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I-75 southbound closing for 2 years at the Rouge River Bridge

Started by peterj920, December 06, 2016, 12:18:06 AM

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peterj920

I have the story below.  I-75 southbound will close for 2 years in February due to the Rouge River Bridge repair project.  I'm guessing northbound traffic is being maintained so there aren't any major bottlenecks for people going to work in the morning, and they figure that it's more important to maintain traffic going into Detroit than leaving Detroit.  Usually some lanes are maintained on an interstate during a freeway project but this is the first time I've seen an interstate intentionally shut down for this long of a period. 

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2016/12/05/i75-south-february-construction/94991608/


froggie

I-40 was shut down entirely in Knoxville, TN for its reconstruction project, but I don't recall if it was as long as what's being proposed here for I-75.

SEWIGuy

I am assuming the detour is officially I-96 instead of I-94 because the latter is busy enough already?

Brandon

MDOT SOP.  They did the same to I-96 (Jeffries Frwy) a couple of years ago through Livonia, and before that, to M-39 (Southfield Frwy).  It actually works around Detroit as there are enough good alternate routes for traffic.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

wanderer2575

Quote from: SEWIGuy on December 06, 2016, 10:10:20 AM
I am assuming the detour is officially I-96 instead of I-94 because the latter is busy enough already?

Likely because I-94 between I-75 and US-12 (Michigan Avenue) has substandard-height bridges and the official posted detour route has to accommodate all commercial traffic.

wanderer2575

It's on!  Southbound I-75 will be closed at exit 45 (Springwells Avenue/M-85 Fort Street) beginning February 4th through October 2018.  Messages started showing on some Detroit-area VMSs this past week.  Most if not all detour signage is posted but covered.

Northbound traffic will be maintained at all times, although one lane will be closed over the Rouge River bridge.  In 2018, northbound traffic will be shifted to the southbound lanes for construction on the northbound bridges.

Entrance ramps to southbound I-75 from the eastbound I-96 terminus (and also I believe from the Ambassador Bridge from Canada) will remain open, but all other entrance ramps south of that point to exit 45 will be closed.  Although the official posted detour is along I-96, the freeway is being kept open to the last exit before the Rouge River bridge to accommodate local traffic as much as possible.

The northernmost point that traffic will be able to re-enter southbound I-75 will be the entrance ramp from Allen Road (exit 37).  However, construction on the bridges over Eureka Road and the US-24 connector will close that entrance ramp in 2018, at which time traffic will be able to re-enter southbound I-75 from the US-24 connector (exit 35).

The official posted detour from downtown Detroit is westbound I-96 to southbound I-275 to rejoin I-75 at exit 20.  Certainly there are numerous other detours.  Replacement of the M-85 bridge over the Rouge River, which seemed to take years, was finished a couple years ago and so M-85 might even be a possible detour, although work on the I-75 bridge over it will close some lanes.

The project also will replace the I-75 bridges over Goddard Road and the Sexton/Kilfoil Drain, with the new bridges widened to allow for full-width shoulders.  There will also be work on about a dozen other bridges and some concrete patching.



ZLoth

I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

jhuntin1

It gets done faster (usually) this way as well. When INDOT closed off I-65/70 in downtown Indianapolis some years ago for Hyperfix, the work got finished almost a month early as I recall.

Sykotyk

Much quicker to rebuilt roads when you're not constantly moving traffic around. If you can close the road (and Detroit is more than able to), it'll be done faster.

Knoxville's I-40 reconstruction was very quick and the detour was barely noticeable.

hbelkins

So, who's doing a Detroit meet to showcase this? Or is the area even safe enough to tour?


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

wanderer2575

Quote from: hbelkins on January 29, 2017, 04:49:06 PM
So, who's doing a Detroit meet to showcase this? Or is the area even safe enough to tour?

Well, now, there's an idea.  A meet this year would be better than one in 2018, as everyone unfamiliar with the area could drive the current northbound bridges before they are redecked/replaced.  Then maybe southbound on M-85 (Fort Street) to see its new bridge over the Rouge River and perhaps the underside of the I-75 bridge from an underpassing side street.  I've never hosted a meet (and haven't attended on in eons) but I would give this one some thought when the weather starts warming up.

JREwing78

Quote from: wanderer2575 on January 29, 2017, 08:47:38 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 29, 2017, 04:49:06 PM
So, who's doing a Detroit meet to showcase this? Or is the area even safe enough to tour?

Well, now, there's an idea.  A meet this year would be better than one in 2018, as everyone unfamiliar with the area could drive the current northbound bridges before they are redecked/replaced.  Then maybe southbound on M-85 (Fort Street) to see its new bridge over the Rouge River and perhaps the underside of the I-75 bridge from an underpassing side street.  I've never hosted a meet (and haven't attended on in eons) but I would give this one some thought when the weather starts warming up.


It's also close to where the new Gordie Howe bridge will (eventually) be built.

wanderer2575

Quote from: JREwing78 on January 30, 2017, 08:45:02 PM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on January 29, 2017, 08:47:38 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 29, 2017, 04:49:06 PM
So, who's doing a Detroit meet to showcase this? Or is the area even safe enough to tour?

Well, now, there's an idea.  A meet this year would be better than one in 2018, as everyone unfamiliar with the area could drive the current northbound bridges before they are redecked/replaced.  Then maybe southbound on M-85 (Fort Street) to see its new bridge over the Rouge River and perhaps the underside of the I-75 bridge from an underpassing side street.  I've never hosted a meet (and haven't attended on in eons) but I would give this one some thought when the weather starts warming up.


It's also close to where the new Gordie Howe bridge will (eventually) be built.

There's nothing at the new bridge site to see.  But several things have been happening in the Toledo area (modified I-75/I-475 and I-475/US-23 interchanges, new I-475/US-20 interchange, reconstruction and realignment of I-75 between I-280 and I-475) that could be combined with the Rouge River bridge project for a roadmeet, albeit one with some miles.

Buck87

Quote from: wanderer2575 on January 30, 2017, 09:47:56 PM
There's nothing at the new bridge site to see.  But several things have been happening in the Toledo area (modified I-75/I-475 and I-475/US-23 interchanges, new I-475/US-20 interchange, reconstruction and realignment of I-75 between I-280 and I-475) that could be combined with the Rouge River bridge project for a roadmeet, albeit one with some miles.

Plus widening I-75 from Perrysburg to Findlay, though that's starting to get pretty far away from the original target.

DanTheMan414

Quote from: wanderer2575 on January 30, 2017, 09:47:56 PM
Quote from: JREwing78 on January 30, 2017, 08:45:02 PM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on January 29, 2017, 08:47:38 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 29, 2017, 04:49:06 PM
So, who's doing a Detroit meet to showcase this? Or is the area even safe enough to tour?

Well, now, there's an idea.  A meet this year would be better than one in 2018, as everyone unfamiliar with the area could drive the current northbound bridges before they are redecked/replaced.  Then maybe southbound on M-85 (Fort Street) to see its new bridge over the Rouge River and perhaps the underside of the I-75 bridge from an underpassing side street.  I've never hosted a meet (and haven't attended on in eons) but I would give this one some thought when the weather starts warming up.


It's also close to where the new Gordie Howe bridge will (eventually) be built.

There's nothing at the new bridge site to see.  But several things have been happening in the Toledo area (modified I-75/I-475 and I-475/US-23 interchanges, new I-475/US-20 interchange, reconstruction and realignment of I-75 between I-280 and I-475) that could be combined with the Rouge River bridge project for a roadmeet, albeit one with some miles.


Looking at doing a Toledo meet later this year. I think early 2019 would be viable for a Downriver meet to showcase the I-75 reconstruction.



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