Plymouth Township and Canton Township commuters heading toward Detroit or the airport now have fewer lanes and fewer ramps. As of Monday, August 3, eastbound I-94 traffic between I-275 and Michigan Avenue rides on the westbound side of the freeway, separated from oncoming traffic by a concrete barrier.
Both directions now carry two lanes, down from the usual three.
The shift, completed over the weekend, is part of MDOT's $353 million Restore 94 Project, which is reconstructing 12.7 miles of I-94 across six Wayne County communities. WXYZ-TV reported Monday that the new configuration was live for the first morning rush hour. About 100,000 drivers use this corridor daily, according to MDOT.
"We will be moving the eastbound traffic over to the westbound lanes so we appreciate everyone's patience and understanding," MDOT traffic engineer Bill Erban told FOX 2 Detroit on July 31, ahead of the weekend work. "And then when we get done we'll have both directions of traffic on the westbound roadway with a concrete barrier between them."
As we reported July 31, the shift was expected to begin Friday. Crews finished the lane move over the weekend.
Three ramps closed through mid-2027
The Wayne Road and Merriman Road on-ramps are primary routes for Canton and Plymouth residents connecting to eastbound I-94 via the I-275 corridor. All three closures will last through mid-2027:
- Southbound Wayne Road to eastbound I-94: Detour via westbound I-94 to Haggerty Road to eastbound I-94.
- Southbound Merriman Road to eastbound I-94: Detour via westbound I-94 to Vining Road to eastbound I-94.
- Eastbound I-94 to Ecorse Road: Detour via eastbound I-94 to southbound US-24 (Telegraph Road) to Ecorse Road.
Airport access
MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross said on July 31 that drivers heading to Detroit Metropolitan Airport should use I-275 south to Eureka Road while the new I-94 configuration is in effect.
Beech Daly Road closure
Northbound and southbound Beech Daly Road at I-94 closed at 5 a.m. Monday, August 3, for bridge demolition. That closure runs through 5 a.m. Monday, August 10. Drivers can use Ecorse Road or Van Born Road to reach US-24/Telegraph Road.
Construction zone penalties
Under Michigan law, speeding in an interstate construction work zone carries double fines, steeper license-point penalties, and potential felony charges if a crash occurs.
What's next
The two-lane, shared-roadway configuration is expected to remain through mid-2027. The full Restore 94 project is scheduled for completion in 2029. Detour maps and project updates are available at Restore94.com; real-time construction locations can be found at Michigan.gov/drive.
