Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The next stage of the big I-96/Grand River interchange project in the City of Brighton is expected to start up in early March – bringing more detours and new traffic configurations.

The Brighton City Council met Tuesday night and heard an update and presentation from MDOT project representatives. This construction season, MDOT will start by flipping traffic over to the brand new reconstructed westbound I-96.

Readers beware – it’s all a bit confusing.

MDOT representatives stressed that everything is weather-dependent. The tentative schedule is to shift westbound I-96 traffic to the outside, starting on Monday, March 2nd and then spend two or three days setting up a temporary wall, putting down pavement markings, and prepping. Then that Saturday, March 7th, they would shift eastbound I-96 traffic onto the westbound side – so just like last year there will be two lanes in each direction on the new pavement but on the westbound side.
In a perfect scenario, it was stated the weekend of March 13th through the 15th would be bridge demolition. That’s stage 2A. It was noted there’s no exact time for when the loop ramp will close, but it will happen once the bridge is out.

Stage 2 involves rebuilding eastbound I-96 and the bridge over Grand River. I-96 traffic will be maintained on westbound I-96, two lanes in each direction. It also involves rebuilding the south half of the interchange, including Grand River and the eastbound on and off ramps. As part of that, Grand River and ramp traffic will be reduced or detoured based on staging requirements.


MDOT advised of the following major impact stages:

2A and 2B: The eastbound loop ramp will be closed for night bridge demolition and beam removal.

Stage 2A will occur during nighttime closures of Grand River, followed by 2B, with Grand River open to traffic.

Stage 2A Detour #4 (Night Closure): primary nighttime detours will take eastbound Grand River traffic along Hilton Road and Old US-23, back to Grand River. Westbound Grand River traffic will be detoured via eastbound I-96, Spencer Road and westbound I-96 to get back to westbound Grand River.

Stage 2B Detour #5 (EB Loop Ramp Closed): Eastbound I-96 off-ramp to westbound Grand River detoured on I-96 to Spencer Road, back to the Grand River off-ramp. The closure of the eastbound on ramp will require traffic to use Hilton Road to Old US-23 to Spencer Road detour. Grad River will be open to thru traffic.

Stage 2C: Westbound Grand River will be detoured through the interchange for 31 days. The eastbound loop ramp will be removed and the eastbound off ramp will be restricted to right turns only. It was stated that this stage will probably be “the most impactful”. That detour is anticipated mid-June to mid-July. The closure cannot contractually start until June 15th, after school is out.

Stage 2C Detour #6 (Westbound Grand River Detoured): Westbound Grand River and the eastbound I-96 off ramp to westbound Grand River will be detoured on I-96 to Spencer Road, back to the Grand River off ramp. The Hilton Road to Old US-23 to Spencer Road detour continues for the eastbound loop ramp closure.

Stage 2D: The eastbound I-96 exit ramp to Grand River will be closed for 50 days. Grand River is still operating – two lanes coming in and one lane leaving.

Stage 2D Detour #7 (Eastbound off ramp closed): Eastbound I-96 traffic heading for Grand River will be detoured via Spencer Road exit 147, Spencer Road, and westbound I—96 back to Grand River. Eastbound Grand River traffic heading for eastbound I-96 will be detoured via Hilton Road, Old US-23, and Spencer Road to eastbound I-96. Those were said to be the same as last year.

There is no Stage E, for those who would be wondering.

Stage 2F: The Grand River entrance ramp to eastbound I-96 will be closed for 50 days. It was said to the last major stage, anticipated to begin late summer or early fall. No exact dates.

Stage 2F Detour #9 (Eastbound off ramp closed): Grand River traffic heading for eastbound I-96 will be detoured via Hilton Road, Old US-23 and Spencer Road, to eastbound I-96.

This will not be the final year of the project. For 2027, there will be a little work and some minor staging on Grand River and I-96 to re-establish the crossovers - with completion expected in early June.

MDOT said detours will be consistent and the same as last year. It was clarified there will not be a lengthy full closure of Grand River like last year: the bridge demo for two nights possibly three, and beam setting will be overnight full closures.

Mayor Kristoffer Tobbe commented that a lot of businesses were deeply impacted by the 45-day Grand River closure last year, and he’s sure they won’t be happy to hear construction continues but at least they’ll be aware.

Also of note from the meeting: there will be no “free-flow” condition onto Hilton Road like last year and there have been some general traffic signal timing adjustments made as part of the project.

Council will be requesting that MDOT perform a study to make the temporary traffic signal at the eastbound I-96 exit ramp to Spencer Road permanent.

Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Bohn stated that neighbors and friends have commented that putting up the signal was a “good, unintended consequence of the project”, as it has helped during peak travel times and slowed traffic. He noted trying to make a left turn onto Spencer from the eastbound off-ramp was both “problematic and dangerous” so whatever they need to do to make that signal permanent - they need to do it.

Meanwhile, it was stated that speed enforcement will be a priority in the work zones. MDOT asked for patience and that motorists please slow down – citing crashes and one fatality last year.

The full project presentation from Tuesday’s Council meeting can be viewed on the City of Brighton’s YouTube Channel. That link is provided top, along with a link to the Facebook I-96 project page.