Wow this is probably the biggest road closure project Michigan has seen in along time. What are your thoughts on the closure? There isn't another freeway like the Jefferies to get downtown.
http://www.freep.com/article/20120501/NEWS02/205010353/Early-warning-I-96-will-close-for-repairs-in-2014-from-Telegraph-to-Newburgh
http://www.96fix.com/
Quote from: US12 on May 04, 2012, 04:40:52 PM
There isn't another freeway like the Jefferies to get downtown.
What?
Anyone notice that they went back a few years for the Telegraph Road signage on their PDF?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w9jol.com%2Fimages%2Fus24.jpg&hash=59b0175d49e4b8270c95c427dcc0df66715dea10)
:-D
Quote from: GeekJedi on May 04, 2012, 09:41:00 PM
Anyone notice that they went back a few years for the Telegraph Road signage on their PDF?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w9jol.com%2Fimages%2Fus24.jpg&hash=59b0175d49e4b8270c95c427dcc0df66715dea10)
:-D
Right now I have the proper I-, US, NJ and county shields set up in CAD, with the closest match to FHWA font, for quick insertion into diagrams. (I could do the exact font, but would be much more time consuming to load up GuidSIGN just to change the number.) I suppose I ought to go retro with my shields. (Note: Yes, I absolutely do include the state name, though to modern specs.)
Quote from: InterstateNG on May 04, 2012, 09:22:24 PM
Quote from: US12 on May 04, 2012, 04:40:52 PM
There isn't another freeway like the Jefferies to get downtown.
What?
Well coming from the north western suburbs like Novi and Farmington Hills I 96 is the most logical freeway to get to downtown Detroit. I'm assuming MDOT will detour thru I 96 traffic on the the Lodge freeway.
Quote from: US12 on May 04, 2012, 04:40:52 PM
Wow this is probably the biggest road closure project Michigan has seen in along time. What are your thoughts on the closure? There isn't another freeway like the Jefferies to get downtown.
http://www.freep.com/article/20120501/NEWS02/205010353/Early-warning-I-96-will-close-for-repairs-in-2014-from-Telegraph-to-Newburgh
http://www.96fix.com/
Oh, like the Ford, or the Reuther to the Lodge? That's two ways. Then there's Michigan Ave, Gd River Ave, and Ford Rd. Detroit is well set up with alternates to get from point A to point B, unlike some cities (yes, Chicago, I'm looking at you!).
The closures on the Southfield seemed to go well, especially as a ready alternate was handy nearby (Telegraph).
Wishful thinking, but perhaps they can bring back the M-2 designation for the I-96 service drives along the closure! :sombrero:
Quote from: US12 on May 04, 2012, 10:31:55 PM
Quote from: InterstateNG on May 04, 2012, 09:22:24 PM
Quote from: US12 on May 04, 2012, 04:40:52 PM
There isn't another freeway like the Jefferies to get downtown.
What?
Well coming from the north western suburbs like Novi and Farmington Hills I 96 is the most logical freeway to get to downtown Detroit.
No it's not. 696 -> Lodge is the preferred route from those locations.
If the attendees of the public meeting were heavily in favor of a total closure, I'll trust their judgment. Better to get this project done in one season than multiple seasons. (Besides, it can't be any worse than the closures that came during the Gateway project.)
Quote from: US12 on May 04, 2012, 04:40:52 PM
Wow this is probably the biggest road closure project Michigan has seen in along time. What are your thoughts on the closure? There isn't another freeway like the Jefferies to get downtown.
http://www.freep.com/article/20120501/NEWS02/205010353/Early-warning-I-96-will-close-for-repairs-in-2014-from-Telegraph-to-Newburgh
http://www.96fix.com/
They did it in the days before the Jeffries was built. What I find interesting is the Jeffies is from the mid seventies, and it is being rebuilt, where the Edsel Ford (I 94) is from the 1940s and 1950s, and still is being discussed on how to rebuild it....
Quote from: tvketchum on May 05, 2012, 04:55:30 PM
Quote from: US12 on May 04, 2012, 04:40:52 PM
Wow this is probably the biggest road closure project Michigan has seen in along time. What are your thoughts on the closure? There isn't another freeway like the Jefferies to get downtown.
http://www.freep.com/article/20120501/NEWS02/205010353/Early-warning-I-96-will-close-for-repairs-in-2014-from-Telegraph-to-Newburgh
http://www.96fix.com/
They did it in the days before the Jeffries was built. What I find interesting is the Jeffies is from the mid seventies, and it is being rebuilt, where the Edsel Ford (I 94) is from the 1940s and 1950s, and still is being discussed on how to rebuild it....
Yes true. The Edsel Ford has had talks since the mid 90's for a rebuild, but it has been progressing so slow. If you want here is a M DOT video on what the Edsel Ford will become. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrfv-9zm7zY&feature=plcp
Rebuilding the Edsel Ford is a much more tremendous undertaking than rebuilding the Jeffries. The Jeffries is basically a new driving surface and repaired bridges.
The Edsel Ford is a much bigger undertaking, since you're basically gutting everything (bridges, service roads, utilities, etc) and starting over again. You have to dig a deeper ditch to provide sufficient clearance for modern standards. You have to take out more properties on each side of the freeway, and rebuild the service roads and all the utilities from scratch. You have to rebuild ALL the bridges from scratch.
And we're not talking about widening from the current 3 lanes. This is JUST to bring it up to modern standards for median width, on-ramp and off-ramp lengths, highway geometrics, and so on. Ideally, if you went to all that effort, you'd rebuild it much like the Jeffries (or the Dan Ryan in Chicago), with at least 4 express lanes and 3 local lanes in each direction.
It could be worse; with the state Detroit is in now, it's a lot cheaper to build this kind of freeway than it'd otherwise be. On the other hand, it's a lot harder to justify a monster like this in the current economy.
And, with the way Michigan's fuel taxes are structured, you're lucky if the entire state doesn't revert to all gravel roads in the next 20 years.
Quote from: JREwing78 on May 06, 2012, 07:30:10 PM
Rebuilding the Edsel Ford is a much more tremendous undertaking than rebuilding the Jeffries. The Jeffries is basically a new driving surface and repaired bridges.
I know. I grew up in Metro Detroit, learned to drive on a freeway on the Edsel Ford, and have read all the discussions over the years of how to rebuild the artery. I agree, with the hole that Detroit is now, you could clear a thousand foot wide path for the new freeway, and do nothing but improve the city from what it is now.
131 through Grand Rapids was worse, as 131 is the only north-south high-speed corridor through the Grand Rapids area.
Quote from: US12 on May 04, 2012, 04:40:52 PM
Wow this is probably the biggest road closure project Michigan has seen in along time. What are your thoughts on the closure? There isn't another freeway like the Jefferies to get downtown.
If upgrades include signage, it probably means the end of all those Interstate 96 Michigan shields at and by the on-ramps. :-/
Quote from: Alex on May 10, 2012, 10:18:57 PM
If upgrades include signage, it probably means the end of all those Interstate 96 Michigan shields at and by the on-ramps. :-/
I get the idea that some which are more than a single turn away will survive.
Just an update to the thread and the I-96 Project:
- I-96 is currently scheduled to be completed and open to traffic on Tuesday, September 30th -- well ahead of the original completion date. This means the complete rebuilding of the I-96 project stretch took just about 6 months. There will be minor cosmetic details & construction aspects that will continue into 2015.
- For those in the area tomorrow, 9/21, M-DOT will have a part of I-96 open to non-motorized vehicles, giving people a chance to say they have walked or rode their bike on I-96 "back in the day". Exact time and location is found here: http://www.96fix.com/
I-96 to open for Monday's (9/22) morning rush hour:
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2014/09/21/i96-reopening/16015635/
Quote from: catch22 on September 21, 2014, 05:34:27 PM
I-96 to open for Monday's (9/22) morning rush hour:
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2014/09/21/i96-reopening/16015635/
It actually opened yesterday just after 8 pm. And as I attended yesterday's event, I can tell you that at least the portion of road which I walked looked fabulous.
Middlebelt or Middle Belt? MDOT finds spelling flaw
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2014/09/24/middle-belt-construction/16132055/
Quote from: JREwing78 on September 24, 2014, 07:57:12 PM
Middlebelt or Middle Belt? MDOT finds spelling flaw
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2014/09/24/middle-belt-construction/16132055/
UGH!!!!!!!! Middlebelt is one word! :banghead: :pan:
Hope they didn't fuck up the spelling of Lahser.
Quote from: Brandon on September 24, 2014, 10:42:50 PM
Quote from: JREwing78 on September 24, 2014, 07:57:12 PM
Middlebelt or Middle Belt? MDOT finds spelling flaw
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2014/09/24/middle-belt-construction/16132055/
UGH!!!!!!!! Middlebelt is one word! :banghead: :pan:
Hope they didn't fuck up the spelling of Lahser.
In the far-off and ancient land where I grew up (Garden City in the 50s and 60s), we spelled it Middle Belt back then. And so did the county, since that's how all their signs spelled it. Not sure when the common usage spelling changed or if it was official or not. Here's a scan from my 1952 Michigan official that shows it as Middle Belt.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fyimitz.com%2Fhighways%2Fmiddlebelt.jpg&hash=c541a3e80da2d39850d77ba4cdccdbb1159f2e1d)
Quote from: catch22 on September 25, 2014, 02:40:25 PM
In the far-off and ancient land where I grew up (Garden City in the 50s and 60s), we spelled it Middle Belt back then. And so did the county, since that's how all their signs spelled it. Not sure when the common usage spelling changed or if it was official or not. Here's a scan from my 1952 Michigan official that shows it as Middle Belt.
(snip map)
It's interesting to note that your map also labels what is now Beech-Daly Road as simply "Beech." I wonder when it was decided that "-Daly" had to be appended.
Quote from: rawmustard on September 26, 2014, 10:28:07 AM
Quote from: catch22 on September 25, 2014, 02:40:25 PM
In the far-off and ancient land where I grew up (Garden City in the 50s and 60s), we spelled it Middle Belt back then. And so did the county, since that's how all their signs spelled it. Not sure when the common usage spelling changed or if it was official or not. Here's a scan from my 1952 Michigan official that shows it as Middle Belt.
(snip map)
It's interesting to note that your map also labels what is now Beech-Daly Road as simply "Beech." I wonder when it was decided that "-Daly" had to be appended.
On this same 1952 map, Beech Road, coming from the north, ends at Ann Arbor Trail. Jim Daly Road (1/2 mile east of the parallel John Daly) coming from the south, ends at Michigan Avenue. My guess is that when the intermediate road connecting them was completed, the name was changed to Beech-Daly.
I think it's still called just Beech Road north of 8 Mile Road (Oakland County).
Quote from: catch22 on September 26, 2014, 10:49:21 AM
I think it's still called just Beech Road north of 8 Mile Road (Oakland County).
Yes, under Road Commission of Oakland County jurisdiction the roadway is Beech Road.