November 4, 2004 - - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004, to open the new $700 million M-6 (Paul B. Henry Freeway) in southern Kent and Ottawa counties. The M-6 project is being completed four years ahead of schedule.
"We are very pleased to open this long-anticipated freeway," said State Transportation Director Gloria J. Jeff. "We are even more pleased that it is happening much earlier than originally scheduled, due to an effective partnership involving Team MDOT, all levels of government, contractors, and consultants."
The 20-mile M-6 project was constructed in three phases. MDOT opened Phase I of M-6, the five-mile stretch between I-96 and M-37 (Broadmoor) on Nov. 27, 2001. Originally scheduled for completion in 2008, Phase III (US-131 to I-196) was expedited through additional funding, moving its completion date up to 2005 to coincide with the scheduled completion of Phase II (M-37 to US-131). The opening on Nov. 17 means that the corridor will be completed almost a year ahead of the 2005 target date.
Construction crews will begin removing barricades and signs from all the M-6 ramps at the interchanges following the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Because this work will take several hours, MDOT anticipates opening the freeway by the afternoon rush hour.
The entire stretch of M-6 from I-96 west to I-196 will then be open, with the exception of the ramp from westbound I-196 to eastbound M-6. This ramp will remain closed while work is being done to reconstruct two bridges; completion of the work is weather-dependent and may occur as early as December but could take until early next year to finish.
Team MDOT and You: Working together to move Michigan forward
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