Motorists around Metro Detroit are gearing up for what promises to be a traffic-laden summer as the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) implements extended lane closures on the Southfield Freeway—known officially as M-39—starting this Friday, an improvement effort that's set to persist into early fall, according to a report from the Detroit Free Press.
The closures, necessitated by a recently updated work plan that caters to new safety legislation mandating the installation of concrete barrier walls for overnight crew work, will result in limited lane availability that is certain to test the patience of daily commuters; beginning at 8 p.m. this Friday, Northbound M-39 will be compressed to a single lane from Interstate 94 to Ford Road, also known as M-153, and this configuration will hold through Tuesday, as road crews engage in activities ranging from concrete patching to freeway resurfacing, the press release specified the construction entails concrete patching to freeway resurfacing which involves a variety of complex, labor-intensive efforts.
What's more, the MDOT has outlined an extended schedule for the Southfield Freeway work, with up to two lanes being closed in both the northbound and southbound directions between I-94 and Ford Road from June 14 through to a vague deadline tagged as late summer or early fall; these lane reductions, as the Detroit Free Press mentions, are in compliance with the newly enforced roadway safety rules which place an emphasis on crew protection, even at the cost of traffic flow.
The traffic modifications come at the heels of a broader $15.5 million infrastructure project that not only aims to address surface-level concerns but also includes maintenance undertakings like drainage cleaning and barrier wall repairs as per information released by MDOT while also expected to bolster the local job market, with economic models suggesting the creation and support of about 188 jobs, drivers are nonetheless advised to allow for additional commute time or to seek alternate routes to circumnavigate what is sure to be a convoluted nest of construction delays and lane closures.
For those seeking to prepare for the looming logistical challenge, setting up alternative navigation options now may save precious minutes down the line—because when it comes to summer roadwork in the city, an informed driver is undoubtedly a more serene one.
