Online resource to help navigate Michigan roads this weekend

Don't forget that the state of Michigan has a great resource to help you know about possible traffic delays due to construction. Michigan.gov/drive has updated information on lane closures, detours, and even lane speeds in Metro Detroit. This way, you can plan your Labor Day Weekend trips to avoid long delays and burning up expensive fuel while sitting in traffic. You can click on an area of construction (noted by little orange construction barrels) and it will tell you the work being done, how long the construction will last, and the time that will be added to your drive due to the delay. It's pretty slick.

As usual, MDOT has put a temporary stop on some of their projects for the Labor Day Weekend Holiday. Starting tomorrow, August 29, at 3 p.m. about 65 percent of roads with lane closures will have the lovely orange barrels removed for the weekend to cut down on drive time.

MDOT road construction and traffic website updated

MDOT has updated the MI Drive website to help drivers "visually locate lane closures and major construction projects on state highways (M, I, and U.S. routes) in addition to reading about them." The interactive map can also be customized by saving some of your views. Say you drive in Detroit often - you can set up to focus on Detroit roads and the myriad of construction and lane closures. This is a great resource for commuters or those planning trips and wanting to avoid delays.

www.michigan.gov/drive

New MDOT site rolls their most used features into one page

MDOT finally decided to make its most used online features available from a single page. Located at www.michigan.gov/drive the new page prominently features the Detroit Traffic Map, Michigan Road Construction Search, and MDOT Construction Map. Previously you had to hunt and dig for this information (which I always found strange) all throughout the www.michigan.gov/mdot subdirectory. It is nice to have everything in the same place.

Traveling in Michigan? Find out about road construction first

MDOT has a great resource to help you avoid sitting in traffic due to the usual summer road construction. There is a plain text version as well as an interactive Flash version of a map showing major road and bridge construction (or is it destruction?) projects on state roads as well as the interstates that crisscross Michigan. The map gives the tentative dates for the construction as well as what to expect as far as lane closures and detours. I find that it is well worth the time to try and avoid wasting the ever more expensive gasoline in our tanks by sitting in traffic. This allows you to seek alternate routes that just might (gasp!) make you slow down and enjoy the beautiful state of Michigan that you are traveling through.

You can find the map at the MDOT page at Michigan.gov. Also, there is a regularly updated listing of lane closures (which will most likely be more current than the MDOT map) that you can view here. The lane closure map allows you to search by region, county, routes, and filter it by date.

MDOT suspends most major construction projects this weekend

The majority of Michigan's road and bridge construction projects will be put on hold this Labor Day weekend due to the expected increase in road traffic. From September 1 at 3 p.m. until September 5 at 6 a.m. work will be suspended and lanes opened on 92 of the 155 active construction projects. For a list of the construction zones that will remain active or have limited lanes open head on over to www.michigan.gov/mdot. The list is too extensive to repeat here.

By the way, if you really want to avoid construction and traffic jams consider taking to Michigan's highways instead of the freeways. You remember highways don't you? You know, those two lane roads that pass through quaint little towns and beautiful scenery at a leisurely pace of 55 m.p.h.

Our family has taken to the so-called back roads in recent years and I must admit that the trip has been 200% more enjoyable. You don't have the stress of bumper to bumper traffic and lane changers constantly cutting you off. You can actually see Michigan's scenic views and pastoral farms since you aren't whizzing by at 75-80 m.p.h.

If you truly want to relax this weekend, take my advice. Hop on U.S. 23 along the Lake Huron coast. Cruise up M-66 and pick up U.S. 31 in Charlevoix on your way up to the Mackinac Bridge. There are a number of other main routes to choose from whether you are going north, south, east, or west.

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Construction Will Not Slow You Down This Weekend

MDOT will be lifting suspending work in most construction zones starting at 3 p.m. on Friday. When you are driving through construction please remember to drive 45 mph in construction zones where workers are present. Keep our road workers safe when driving in construction zones and keep you and your family safe by wearing your seatbelts.