainage improvements, new curb and gutter, signal upgrades and improving the Opdyke Road/Square Lake Road ramps.

Since construction began on April 15, the westbound I-75 Business Loop has been closed at Opdyke Road, but starting in June through mid-summer, the loop will be closed the whole stretch from I-75 to Woodward Avenue.

According to MDOT, westbound traffic will be detoured further north on I-75 to westbound M-59, then further west through the Woodward Loop to southbound I-75 Business Loop/US-24 Business Route/Woodward Avenue to westbound US-24 Business Route/Square Lake Road.

Once the westbound business loop is finished in mid-summer, projected for the beginning of August, eastbound I-75 Business Loop/Square Lake Road will be closed from Woodward Avenue to I-75 through the fall.

I-96 Flex Route

Michigan's second flex route along I-96 from Kent Lake Road in Lyon Township to the I-275/I-696/M-5 interchange in Novi is in its last stretch after three years of construction, installing an active traffic management system and widening shoulders to allow part-time median shoulder use during peak traffic times, as well as rebuilding lanes, shoulders and ramps, and repairing pavement.

Since mid-April, traffic has been shifted to share two lanes in each direction on the eastbound side of the highway.

Additionally, numerous ramps will be closed through early fall, according to MDOT:

  • The Beck Road ramp to eastbound I-96 is closed and detoured via eastbound Grand River Avenue and northbound Novi Road to eastbound I-96.

  • The southbound M-5 ramp to westbound I-96 will be closed and detoured via southbound M-5, eastbound Grand River Avenue, and northbound M-5 to westbound I-96.

  • The northbound and southbound Novi Road ramps to westbound I-96 will be closed and detoured via westbound Grand River Avenue and northbound Beck Road to westbound I-96.

  • The westbound I-96 ramp to Novi Road will be closed. I-696 and M-5 traffic will use northbound M-5 to westbound 12 Mile Road to reach Novi Road (this will affect westbound I-696/I-96 traffic to Novi Road, as well as northbound M-5/I-96 to Novi Road). The northbound I-275/I-96 ramp to Novi Road will be open.

  • The westbound I-96 ramp to Wixom Road will be closed through mid-May and detoured via westbound I-96, southbound Beck Road, and westbound Grand River Avenue to Wixom Road.

  • The Wixom Road ramp to westbound I-96 will be closed through mid-May and detoured via eastbound Grand River Avenue and northbound Beck Road to westbound I-96.

  • The westbound I-96 ramps to northbound and southbound Milford Road will be closed and detoured via westbound I-96, southbound Kent Lake Road, and eastbound Grand River Avenue to Milford Road.

  • The Milford Road ramp to westbound I-96 will be closed and detoured via southbound Milford Road, westbound Grand River Avenue, and northbound Kent Lake Road to westbound I-96.

MDOT: I-96 commuters will be allowed to drive on shoulder in Oakland County

Other projects to take note of:

  • The I-696 Restore the Reuther project, now in its third year out of the four-year project, is reconstructing and doing bridge and culvert work on I-696 from I-275 to Lahser Road in Oakland County.

  • From M-15 to the Oakland County Line, two lanes are maintained on southbound I-75 for reconstruction and bridge work.

  • The Diverging Diamond Intersection connecting US-24 (Telegraph Road) and M-102/8 Mile in Wayne County is finishing construction this year.

  • A milling and resurfacing pavement project on M-5 (Grand River Avenue) from 8 Mile Road to US-24 (Telegraph Road) in Wayne County is finishing up this year.

  • I-275 will undergo double-lane closures from Huron Drive to 6 Mile Road in Wayne County for bridge work in the project's last year of work.

  • The US-24 (Telegraph Road)/I-75 Connector in Wayne County will undergo bridge work and culver replacement on the northbound side of US-24 this year, followed by the southbound side next year.

  • From Sheldon Road to Newburgh Road in Wayne County, M-14 will undergo reconstruction and bridge and shoulder work, followed by the reconstruction of eastbound M-14 in 2025 and westbound M-14 in 2026.

  • Starting in June and expected to continue through the fall, Michigan Avenue (US-12) from Belleville Road to Haggerty Road in Wayne County will have pavement milled and asphalt overlayed.

  • Reconstruction of Eight Mile Road (M-102) from Woodward Avenue to the Van Dyke Freeway (M-53) will finish up its last year of the project with work at Van Dyke intersection.

  • Milling and resurfacing pavement on M-8 (Davison Freeway) from Oakland Avenue to Joseph Campau in Detroit, a one-year project, will start mid-summer.

  • The westbound I-96 ramp to westbound I-94 in Detroit will undergo a bridge project this summer.

  • I-96 Local and Express, M-8 (Davison Freeway) to Schaefer, and I-96 Express from Wyoming to Fullerton in Detroit will undergo a one-year mill and fill project.

  • Milling and resurfacing pavement on the Belle Isle Outer Loop in Detroit, a one-year project, will begin in late summer.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Metro Detroit road construction projects: 5 biggest for summer 2024