Metro Detroit road work stays for July 4
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says most of the state's orange construction barrels will come down ahead of the busy July 4 travel weekend, but don't expect Metro Detroit's most notorious work zones to disappear.
Why it matters: AAA projects about 2.6 million Michiganders will travel at least 50 miles over the holiday.
The big picture: To ease travel, MDOT says it is removing lane restrictions on the majority of its road and bridge projects where it's safe to do so, from 3pm Thursday until 6am Monday.
Yes, but: Metro Detroit's long-term freeway reconstruction projects — including the I-696 overhaul and the rebuild of I-94 near DTW — will remain in place, MDOT spokeswoman Diane Cross confirmed to Axios.
- Cross says the restrictions being lifted are generally shorter-term lane closures, weekend work and permit-related projects, not the region's major freeway rebuilds.
What they're saying: "We remind everyone that there may still be work zones with lane restrictions in place for everyone's safety. Even though we've pulled back the barrels on a majority of our projects, there are still some cases where that just isn't possible," MDOT director Bradley Wieferich said in a statement.
Worth noting: The worst holiday traffic is expected to begin Thursday, according to INRIX, a transportation data firm.
- Hit the road early in the day or today if possible, INRIX advises.
The bottom line: There's no escaping July 4 traffic, but fewer work zones might help a little.