Memorial Day Travel: MDOT Lifts Traffic Restrictions

METRO DETROIT, MI — This Memorial Day weekend, the Michigan Department of Transportation is removing lane restrictions on almost 70 percent of its road and bridge projects statewide to ease traffic delays for holiday travelers. AAA Michigan estimates more than 1.2 million people from Michigan are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a 2.5 percent increase from the 2016 holiday. AAA says 2017 will mark Michigan's fifth consecutive year of growth in Memorial Day travel.

Beginning at 3 p.m. Friday, May 26, and continuing until 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 30, 78 out of 111 projects statewide will have lane restrictions removed. While motorists will see suspended operations in most MDOT construction zones for the weekend, drivers are advised that equipment and certain traffic configurations, like temporary shifts or shoulder closures, may remain in place.

"As we approach Memorial Day and the traditional kickoff to the summer travel season in our beautiful state, it is for good reason that we remind you to keep your eyes on the road. Most construction work will be suspended for the holiday, but in non-holiday times, please pay special attention in work zones," State Transportation Director Kirk Steudle said in a news release. "Just two weeks ago, an inattentive driver smashed into a county road crew's work equipment on a Michigan freeway. Thankfully, the driver was fortunate to escape with only minor injuries but the equipment sustained $25,000 in damage. When the holidays are over and construction resumes, please slow down in work zones."

MDOT oversees I, M, and US routes and is responsible for nearly 10,000 miles of state highways, which carry more than 50 percent of all traffic and approximately 70 percent of commercial traffic in Michigan.

For up-to-date information on MDOT projects, view the list of statewide lane closures on the Mi Drive website and app at www.michigan.gov/drive.

Photo by Ken Lund via Flickr Commons