I-94 resurfacing project will close lanes for three months

 

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mi. -- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced this week that a road construction project is going to turn portions of the westbound and eastbound lanes of I-94 into single-lane traffic, as a five mile stretch of road between Kruger Road in New Buffalo and Three Oaks Road in Sawyer are going to be repaved.

MDOT spokesman Nick Schirripa explained “Milling off the surface pavement and putting down a few inches of new asphalt, that's already in good condition and we want to keep it in good condition.”

The project, which will start on Monday, July 11, is expected to last until late October, meaning that drivers coming and going from Southwest Michigan are going to experience some traffic slowdowns.

“There's gonna be some lane closures, folks can count on that," said Schirripa.  "And lane closures, especially around peak travel times, morning and evening commutes, to and from work, maybe the weekends if you’re heading up to the cottage or heading someplace special with the family on vacation—that can get a little backed up, a little congested.”

And this road resurfacing project is just one of many drivers will be dealing with on I-94 this Summer.

“We’re playing keep up," Schirripa said. "There’s a lot of road construction right now in Michigan. But I-94 is I-94. As long as people keep driving on it, we’re going to have to keep fixing it.”

While this is another hurdle for travelers to clear when taking the free to the beach or a big city like Chicago-- and while it's expected to take several months to complete-- Schirripa did not anticipate the delays to deter any tourists from coming up to lakefront towns like New Buffalo and St. Joe, nor did he believe the slowdowns will take up too much time for any drivers.

“It’s a couple minutes, you’ll just have to switch lanes for a second. It’s a minor inconvenience at best, but it’s something I think we’ve all learned to adapt to because we want our roads to be in as good of a condition as they can, and they take maintenance, they take attention," he said.

Schirripa advised drivers who have to pass through the construction area to leave around ten minutes earlier to account for any delays.

Drivers looking to be aware of construction projects on I-94 or other roads tended to by MDOT, can check out: MDOT - Mi Drive Map (state.mi.us)