Those of us who have been dodging snow plows for a couple of months get to do the orange barrel polka beginning next week thanks to a major job from the Michigan Department of Transportation. According to MDOT spokesman Nick Schirripa, more than seven miles of I-94 linking Bridgman and Stevensville will be resurfaced in a project that will take the entire spring and summer seasons to complete.
Schirripa warns business owners, residents, and travelers alike that the $13.9-million construction project will require lane closures as well as ramp and local road closures from time to time. The project is slated to start on Monday, March 14th and run through Friday, October 21st.
The $13.9-million investment includes bridge repairs, median cable barriers, culverts, freeway signage and right-of-way fencing repairs, replacements or installations. Essentially the project will re-pave I-94 from Red Arrow Highway at Exit 16 in Bridgman to Mile Marker 22.6 east of Puetz Road and Stevensville.
Also scheduled are repairs on the I-94 bridges over Lost Dunes Drive in Bridgman, and over Puetz Road east of Stevensville. Schirripa cautions motorists and commercial truckers to expect daily single-lane and night-time double-lane closures on I-94 throughout the construction period. Puetz Road will be closed with a detour posted, and there will be temporary ramp closures at both Red Arrow Highway's Exit 16 and Grand Mere Road at Exit 22.
Here's the map provided by MDOT of the impacted area:
