Full closure of eastbound I-94 slated for this weekend in Ann Arbor
A nine-mile stretch of eastbound Interstate 94 will be completely closed to all traffic this weekend through Ann Arbor for a construction project by the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Beginning 10 p.m. Friday, both lanes of eastbound I-94 will be closed at the M-14 junction to the Carpenter Road overpass until 5 a.m. Monday.
As a result, entrance ramps to eastbound I-94 at Jackson Avenue, Ann Arbor-Saline Road and State Street also will be closed.
Traffic will be diverted to M-14 and U.S. 23 as a detour.
It's the second full closure of eastbound I-94 for the resurfacing project this summer.
MDOT anticipated the resurfacing project would close each direction of the freeway separately for four weekends. Closures will not take place on weekends when major events in the Ann Arbor area are taking place.
Drivers on north and southbound U.S. 23 still will be able to access eastbound I-94 during the weekend closure.
However, this weekend MDOT is closing the ramp from westbound I-94 to southbound U.S. 23 from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.
The posted detour will be through the U.S. 12 (Michigan Avenue) interchange at exit 181.
View MDOT I-94 construction in a larger map
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Comments
anita
Sun, Jul 28, 2013 : 12:53 p.m.
I know the area well, and would never drive 10 miles west and then 10 miles north to get from State St. to Metro Airport. I do this every Sunday by using Eisenhower/Packer to go east to Ypsilanti where I can get on I-94. without having gone 20 miles in the opposite direction.
TruEMU_fan
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 4:24 p.m.
The Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Fest in Ypsilanti's Riverside Park is this weekend. I'm sure this will affect some people coming into town from the west side of the state for this.
Kyle Mattson
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 4:55 p.m.
Yikes, good point TruEMU, hopefully the guild is able to send out an email or something to ticketholders informing them of the closure.
Boo Radley
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 3:17 p.m.
... will be closed at the M-14 junction to the Carpenter Road overpass ... ???
PairOhLegal
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 : 12:59 p.m.
Change it to "...will be closed FROM the M-14 junction to the Carpenter Road overpass..." Makes more sense?
Boo Radley
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 : 11:24 a.m.
Ah .... now I see Thanks, Amy
Amy Biolchini
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 8:18 p.m.
Nine miles of eastbound I-94 will be closed: The closure starts on the west side of Ann Arbor, where I-94 splits off to M-14. The closure ends at the Carpenter Road overpass on the east side of Ann Arbor. I apologize if the wording was confusing.
Ann English
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 5:41 p.m.
I know; it puzzles me, too. M-14 is the one freeway of the three in the ring that goes nowhere near Carpenter Road.
Judy
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 12:53 p.m.
If commercial and industrial enterprise would allow more flax time of just 1 hour in the morning and afternoon it would easy traffic for morning and afternoon commuters all over the city.
Ann English
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 5:40 p.m.
I think you mean "flex time".
NSider
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 11:41 a.m.
Detroit is bankrupt, there is no reason to go east now anyway, right? (Unless you want to go to Canada).
A2comments
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 11:35 a.m.
"MDOT anticipated the resurfacing project would close each direction of the freeway separately for four weekends." In an earlier story, ""No two directions will be closed at the same time," said Mark Sweeney, manager of MDOT's Brighton post." So why did MDOT say they wouldn't close both directions at the same time, then are doing exactly that? How about INVESTIGATING...
PairOhLegal
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 : 12:55 p.m.
*Technically* -- if they're closing the WESTBOUND I-94 exit to SB US-23, while both EASTBOUND lanes are closed....sounds like two directions to me! Just saying....
A2comments
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 7:15 p.m.
So I read it without my coffee... Or glasses...
Amy Biolchini
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 1:25 p.m.
dexterreader is correct. It's only the eastbound lanes that will be closed this weekend. Westbound traffic will be unaffected on I-94.
dexterreader
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 12:19 p.m.
The article states it will be a full closure of the EASTBOUND lanes. This will be the second weekend for closing the eastbound lanes. Westbound lanes will be open.
motorcycleminer
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 10:26 a.m.
If its anything like last time Sam's phone should be ringing off the hook...more fun than trying to get thru the State /Ellsworth interesction @ 8 am....duh...
Kafkaland
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 3:16 a.m.
The third lane issue has been discussed for a long time. It's necessary, no doubt. The bridges aren't the biggest problem, replacing them will ist money, but any of them are already obsolete and need to be replaced soon anyway. The big problem is at Westgate. The M14 interchange would have to be rebuilt completely, and to do so by today's design standards means tearing down a significant portion of the Westgate shopping center, and relocating portions of the adjacent cemetery. It's a daunting project, but eventually it will have to happen.
Ross
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 2:53 a.m.
"Closures will not take place on weekends when major events in the Ann Arbor area are taking place." Heeeellloooo, Beer-fest this weekend, m-kay? Good thing I live in Ypsi and will be walking.
Renea327
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 2:17 p.m.
Hopefully more people are walking, I wouldn't want anyone driving on 94 after attending Beerfest anyways @Ross.
Paul
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 12:46 a.m.
In the past I would say its wrong to close all the lanes but the way some folks drive on the freeways today, they just can't handle lane closers. Too bad folks drive so poorly.
Arboriginal
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 12:19 a.m.
How about putting up some of those swell sound walls like in Ypsi?
aarog
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 2:39 a.m.
Where, why? With the third lane, or before?
dconkey
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 12:04 a.m.
Mgoscottie, A) that would not stop the closures on the freeway, B) I am in support of that, but do a Google Earth of the area, and you will see that it is not that easy. There are houses/apartments on both sides of the freeway, all the bridges would have to be rebuilt and new right-of-ways to deal with, for what, a couple of hours a day in the morning and afternoon so someone who does not plan ahead a bit is stuck in a traffic jam for a few minutes? Not really worth the cost. What is worth the cost is figuring out how to calm the traffic at the 94 West and 23 North interchange. A fly over would be great, but the real-estate is not there.
Julius
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 12:02 p.m.
They're also adding bike lanes and losing lanes on every other possible thoroughfare. So it's only getting worse. A Morgan road bridge over 23 along with some paving would work for me.
mgoscottie
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 1:56 a.m.
They could close it for a month for all I care if they're putting 3 lanes in, getting out of football games is a nightmare and morning/afternoon commutes are awful every week day. I can't think of one spot they couldn't widen it and while they're revamping bridges they can fix ann arbor main's pothole situation.
mgoscottie
Tue, Jul 23, 2013 : 10:29 p.m.
Put a third lane in! I'll chip in!
TruEMU_fan
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 4:08 p.m.
agreed. I understand that it isn't that easy, and that adding lanes might add traffice, but when you put in three lanes BEFORE AND AFTER ann arbor, you are setting yourself up for Ann Arbor to be a bottle neck and more traffic. I'm not surprised at all that there is always traffic in this stretch. You said sure, let's have more traffic west and east of ann arbor, but hey, when you're in ann arbor, we're only going to have two......
clownfish
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 12:48 p.m.
It's a good idea. Now, how do they put a third lane around Jackson rd and the Cemetery? I think I-75 is 3 lanes to accommodate the weekend northbound traffic, which clogs all three lanes Fridays and Sundays.
NSider
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 11:43 a.m.
A third lane for light rail commuter train!
aarog
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 2:39 a.m.
It's three lanes before and after Ann Arbor, both directions. I bet there is more traffic in Ann Arbor I-94 than just east or west of it, and the morning rush hour, game days, major events, or any construction make any 15 minute trip a 25 minute trip. 21 bridges in that stretch, I'm told, inhibit expansion. I believe not every bridge has to be widened, but I-94 in AA is in dire need of expanding to three lanes. Great call.
sttc
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 1:09 a.m.
agreed. it's ridiculous that this stretch of highway is only two lanes considering how it's a major trunk through ann arbor and the volume of traffic it carries... i don't see how widening it isn't at the top of MDOT's priority list. all while, yeah, I-75 near flint is what, five or six lanes wide? but that harkens back to the days when flint was a much larger city and you had convoys of trucks full of parts for GM going up and down the road all day... the infrastructure there is (very) overbuilt relative to the present population and economic condition of the city. the ann arbor area on the other hand in general seems totally in a state of shock that _it_ has become the center of population growth and economic development in michigan... the infrastructure here feels designed to suit a much smaller town (narrow roadways, insufficient lanes, etc) and the people in charge are totally behind the ball on catching up to the times. it's like they can't even conceptualize it. or maybe it's all just some misplaced effort to maintain the "small town character" of ann arbor and environs. either way our transport infrastructure is lacking...
Paul
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 : 12:48 a.m.
I like to know why north of Flint I-75 is 4-even 5 lanes at times and around here were way more traffic is, we get 2 or 3 lane freeways ? I-75 up there is how all freeways should be, that be so cool and likely safer
Don Duck
Tue, Jul 23, 2013 : 10:37 p.m.
I second that!