MDOT begins two-year US-24 project

SOUTHFIELD/DETROIT — A $54 million two-year project on Telegraph Road, from Grand River Avenue to Eight Mile Road, began March 1, but the project has been in the works for years.

“This project is broken up into two phases,” said Bill Erban, a project manager for the Michigan Department of Transportation. “In the first phase, we will reconstruct the old Telegraph Road from Grand River up to the Rouge River, which is just south of Eight Mile Road. The second phase of the project will occur next year and will involve the reconstruction of the Eight Mile Road and Telegraph Road interchange. We will create an entirely different look to the interchange, which is known as a diverging diamond, rather than the old cloverleaf with loops. The hope is that this will improve the operational efficiency of the interchange as well as safety.”

Erban explained that the cloverleaf shape that’s currently in place has loops that are so short that MDOT has had to place three stop signs and two yield signs at the end of the loop ramps. Since there is not enough room to allow for larger loops that allow the driver to flow into traffic without stopping, MDOT is implementing the diverging diamond interchange, which will move traffic over briefly into the interchange area, avoiding conflicting traffic, they said.

The two-year project will consist of improving five bridges, along with drainage and water main improvements, sidewalk ramp improvements, sign replacements, and traffic signal and lighting improvements from the M-5 (Grand River Avenue) intersection to the M-102 (Eight Mile Road) area, where the diverging diamond interchange will be built.

“Drivers will see barrels begin on the northbound side near 6 Mile Road and the southbound side at 9 Mile Road. There has been ongoing utility work above and below ground over the past few months and will continue,” Diane Cross, MDOT’s media contact, stated in a press release.

Janan McDougal, the owner of The Printheadz, located at 23151 Telegraph Road, has taken note of the all-too-familiar bright orange barrels.

“When I look out my window, I see the cones that they’re putting out right now, and it makes me a little nervous,” McDougal said. She explained that for a T-shirt printing company, their busiest seasons are the spring, summer and fall. “As we are going into our busiest time, the construction barrels are coming out.”

Erban acknowledged business owners’, residents’ and commuters’ frustration with the traffic and lane closures. He said that MDOT is working in the best fashion with everyone to ensure that no one is cutting through neighborhoods or blocking commercial or residential driveways, though traffic will be slowed and crowded due to the construction.

“This area is both residential and commercial, so it’s intense, because people want to get to the businesses, and the business owners will be unhappy, but we are committed to making a safer work zone for the construction workers out there and the drivers on the roads,” Erban said. “It’s almost like if traffic is at a standstill, that’s our safest work zone. It’s interesting, because these are opposing perspectives. One is mobility and getting people through in a hurry, whereas the other is if you go through too fast, then you could end up hurting somebody.”

From March 6 until late June, drivers can expect northbound and southbound US-24, between M-5 and M-102, to be reduced to two lanes in each direction for median work. Cross advises drivers to get up-to-date information on lane closures, MDOT projects and 24/7 coverage of traffic incidents at www.Michigan.gov/Drive.