A two-year closure of I-75 between Detroit and Downriver will commence this coming weekend. The Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) $200 million construction project includes replacing all of the concrete on the I-75 Rouge River bridge, the largest concrete surface in the state.
MDOT says the project also includes replacing concrete on the I-75 bridge at Fort Street, south of Springwells Road as well as removing the Goddard Street bridge over I-75 and replacing it with two smaller bridges. The department will also repair 13 other bridges along I-75 through the Downriver communities.
In addition to concrete and bridge work, MDOT also will be adding intelligent transportation system (ITS) equipment. The ITS technology includes a combination of electronic, telecommunication and information technology MDOT uses to improve safety and travel times on the transportation system.
The 1.63-mile I-75 Rouge Rive bridge is about 20 football fields in length, and carries about 37 million vehicles each year. MDOT is not completely replacing the 49-year-old structure due to the higher costs needed to do so. Strategic rehabilitation of the bridge over the past 40 years has saved the department $250 million.
Drivers should expect southbound I-75 to remain closed for two years, while northbound I-75 will remain open at all times.
