Michigan Notes

[wanderer2575]

Dang.  If there was one state where I thought tolling highways would be recieved like a lead brick, it would have been Michigan.

It may end up received so.  The Senate thinks it should at least be given a serious objective study, especially since the tax increase proposals are going nowhere.

[Flint1979]

They would lose all Federal funding by turning interstate highways into toll roads. They would never get approved to do this.

[renegade]

All those shiny new 'managed lanes' that are (or will be) turning up like the ones on US-23 north of Ann Arbor will soon be open 24-hours per day, and will require a transponder.  Just wait for it ...

[JREwing78]

The state just bonded over $3 billion to fast-forward a whole bunch of projects. See here:
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/mdot_2020-2024_FiveYTP_679723_7.pdf

Lansing State Journal article: https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/01/30/michigan-transportation-commission-roads-bonds-whitmer/4618650002/

Free Press article: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/01/30/road-bonds-projects-metro-detroit/4620026002/

[Terry Shea]

Work on completing US-31 freeway in Berrien County to begin this summer.
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9621_11008_92734---,00.html

[ftballfan]

The state just bonded over $3 billion to fast-forward a whole bunch of projects. See here:
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/mdot_2020-2024_FiveYTP_679723_7.pdf

Lansing State Journal article: https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/01/30/michigan-transportation-commission-roads-bonds-whitmer/4618650002/

Free Press article: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/01/30/road-bonds-projects-metro-detroit/4620026002/

Yet, US-23 between I-94 and M-14 doesn't make the five year plan for anything (IMHO it's the road in Michigan that needs work done the soonest)

[renegade]

Naw, they'll let that stretch of highway fall to shit before anything is done about it.  The frost heaves have been there for decades.

[sprjus4]

Work on completing US-31 freeway in Berrien County to begin this summer.
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9621_11008_92734---,00.html

Wouldn't it make more sense to tie US-31 seamlessly into I-196?

[NWI_Irish96]

Work on completing US-31 freeway in Berrien County to begin this summer.
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9621_11008_92734---,00.html

Wouldn't it make more sense to tie US-31 seamlessly into I-196?

That was the original plan 30+ years ago, but a rare butterfly species was discovered along the planned route (or something like that, I'm not a butterfly expert), which caused the reroute.

[mvak36]

Work on completing US-31 freeway in Berrien County to begin this summer.
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9621_11008_92734---,00.html

Wouldn't it make more sense to tie US-31 seamlessly into I-196?

That was the original plan 30+ years ago, but a rare butterfly species was discovered along the planned route (or something like that, I'm not a butterfly expert), which caused the reroute.

So looking at the documents from the public meeting, the I-94/US 31 interchange doesn't look like it's going to be a free flowing interchange. I guess in the (very distant) future if they wanted to make US31 an interstate, they could add two more cloverleafs in the interchange and make it free flowing.

[NWI_Irish96]

Work on completing US-31 freeway in Berrien County to begin this summer.
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9621_11008_92734---,00.html

Wouldn't it make more sense to tie US-31 seamlessly into I-196?

That was the original plan 30+ years ago, but a rare butterfly species was discovered along the planned route (or something like that, I'm not a butterfly expert), which caused the reroute.

So looking at the documents from the public meeting, the I-94/US 31 interchange doesn't look like it's going to be a free flowing interchange. I guess in the (very distant) future if they wanted to make US31 an interstate, they could add two more cloverleafs in the interchange and make it free flowing.

I mentioned in another thread that Indiana has no plans to make US 31 a full freeway south of Plymouth, so without the freeway running all the way to Indianapolis, it's hard to see getting an interstate designation. 

[mvak36]

Work on completing US-31 freeway in Berrien County to begin this summer.
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9621_11008_92734---,00.html

Wouldn't it make more sense to tie US-31 seamlessly into I-196?

That was the original plan 30+ years ago, but a rare butterfly species was discovered along the planned route (or something like that, I'm not a butterfly expert), which caused the reroute.

So looking at the documents from the public meeting, the I-94/US 31 interchange doesn't look like it's going to be a free flowing interchange. I guess in the (very distant) future if they wanted to make US31 an interstate, they could add two more cloverleafs in the interchange and make it free flowing.

I mentioned in another thread that Indiana has no plans to make US 31 a full freeway south of Plymouth, so without the freeway running all the way to Indianapolis, it's hard to see getting an interstate designation.

Yeah. What they have planned for that interchange is more than enough. I don't think they will make it a freeway in Indiana either (at least in my lifetime).

[GaryV]

The intersection does not need to be a full cloverleaf.  The west leg, BL I-94, is a surface street.  There is a loop ramp SB from 94/31 to 31.

[JREwing78]

Clearly, the funding increase didn't come soon enough.

Woman hurt when piece of bridge smashes through windshield
https://www.wlns.com/news/michigan/woman-hurt-when-piece-of-bridge-smashes-through-windshield/


EDIT: Adding Free Press article. CW: bloody photo of car interior
Woman injured after concrete from bridge above U.S. 127 breaks off, goes through car's windshield
https://www.freep.com/story/news/2020/02/20/woman-hurt-after-concrete-ingham-county-bridge-goes-through-windshield/4819100002/

[Flint1979]

The state just bonded over $3 billion to fast-forward a whole bunch of projects. See here:
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/mdot_2020-2024_FiveYTP_679723_7.pdf

Lansing State Journal article: https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/01/30/michigan-transportation-commission-roads-bonds-whitmer/4618650002/

Free Press article: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/01/30/road-bonds-projects-metro-detroit/4620026002/

Yet, US-23 between I-94 and M-14 doesn't make the five year plan for anything (IMHO it's the road in Michigan that needs work done the soonest)

By far the worst stretch of 23 in the state. I hate going through there because I know I'm always going to be on my brakes. I can't figure out why 23 hasn't been upgraded by now it's inexcusable. And the flexlanes are stupid.

[wanderer2575]

Another bridge incident:  A pedestrian bridge over I-94 near Van Dyke Avenue (M-53) collapsed about 5:20 this morning.  Eastbound I-94 is closed; westbound will also be closed when crews and equipment arrive for removal.  The entire bridge will be removed.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/03/27/pedestrian-bridge-collapse-detroit-i-94/2923943001/

This is in the area of the seven-mile I-94 Modernization Project, which is progressing at the speed of mammal evolution.  In the meantime, dozens of other bridges of similar age and condition still stand...  for now...

[Flint1979]

Another bridge incident:  A pedestrian bridge over I-94 near Van Dyke Avenue (M-53) collapsed about 5:20 this morning.  Eastbound I-94 is closed; westbound will also be closed when crews and equipment arrive for removal.  The entire bridge will be removed.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/03/27/pedestrian-bridge-collapse-detroit-i-94/2923943001/

This is in the area of the seven-mile I-94 Modernization Project, which is progressing at the speed of mammal evolution.  In the meantime, dozens of other bridges of similar age and condition still stand...  for now...

Ya know what gets me is that they want to only do seven miles of I-94. The whole highway needs to be rebuilt. It's very outdated as you know.

[JREwing78]

Another bridge incident:  A pedestrian bridge over I-94 near Van Dyke Avenue (M-53) collapsed about 5:20 this morning.

Judging by the pictures, it's very unlikely that the bridge collapsed on its own.

[sprjus4]

Another bridge incident:  A pedestrian bridge over I-94 near Van Dyke Avenue (M-53) collapsed about 5:20 this morning.

Judging by the pictures, it's very unlikely that the bridge collapsed on its own.

A truck collided with a pedestrian bridge early Friday in Detroit, sending a portion of the span onto a freeway and blocking traffic along part of the heavily traveled thoroughfare, authorities said.

[JREwing78]

Judging by the pictures, it's very unlikely that the bridge collapsed on its own.

A truck collided with a pedestrian bridge early Friday in Detroit, sending a portion of the span onto a freeway and blocking traffic along part of the heavily traveled thoroughfare, authorities said.

Up until late yesterday, the fact it was hit by a truck wasn't verified by authorities yet. But it was obvious from the pictures that's what happened.

[Flint1979]

MDOT has already started a project in Saginaw County along I-75 between Hess Road at mile marker 148 to I-675's southern terminus at mile marker 150. The project includes rebuilding exit 149 which is M-46 and redesigning that interchange as well as I believe adding another lane of travel on I-75. I-75 is currently eight lanes from mile marker 125 to mile marker 148 adding another travel lane between Hess Road and I-675 does make a lot of sense. The M-46 interchange and bridge are very old and outdated as well

[TheHighwayMan3561]

A planned 1.5 mile relocation of US 2 away from the Lake Michigan shire near the Cut River recreation area (half hour west of St. Ignace) has been moved up to this spring because of increased sinkhole concerns.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9621_11008-524576--,00.html

[Flint1979]

A planned 1.5 mile relocation of US 2 away from the Lake Michigan shire near the Cut River recreation area (half hour west of St. Ignace) has been moved up to this spring because of increased sinkhole concerns.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9621_11008-524576--,00.html

I read an article on that last night. I never realized that US-2 got close enough to the water for that problem to occur.

[GaryV]

A planned 1.5 mile relocation of US 2 away from the Lake Michigan shire near the Cut River recreation area (half hour west of St. Ignace) has been moved up to this spring because of increased sinkhole concerns.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9621_11008-524576--,00.html

I read an article on that last night. I never realized that US-2 got close enough to the water for that problem to occur.

I'm sure the rising water levels contributed to the underlying ground structures becoming more unstable.

[Flint1979]

A planned 1.5 mile relocation of US 2 away from the Lake Michigan shire near the Cut River recreation area (half hour west of St. Ignace) has been moved up to this spring because of increased sinkhole concerns.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9621_11008-524576--,00.html

I read an article on that last night. I never realized that US-2 got close enough to the water for that problem to occur.

I'm sure the rising water levels contributed to the underlying ground structures becoming more unstable.

Hopefully it gets resolved but the road is only being moved about 300 feet north.