Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Community members, residents, and stakeholders weighed in on a big project in the works at I-96 and Grand River in the City of Brighton.

MDOT hosted the meeting last night from 5 to 8pm at the Brighton Police Department. There was a large turnout with people lining up outside ahead of the start time. It was estimated that more than 100 people came through to provide input and ask questions about the project.

The project involves reconstructing the I-96 interchange as a Diverging Diamond Interchange. The structure will be replaced along I-96; along with the Ore Creek culvert under I-96 and the two I-96 bridges over Grand River. In addition to the I-96 bridges over Grand River, roughly 0.7 miles of the I-96 approaches will be rebuilt to accommodate the bridge replacements. The ramps at the interchange will be rebuilt and reconfigured, and there will also be pedestrian components and a non-motorized pathway.

The estimated project price tag is $35 to $45 million.

MDOT Project Manager and Design Engineer Jack Rick told WHMI it’s a big project and they’re really excited about it, noting it will impact people for a couple of years with construction but they feel they have a good solution and the end result will be “fantastic”.

Rick said there might be a little work in 2024 for some temporary crossovers on the freeway but the main work in 2025 will involve reconstructing the bridge over westbound I-96 – with all traffic shifted to eastbound I-96. Down below, he said all traffic on Grand River will be maintained as best they can while they’re removing the bridge, putting in the new one, and taking care of the new ramps.

Eventually in 2026, Rick said there will be vast improvements on Grand River to get the crossings in, along with the new operation of the interchange. There will also be the non-motorized path right down the middle of the interchange.

Currently within the interchange limits, Rick said there’s a really narrow opening under the bridge - which is one reason for the project. He said the bridge was built in the early 1960’s so it’s time for a new bridge. When they looked at replacing it, Rick said they also looked at the operation of the interchange.

Rick said there will be a much larger opening for Grand River traffic to go through - three lanes underneath the bridge both eastbound and westbound, and one lane will slip as a “slip-ramp “into the freeway.

As for turnout, Rick said the open house was busy from the get-go but they heard very positive comments. He said they also heard some concerns about how it will impact traffic and they tried to best explain the challenges.

Those in attendance could also vote on aesthetics for the bridge at I-96 and Grand River. They were asked to vote for one barrier railing option, one texture option, and one gateway option. Votes will be provided to the Brighton City Council and the Brighton Township Board for final aesthetic recommendations.

One of the attendees was Marty Valentine from Howell, who told WHMI he came out to see the presentation, what the construction involves, and how long it will take. He noted they use the highway nearly every day and when coming into Brighton or leaving, saying it’s already difficult in the interchange area that will be under construction. Valentine said he thought the meeting was very well done and informative with a lot of displays, and engineers were able to answer their questions. He added he felt a video demonstration helped him better understand how traffic will flow when the project is done and how much of an improvement it will be for the area.

For those who couldn't attend the meeting, MDOT is still taking comments and input on the project.

A link to the MDOT project page is provided.