US 127 construction: Which route should you drive between Lansing and Mason?
MASON — It's the county seat of the county where Michigan's capitol sits, but while the damn roads are being fixed, how exactly do you get to Mason from Lansing? Or to Lansing from the Mason area?
The Michigan Department of Transportation is in the midst of a years-long remake of US 127 in Ingham County, having completed last year a $62 million project on the freeway between M-36 in Mason south to the Ingham County/Jackson County line. In preparation for this year's work, crews began building crossover lanes for a $205 million rebuild of the freeway between I-96 north to I-496 last fall.
This particular phase will stretch over two years and include realigning and widening the freeway, reconfiguring interchanges and improving 18 bridges to ease congestion and improve safety along the heavily traveled thoroughfare, MDOT said.
In the interim, navigating routes north and south is anything but easy. So, what’s a driver to do?
Why can’t I just take US 127 and endure the construction?
You can, but it won't be pretty.
There is construction on southbound U.S. 127 at the most-commonly used interchanges, including the closed onramp where U.S. 127 meets I-96. Right now, the ramp from eastbound I-96 to northbound U.S. 127 is closed, and traffic is being detoured to the east.
The road will be reworked every day with the zipper barrier, so if you are traveling in the morning, southbound 127 becomes two lanes northbound for the morning commute into Lansing, and one lane southbound. For an evening drive, there will be just one lane northbound and two lanes southbound.
It will mean backups, bottlenecks and driving between concrete barriers on each side, instead of shoulders. And you’ll likely have to drive beyond your destination to find an off ramp that’s open.
Can I take I-96 east or west instead?
Nice try but exits to northbound and southbound U.S. 127 are expected to be closed for a good portion of the project.
Complicating matters, exits to Trowbridge Road from northbound 127 near MSU's campus, and from both directions at Dunckel/Jolly roads, are closed. MDOT said it plans to accelerate work on the stretch between I-96 and Dunckel Road early this year to try to get it open by June. But the Trowbridge exit for northbound drivers is closed for all of 2024.
What about side roads?
You can take Hagadorn Road from Okemos or the edge of Michigan State University's campus almost all the way to downtown Mason.
Starting from downtown, take East Malcolm X Street to Aurelius Road. Turn east at East Mount Hope Avenue and then south on Hagadorn until it becomes North Jefferson Street near Mason.
That route will add 10 minutes to the 18-minute highway commute, according to a Google Maps search. But it may be one of the more efficient routes.
Drivers may want to consider a planned roundabout construction scheduled to begin next week at Hagadorn's intersection with Sandhill Road in Alaiedon Township. Work is scheduled for the daytime, and completion is scheduled for August.
What about taking Cedar Street?
Drivers who don't mind frequent traffic lights can use Cedar Street to get to locations in Lansing, Delhi Township and Mason. Going south from Lansing, they'll have to turn east onto Holt Road to get back to southbound U.S. 127, or, just stay on Cedar all the way to Mason.
Is MLK Jr. Boulevard a better option?
Another option, with about the same number of traffic lights, would be to take Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from I-496, or anywhere in and around downtown Lansing, south until it turns into M-99. Drivers could turn east at Holt Road and make their way to Cedar Street or U.S. 127 south, or continue south on M-99 into Aurelius Township, just west to Mason, and access downtown Mason from Columbia Road.
Have a better route you are using? Let us know by sending an email to metro@lsj.com.
Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: US 127 construction: Alternative routes for drivers north and south
