The saying goes Michigan has two seasons which are winter and construction.
And it’s safe to say the latter is in full swing, as orange barrels are almost everywhere you look.
“I know it has to happen, you know,” said driver Brenda Miller.
Orange barrels are going up, and for drivers, that means slowdowns are ahead.
“It is stop and go,” said driver Doris Kennard.
Many welcomed the road improvements, but it seems like there’s no way of getting around it.
“I always leave way earlier than I am supposed to because it takes me twice as long to get there,” Miller said. “So I do plan on that when I have appointments.”
Rebuilding Michigan’s roadways is a key part of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s agenda.
“We are fixing our roads and bridges the right way, meaning we are using the right mix and materials,” said Whitmer. “And we are building them to last.”
Whitmer, along with Representatives Debbie Dingell and Haley Stevens, kicked off road construction season by touring an I-96 Flex Route project work site in Novi.
The three-year project began last year and stretched 21 miles from Kent Lake Road to the I-275/I-696/M-5 interchange. It includes adding a flex lane in both directions.
“This offers an extra lane during peak hours, easing traffic on busy commercial corridors like this one,” the governor said.
With more road work getting underway with the warmer weather, Whitmer is encouraging drivers to be on alert.
“So when you see an orange barrel, it might not make you happy,” Whitmer said. “But it should remind you to slow down and appreciate that we are getting work done. But there are men and women on the side of the road risking their lives.”
A driver who injures a highway construction worker could face up to one year in prison.
If a highway construction worker is killed on the job by a car, the driver could face up to 15 years in prison.