After a summer-long project to rebuild I-496 through downtown Lansing, the highway is reopening Tuesday for motorists.
Michigan Department of Transportation spokesperson Aaron Jenkins says that while you’ll be able to drive the length of I-496 again, you won’t be able to take exits for a while along the stretch that’s been under construction.
“We still need to get lights up on the ramps, and each one will get opened up as the lights go up,” Jenkins said. “The last ramp should be opened around mid-December.”
Jenkins adds that there were a few hiccups this year that briefly slowed work on the highway.
“When you’re dealing with projects this size, especially in the downtown area with utilities below pavement and all the things that popped up that we weren’t expecting, I think we did pretty well,” Jenkins explained. “And we think that overall, it’s been a very successful year on the I-496 project.”
More work is planned in 2023 on I-496 from Lansing Road to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Traffic should be maintained in at least one lane in each direction during that phase of construction.