Regional

I-496 in Lansing to close for six months this summer, fall

According to MDOT, a two-mile stretch of I-496 towards downtown Lansing will be closed off going both ways from June to November

LANSING, Mich. – One of Lansing, Michigan’s, biggest highways, I-496, will be closed in both directions for six months starting this summer.

According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, a two-mile stretch of I-496 towards downtown Lansing will be closed off going both ways from June to November, tentatively.

The move is part of a the two-year project, which is made possible by $82 million in state funding via Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Rebuilding Michigan” program.

All lanes of I-496 between Lansing Road and Grand River, near Larch Street, will be closed. Traffic will largely be detoured along Malcolm X and St. Joseph streets.

The roadwork will consist of repairs on 17 overpasses on I-496. Those will also be closed off, at different times, over the next two years, in conjunction with the project.

The project will also widen the highway. In addition, the Lansing Road and M-99 ramps will connect via a new auxiliary lane. Resurfacing and sidewalk ramp upgrades will also be part of the repairs.

“These improvements will provide increased safety and mobility in this area of the I-496, which is an important route at the state capital for commuter, commercial and tourism traffic,” MDOT said in a statement.

“Since this is a design-build project, which means the contractor and their team designs the project and builds it,
traffic impacts will be identified as the project goes through design,” MDOT added in a release. “Ramp and bridge work is expected to impact surface streets as well. Announcements will be made in advance of these traffic impacts once design is completed, with updates throughout work.”

There’s more work to be done next year, too. In 2023, at least one lane of I-496 will be open in each direction, with major work occurring between Lansing Road and M-99,” according to a statement. Work is set to start in 2022 and be finished in 2023.

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