Brace Yourself—I-75 in Detroit Closing This Weekend for Bridge Work

Well, if you’re planning to use I-75 in Detroit this weekend (or next), you might want to make other plans. Or at least be prepared for backups and annoying detours.

According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, crews are shutting down southbound I-75 between I-96 and Schaefer Road so they can add protective surfaces to four bridges. These are the same bridges that had their decks replaced back in 2017 and 2018, and now they need a little extra tlc.

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Here’s what that means for drivers (besides a headache):
Southbound I-75 will shut down starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 20, and won’t reopen until 5 a.m. on Monday, June 23. Lane closures will start just east of the I-96/I-75 interchange before the full closure kicks in.

MDOT’s got a detour ready and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, it sucks. Drivers will be rerouted from southbound I-75 to westbound I-96, then westbound I-94, southbound I-275, and finally back to I-75. If you’re sticking close, Fort Street will be open and available.

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And just a heads-up, this is only round one. Next weekend, northbound I-75 is getting shut down between Schaefer and I-96 for the same type of work. That’ll start at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 27, and run through 5 a.m. on Monday, June 30.

So yeah, if you’re headed in or out of Detroit via I-75 over the next two weekends, you’ll want to plan ahead; it's not going to be fun.