The first phase of a new Michigan Department of Transportation project to rebuild I-275 in Wayne County is going to make travel from Toledo to Detroit Metropolitan-Wayne County Airport significantly more challenging — especially this week.
Starting Tuesday, MDOT announced late last week, I-275 will have two of three lanes closed between South Huron Road (Exit 11) and I-94 for concrete pavement repairs. That’s likely to cause significant backups during peak times until its completion in late fall.
But it’ll be even worse from Wednesday through Sunday: The northbound I-275 exit to Eureka Road, which feeds toward Metro Airport’s South Entrance, will be closed for those five days.
MDOT’s suggested alternate is basically the route Toledoans used before the South Entrance was built 20 years ago: eastbound I-94 to its Merriman Road exit. And of course if you use any of the off-airport parking lots, that’s where you go anyway.
I imagine there will be a similar period during this work that I-275’s southbound ramps at Eureka also will be closed, but MDOT hasn’t given dates for that. Then it will become a question of what, if any, signs are erected on the airport grounds alerting motorists to not exit to the south, because any local-road detour would likely be time-consuming.
Another option would be to take I-75 to Telegraph exit, then go west on Northline Road. It might not save any time, but if you’re orange-barrel averse, it’s worth considering.
Overall, the four-year I-275 project will feature repairing 10 miles of concrete pavement, rebuilding another 14 miles of mainline plus the concrete in six interchanges, repaving asphalt in four other interchanges, and improving 65 bridges and a retaining wall.
MDOT’s notice suggests the work affecting Toledoans’ route to the airport most local travelers use will be done by this year’s end, although work on some overhead bridges could happen later.
I usually use I-275 as part of my normal route to visit a good friend who lives in western Oakland County, but it sounds like I’m going to get real familiar now with Telegraph Road, because there’s also lots of construction right now on I-75 in the Royal Oak area.
Back in Toledo, we’ve gotten a strong hint as to when one of several major upcoming changes to the I-75 work zone will occur. Signs have sprung up advising that the Wales Road entrance and South Avenue exit along northbound I-75 will close for construction July 30, which is also the time by which ODOT expects Buck Road’s northbound entrance to reopen.
The Wales ramp is scheduled for a 45-day closing, while the South exit is to be closed 60 days.
ODOT also issued a project summary a bit more than a week ago listing other changes planned in July, which most notably include reopening the normal northbound lanes between Buck and Wales, crossing northbound traffic over to the finished portions of the new DiSalle Bridge and Downtown Viaduct, and opening the new southbound entrance ramp from South Avenue.
The latter will be particularly welcomed by South Toledoans eager to get to southbound I-75 without having to wade through the Anthony Wayne Trail work zone north of City Park Avenue and the related detours for its Collingwood Boulevard exit.
I’ll have more details about these changes once they are released.
Signs have gone up, meanwhile, warning of road work starting Friday on I-475 just west of the I-75 Jeep Split. I didn’t see them until Sunday morning and ODOT’s weekly construction summary doesn’t mention the project, but I suspect it’s a resurfacing job between I-75 and Douglas Road. I’ll know for sure next week.
I-75: Reduced to two lanes each way between Buck Road in Rossford and Dorr Street in Toledo for reconstruction and widening. All four ramps at the Anthony Wayne Trail (State Rt. 25) interchange are closed, as are the southbound entrances from South Avenue and Miami Street and the northbound entrance from Buck Road. Additional closings are possible at night and on weekends. Ramp detours, some quite long, are posted. The Trail is reduced to one lane inbound between City Park Avenue and I-75 and outbound between Washington Street and City Park. Its inbound exit to Collingwood is closed, with a detour posted via Erie, Washington, and Dorr.
I-75: Lane closings, Ottawa River to the Ohio/Michigan border, for a resurfacing project until at least mid-July. Another closing of the ramp from I-280 to northbound I-75 is planned next weekend, from 9 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday, with the Manhattan entrance also closed. Project completion is scheduled for October.
I-475/U.S. 23: Shoulders are closed with traffic shifts and a reduced speed limit during a widening project between Angola and Bancroft. Bridge painting may affect traffic under the freeway on Hill and Bancroft.
I-280: Reduced to two lanes each way, with no shoulders, across the Veterans’ Glass City Skyway over the Maumee River until late this year for deck resurfacing. The northbound entrance at Front is closed; enter at Starr or Greenbelt instead.
U.S. 6: Flag zones possible near State Rt. 235 in western Wood County for widening and drainage work through July 15.
U.S. 23: (Ohio): Shoulders closed and lane closings possible during noise wall installation between I-475 and Monroe Street in Sylvania.
U.S. 24: Varying lane closings between State Rt. 66 in Defiance and the Defiance/Henry county line for resurfacing.
State Rt. 2 (Airport): Eastbound lane closed for paving between South and Byrne through Friday. Use Hill or Arlington instead.
State Rt. 65 (Summit): Reconstruction limits the street to one lane each way between Jackson and Monroe. Final paving is in progress.
Laskey Road: Lane closings between Secor and Goodwill roads for a Columbia Gas project through late July.
Monroe Street: Lane closings near Tenmile Creek in Sylvania for bridge reconstruction.
Summit Street: Lane closings between 101st and 130th in Point Place for resurfacing.
I-75: Pavement rehabilitation closes lanes on weekdays in northern Allen County. Varying ramp closings are possible as work progresses.
I-75 (Mich.): Variable lane closings between the Ohio-Michigan border and Exit 6 for finish work from a reconstruction project last year and between Exit 6 and Monroe for concrete pavement patching. Double-lane closings are possible on weekends for the patching work, particularly on the southbound side. Construction of a new bridge at Exit 11 also may require lane closings.
U.S. 20: Eastbound lane closed at the U.S. 6 junction on the west side of Fremont for slope repairs into August. A posted detour uses State Rts. 590 and 12 to U.S. 6.
First Published July 5, 2021, 11:00 a.m.
