DETROIT -- A 1.5-mile stretch of Interstate 75 in southwest Detroit that has been closed for more than a year is reopening today, just in time to accommodate fourth of July travelers.

The Michigan Department of Transportation said roadway will open five months ahead of schedule.

I-75 between Rosa Parks Boulevard and Clark Street was rebuilt as part of the Ambassador Bridge Gateway Project. The $230 million reconstruction effort is designed to improve efficiency for commercial traffic exiting the Ambassador Bridge.

While I-75 will be completely open to traffic Thursday afternoon, MDOT said motorists still can expect some intermittent closures within the project area during off-peak hours.

MDOT also announced it will remove lane restrictions on 111 out of 164 road projects statewide beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday and continuing until 6 a.m. Monday.

MDOT Director Kirk T. Steudle said temporarily suspending more than two-thirds of the department's projects will make travel more convenient for the estimated 1.1 million motorists expected to be on the road during the long holiday.

"Fourth of July is a holiday. It's a tradition in this state where people go out, we get to the beaches, we go up to the vacation hot spots up north and we want people to do that -- and that's why we suspend as many projects as we can," said MDOT spokesman Rob Morosi.