The 1.1 million Michiganians hitting the road for the Memorial Day weekend will probably see fewer construction delays, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of Transportation.
AAA Michigan estimated about a 1 percent increase in Memorial Day weekend drivers from last year. MDOT has stopped most construction for the weekend because of the increased traffic, said Kari Arend, an MDOT spokeswoman for the university region, which includes East Lansing and MSU.
“MDOT is suspending work and removing the barrels as much as possible,” Arend said. “We always anticipate over holiday weekends having a lot more motorists on the road.”
According to the press release, construction on U.S. 127 will continue, with one lane closed in each direction between I-96 and Trowbridge Road. The ramp from Howard Street to southbound U.S. 127 will be closed, and the ramp from southbound U.S. 127 to eastbound I-96 will have one lane open. Dunckel Road will be closed over U.S. 127 with a detour posted.
MDOT advised drivers heading west from Lansing to take I-96 to I-69 to avoid the U.S. 127 construction.
I-96 will have three lanes open between U.S. Route 23 and the Livingston County line, but the lanes will be shifted. Kensington Road will be closed over I-96 and will have a detour.
Some students have come up with strategies for avoiding the holiday traffic.
Steve Putt, a supply chain management junior from Auburn, said he planned to start driving Thursday night.
“I’m probably just going to head home, hang with the family a bit, maybe go north with some buddies,” he said. “I’m probably travelling (back to MSU) Saturday or Sunday, so I’ll dodge all the traffic.”
Liz Frost, who graduated from MSU in May, said she was “not really” concerned about the traffic between East Lansing and her home in Grosse Pointe and planned to enjoy the weekend.
“I’m going boating on the lake all day,” she said.
Other students planned to stay close to East Lansing for the weekend, avoiding traffic altogether.
“I have a friend’s birthday, so I’m probably just staying around here,” mathematics senior Amanda Griffin said.
Mike Lala, who graduated in May and lives in Lansing, said he wasn’t planning to take off for the weekend.
“I’ll probably just be hanging, trying to find a job or doing some wrap-up work on my old student job,” he said.
Whether people drive far or stay close, they need to remain aware of road conditions, Arend said.
“(Drivers) still need to be aware of (work zones) and slow down accordingly,” she said. “Plan accordingly and know that you may still run into orange barrels and reduced speed signs.”
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