(WXYZ) — Starting in July and lasting for a total of four years, I-275 will be under construction, which could cause problems for drivers getting to DTW, one of the busiest airports in the country.
The $270 million project will have construction from the Monroe County border to 5 Mile Rd. along I-275.
Many of the more than 36 million people flying use the I-94 and I-275 interchange.
Jeff Horne, the construction contracts project manager, says they have a plan in place to help people get to the airport.
“When we work on the I-275 interchange, we are not allowing the contractor to close down any of the ramps, we are going to build temporary ramps to go around to maintain traffic," Horne said.
That will allow traffic to get to I-94, allowing for access to the airport. Keep in mind, there could be traffic backups before you reach the interchange.
In 2022, southbound I-275 will undergo reconstruction from 5 Mile to Northline. In 2023, the work will shift northbound.
During those times, traffic will shift to the opposite side of the roadway, allowing two lanes both northbound and southbound.
Unlike the I-275 construction from M-14 to the I-696/I-96 split, the highway will not close, in part because there is no good detour for traffic.
"Typically we would close down a freeway or we would close down on a particular bound and detour the other bound, it is not like that with this job, "Horne said. "We are going to maintain two lanes for the majority of the project.”
However, I-275 will be down to one lane this July from Northline to the Monroe County border, lasting for the majority of the summer.
“We are doing concrete patches and overlaying with asphalt the ramps, the entrance and exit ramp to interchanges," Horne said.
There will also be 65 bridges that will see reconstruction during the project.
