Next phase of I-75 overhaul starts next month in Oakland County

I-75 will not be closed to rebuild the freeway

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – After the massive I-75 overhaul last year, a new stretch of the highway in Oakland County is set to be redone in the coming months.

Work will soon begin on I-75 from 13 Mile Road to Coolidge Highway, an area that's usually packed with traffic at all hours of the day.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is trying to make the project go as smoothly as possible.

Potholes have become such a problem on I-75 in Oakland County that drivers are wondering when they'll be fixed. MDOT officials announced phase two of the Modernize I-75 Project will begin next month.

Phase one of the project was completed just days before Labor Day 2017.

"It's going to be eight and a half miles of freeway," "We are going to repair 18 structures."

While the potholes also need to be fixed on the stretch, the project is a complete rebuild, and its main purpose is to make the freeway safer.

"This old design of this freeway is indicative of a capacity issue,"

To fix the problem, they will add a lane in each direction by enclosing the median. This will begin in March with the rebuild.

The project will be different than other recent freeway rebuilds in Metro Detroit because I-75 will not be closed to rebuild the freeway.

"There's just not enough alternate routes,"

Instead, northbound and southbound drivers will share the southbound lanes while the northbound lanes are worked on. The construction will only go until November. All lanes in both directions will be open for the winter months, MDOT officials said.

"During the winter months, traffic will be in its normal configuration," MDOT said. "All lanes, all ramps (will be) open."

The project will also include Michigan's very first high-occupancy vehicle, or HOV, lane and new, safer entrance ramps to the freeway from Big Beaver and 14 Mile called diverging diamond interchanges.

Phase two of the project will last through 2020. Then, segment three will start rebuilding I-75 between 8 Mile and 13 Mile roads to the south of the phase two stretch.


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You can watch Kim on the morning newscast weekdays from 4:30 to 7 a.m., and frequently doing reports on the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.