Some construction barrels in Michigan to be moved to ease Fourth of July weekend travel

LANSING, Mich. (WLUC) – Starting Wednesday afternoon, traffic restrictions will be removed on nearly 60 percent of its road and bridge projects statewide to ease traffic delays for holiday travelers.

AAA estimates more than 2.6 million Michigan residents are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, setting a new record for the second consecutive year.

“Fourth of July weekend is a time to come together with family and friends to enjoy the splendor of Pure Michigan and celebrate our independence,” said Governor Whitmer. “To ensure Michiganders can get to their destinations safely and on time, we’re moving construction barrels and lifting traffic restrictions. Since I took office through the end of this year’s construction season, we will have repaired or replaced nearly 23,000 lane miles of roads and 1,600 bridges, supporting tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. I’m proud of what we have accomplished, and I wish every Michigander a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.”

Beginning at 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 3, and continuing until 6 a.m. Monday, July 8, 105 out of 174 projects statewide will have lane restrictions removed. While motorists will see suspended operations in most MDOT work zones for the weekend, drivers are advised that equipment and certain traffic configurations may remain in place, like temporary shifts or shoulder closures.

“Drivers across the state know full well how much-record-setting road and bridge work is happening in Michigan right now thanks to increased federal infrastructure investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as well as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan program,” said State Transportation Director Brad Wieferich. “We’ve pulled back the barrels as much as we can for the holiday weekend but we couldn’t do it for every project. We thank drivers for continuing to show patience behind the wheel and following all posted speed limits in work zones. Let’s keep it up so everyone, including drivers, their passengers, and road workers, all make it home each and every night.”

MDOT oversees I, M, and US routes and is responsible for nearly 10,000 miles of state highways, which carry more than 50 percent of all traffic and approximately 70 percent of commercial traffic in Michigan.

A full list of work zones that will remain active, or have lane restrictions during the holiday weekend can be found here. If necessary, detour routes will be posted at the location of the project.

All closures are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information on MDOT projects, go to the Mi Drive website.

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