MDOT Lifts Road Restrictions For 4th of July Drivers

Are you going out of town for the Fourth of July? The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is trying to make your trip as easy as possible.

Beginning at 3 p.m. Tuesday through 6 a.m. Thursday, MDOT will be suspending construction wherever possible on state roads and bridges, allowing holiday travelers to get where they want to be quicker and easier.

In total, traffic restrictions will be lifted on 100 of 155 construction projects statewide.

That's good news for Michigan drivers. According to the AAA, an estimated 1.4 million Michigan residents are expected to be traveling during the Fourth of July holiday, up 16 percent from last year. And according to AAA, 87 percent of those travelers will be going by car.

"We urge all motorists to drive with caution through work zones during this busy summer holiday weekend," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle in a recent release. "Be sure to plan ahead, buckle up, and put the cell phone away while driving so everyone gets to their destination safely."

Drivers heading out last weekend, however, weren't as lucky. Normal construction restrictions remained in place over the weekend and will once again return to Michigan roadways this Friday.

What construction can you expect when you're driving today and tomorrow? In Oakland County, watch out for these three construction zones:

• I-96 has three lanes open in each direction between Kent Lake and Milford roads with a traffic shift and reduced speeds posted.
• M-150 (Rochester Road) is still closed in each direction between 2nd Street and University Drive. Detours are posted.
• Southbound U-24 Business Route (Cesar Chavez Drive) is currently closed. One northbound lane is open between Montcalm and the Woodward loop.

What's to come?

The Road Commission of Oakland County recently announced these projects taking shape later this month that could affect your daily travels:

• Orchard Lake Road between 13 Mile Road and 14 Mile Road in Farmington Hills will be down to one lane in each direction starting July 16 for a resurfacing project.
• Lahser Road from 11 Mile Road through the 12 Mile Road intersection in Southfield will be reduced to one lane in each director as crews reconstruct and widen the road from four to five lanes.

For traffic incident alerts, live traffic web cameras and additional construction information, visit michigan.gov/drive. For up-to-the-minute traffic conditions in Bloomfield any time of the year, make sure to check out Patch's Commute section.