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Opening Michigan’s first HOV lanes requires lane closures on a portion of I-75 in Oakland County starting Oct. 16

Fast facts:

  • Michigan’s first high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes will open in each direction of I-75 between 12 Mile Road and South Boulevard by the end of October.
  • Prep work to open the lanes will require lane closures in both directions starting at 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 16.
  • The lane closures are needed for required lane markings and sign installation.

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. ­- Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) contract crews will be implementing daily lane closures on northbound and southbound I-75 to place required pavement markings and signs for Michigan’s first high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on the I-75 modernization project in Oakland County. These lane closures will be done in segments and are expected to start at 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 16, occurring during daylight hours. Opening the 14-mile-long HOV lanes is expected by the end of October. 

The I-75 HOV lanes will use the left lane in each direction of I-75 between 12 Mile Road and South Boulevard. They will operate as HOV lanes during peak travel times: 6 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. During those times, vehicles must have at least two human occupants to legally use the lanes. State and local police will monitor the safe movement of vehicles in the HOV lanes to ensure drivers have the proper number of occupants. Civil infractions will be issued to violators. Motorcycles, transit busses, first responders, and emergency vehicles are exempt from occupant requirements. Outside of those designated weekday hours, the lanes are available for all motorists regardless the number of occupants.

HOV lanes are designed to reduce congestion and improve safety, air quality and travel time reliability.

"Opening these HOV lanes continues MDOT's commitment to modernizing our high-volume freeways," said State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich. "Similar to the Flex Routes on US-23 and I-96, the HOV lanes will improve mobility and make I-75 travel safer."

Incorporating the HOV lanes into the I-75 modernization project was decided during the study phase when the need to add a lane in each direction became apparent. Crash data revealed the most frequent incidents involved rear-end collisions, citing the need for capacity improvement. Restoration of the Adams Road facility and two new carpool lots were built at the 12 Mile Road interchange to promote ride sharing.  

Follow I-75 modernization progress on the web at www.Modernize75.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Modernize75 or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Modernize75

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