Ahead Of Schedule! MDOT To Re-Open All Lanes Of I-75 In Oakland County

TROY (WWJ) - Just in time for the Labor Day holiday weekend, crews will open all lanes and ramps on I-75 from Coolidge Highway to South Boulevard in Oakland County.

All travel lanes on the freeway's southbound side were opened Thursday morning, and the northbound lanes are expected to open Friday morning.

The opening is 20 days ahead of schedule and marks a significant milestone reached on segment one of the freeway modernization project, a $91.8 million investment to rebuild more than three miles of the interstate and make operational improvements to the Square Lake Road interchange.

In addition to rebuilding the freeway lanes, the project involved realigning a section of I-75 to allow for replacing outdated left-lane ramps to and from northbound I-75 and Square Lake Road to safer right-lane movements. This investment also included replacing eight bridges, rebuilding ramps at the I-75/Adams Road interchange, incorporating drainage improvements, and community-developed aesthetic treatments.

Motorists are reminded that opening to traffic differs from project completion. After Labor Day weekend, crews will return to expand and improve the Adams Road carpool lot and install permanent pavement markings on freeway lanes. The pavement marking installation will occur during non-peak hours on a yet to be determined weekend. All lanes and ramps are expected to remain open during weekdays.

In spring 2018, tree planting will commence to replace and add trees that were removed to accommodate the freeway realignment, as well as ditch rebuilding for better freeway drainage. All trees that were six inches in diameter will be replaced with either two or three for every one that was removed.