AASHTO Journal, 26 September 2014
Gov. Rick Snyder joined Michigan Department of Transportation Director Kirk Steudle (left) and the local community to celebrate the early reopening of the $148 million I-96 Fix Project west of downtown Detroit. Photo courtesy MDOT.
Michigan Department of Transportation officials were joined by Gov. Rick Snyder, state officials and members of the community on Sunday, Sept. 21, to cut a ribbon and reopen a section of I-96 between US-24 (Telegraph Road) and Newburgh Road in Livonia more than two weeks early.
I-96 was closed in early April to allow crews to reconstruct the 7-mile stretch near I-275. Known as “The 96fix,” the $148 million project included rebuilding 56 lane-miles of freeway, repairing 37 bridges, reconstructing 26 ramps, and new lighting and utilities. The project area runs through the Redford Township and Livonia communities west of downtown Detroit.
“Reconstructing I-96 addressed our state’s infrastructure needs that were critical to our future and our continued comeback,” Gov. Rick Snyder said in a statement. “Congratulations to MDOT and the construction team who collaborated and used new innovations to complete this project ahead of schedule and on-budget. I also want to extend thanks to area residents for their patience during the construction.”
A video featuring the opening event is available at http://youtu.be/Py7rwXToX6A.
According to MDOT, local residents and businesses voted to close the freeway in order to finish the project more quickly and at a lower cost, versus the option of only partially closing the freeway, which would have lasted two to three years and would have been more expensive.
Details on “The 96fix” can be found at www.96fix.com.