Huge US 127 construction project resumes Monday. Bring your patience

LANSING — Another spring, another major road construction project.

That’s how it’s gone the last few years in the Lansing area, where the state highway department is about mid-way through the process of revamping the U.S. 127 corridor between Interstate 69 in southern Clinton County and the southern Ingham County line.

Up this year is Phase 2 of the rebuild between Interstates 96 and 496. It is slated to kick off on Monday, March 3, and conclude late this year. Here’s what you need to know about it.

What’s happening this year?

Crews will rebuild the southbound lanes of the freeway along the 3½-mile stretch between the two interstates, essentially mirroring what they did last year on the northbound side.

All traffic will be shifted to the northbound side so workers can tear up and replace the broken concrete of the southbound lanes. For the most part, two lanes of traffic will be maintained in both directions on the new pavement, avoiding the need for a moveable barrier like the state deployed last year, but pinch points will remain at the north and south ends of the work zone, where the crossover lanes will go, officials said.

The Michigan Department of Transportation said it expects to have traffic controls in place by about mid-March.

As it did last year, the project will entail multiple ramp closings, detours and slowdowns, and MDOT suggests drivers plan their commutes accordingly. Crews again will focus first on the southern section of the work zone, between Dunckel Road and I-96, in an effort to get it done quickly and relieve congestion there.

Officials are asking drivers to be patient.

“My hope is that eveybody sees how nice that (new side of the feeway) is, and maybe we get a little extra patience from the public this year while we’re working on southbound,” Trevor Block, who is overseeing the project for MDOT, said during a Feb. 13 webinar hosted by Choose Lansing, the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce and MDOT.

What has already been done?

The state resurfaced U.S. 127 and made other improvements from the Jackson County line to just north of Mason in 2022 and 2023. It has also rebuilt bridges at the U.S. 127/I-496 interchange.

The northbound side of the freeway between Interstates 96 and 496 was rebuilt last year, and the same will happen with the southbound side this year.

Where do we go from here?

MDOT will turn its attention north after finishing the section of freeway between I-96 and I-496 this year.

In 2026, the agency plans to rebuild both sides of the freeway between I-69 and a point south of Lake Lansing Road. That section will be rebuilt by milling the concrete and laying down an asphalt overlay, according to an online project overview.

“In addition to this work, the project will improve bridges through this corridor as well as upgrade drainage, signs, intelligent transportation systems, and pavement markings,” MDOT said.

The next two years −2027 and 2028 −will be devoted to rebuilding and realigning the section from I-496 to just south of Lake Lansing Road.

“In addition to pavement repairs, this project will improve bridges through this corridor as well as upgrade drainage, signs, intelligent transportation systems, and pavement markings,” the agency said.

Traffic restrictions and other details about those last two phases haven’t been announced.

Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on X @KBPalm_lsj.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: What to know as Lansing area US 127 project begins Monday