Well, It’s About Time: I-475 in Flint Reopening Soon

Well, it’s about time. After what’s felt like endless orange barrels, the first phase of the I-475 rebuild in Flint is finally wrapping up this week. If all goes according to plan, traffic in both directions between the Flint River and Carpenter Road should be moving again by Friday (9/26).

Southbound I-475 has been completely closed while crews finish the last bits of work. Construction engineer Collin Lorenz said drivers can finally breathe a little easier.

They’re going to have north and southbound 475 open by the end of this week.

Don’t get too excited just yet. According to ABC 12, there will still be single-lane closures through the rest of the year, but at least drivers won’t be stuck taking the long way around anymore. Lorenz said all lanes should fully reopen within the next two to three weeks.

Of course, this is only round one. We’ve still got a long road ahead of us… literally. Phase two of the project starts in spring 2026 and runs through fall 2027, tearing up I-475 again, but this time from the Flint River down to Bristol Road in Burton.

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MDOT’s Caitlyn French said the upgrades will cut out extra ramps, improve pedestrian access, and generally make the corridor less of a headache in the long run.

In the meantime, drivers are being asked to keep it slow through work zones. It amazes me how careless some people are when driving through these areas, even with workers just feet away. Lorenz said the goal is simple: “make it a safe environment for not only the workers, but also the people driving the roads.”