Emergency Road Work Needed On I-94 Near Metro Airport Due To Heat Damage

ROMULUS (WWJ) - Expect delays if you're traveling eastbound I-94 near Detroit Metro Airport over the next two days.

The Michigan Department of Transportation says I-94 eastbound from Merriman to Middlebelt roads will have only the left lane open for emergency replacement of concrete in the two right lanes beginning Monday afternoon through late Tuesday.

The exact times are unknown at this point, but MDOT's Diane Cross said they hope to have the work completed Tuesday night.

"The heat has caused some concrete — on I-94 out by the airport — to heave and separate, and we feel that it has to be replaced immediately, sometime this afternoon, " Cross told WWJ's Sandra McNeill.

"We don't have an exact time because we're having to get a contract set up to pull in some crews to do this work.

MDOT says the exit to the common ramp to Middlebelt/Merriman roads will remain open and those lanes can be used for freeway traffic and remain open for airport access.  The entrance ramps from Middlebelt to eastbound will also remain open.

Those headed to or from the airport from the east are strongly urged to use I-275 to Eureka Road for an airport entrance.

Michigan Ave. and Ecorse are among the recommended alternate routes.

Meantime — as part of a separate, ongoing project — westbound I-94 from Telegraph Rd to I-275 will continue to have night work taking it down to one lane from 8 p.m to 5 a.m. and around the clock on the weekends. [More on this here].

Don't get caught in a jam: Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 during Traffic and Weather on the 8s, 24-hours a day. Get the latest road construction and accident information now on the CBS Detroit Traffic Page.