There will be a big transition on the I-496 reconstruction project on Friday.
In April, a $60-million project began with the complete closure of eastbound I-496 on the west side of Lansing. As the first phase of that project wraps up, those eastbound lanes will reopen, and work will begin in the opposite direction with the closure of the westbound lanes.
Jason Early, Lansing construction engineer with the Michigan Department of Transportation, says a few ramps along the highway will remain closed. They include the onramp from westbound I-96 to eastbound I-496, where a large culvert replacement will take another couple of weeks. “We knew that this was going to be a critical factor in the timing of opening that ramp, Early explains, "and we don’t want to hold up opening all of eastbound just for that ramp.”
Early goes on to say the ramps in both directions at Waverly Road will remain closed for now, saying “we have another project. It’s actually part of I-496, but it’s on Waverly itself. It’s a reconstruct, so we don’t want to have traffic get off at Waverly and come into a construction zone where there’s no pavement."
Several other ramps will also need another couple of weeks to finish, but access will be possible from eastbound I-96 and Lansing Road. On and off ramps at Creyts Road and the on ramp from Lansing Road will be also be open starting Friday.