Three-week ramp shutdown is the latest phase of MDOT's Restore 94 reconstruction, a project running through 2027
September 26th, 2026: Scheduled ramp reopeningNew here? Follow stories to track developments over time. Create a free account to get updates when stories you care about change.
Overview
Updated 1 hour agoMichigan's transportation department shut down the eastbound I-94 ramp to Livernois Avenue in Detroit for bridge work starting Sept. 8. The ramp stays closed until Sept. 26, with traffic detoured east on Michigan Avenue and north on Livernois back to I-94.
This isn't a one-off repair. It's the latest step in Restore 94, MDOT's reconstruction of I-94 between I-275 and US-12/Michigan Avenue at the Dearborn-Detroit border, a project scheduled to run through 2027.
Why it matters
Eastbound I-94 drivers lose a key Detroit exit for three weeks, with detours onto local streets — the latest disruption in a project running through 2027.
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Scheduled ramp reopening
Upcoming ConstructionMDOT's construction listing shows the eastbound I-94 to Livernois ramp reopening after about two weeks of bridge work.
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EB I-94 ramp to Livernois closes for bridge work
Upcoming ConstructionMDOT closes the eastbound I-94 to Livernois Ave ramp, detouring traffic east on Michigan Ave and north on Livernois. Closure runs through Sept. 26.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
I-495 bridge closure, Wilmington, Delaware (2014)
Four support columns on the I-495 bridge over the Christina River were found tilting, forcing an indefinite closure of a key north-south freeway. Traffic detoured through city streets for months while engineers stabilized the structure.
An 11-mile detour diverted commuter and truck traffic onto local roads, causing severe congestion throughout the Wilmington metro area.
The bridge reopened after emergency repairs, and the episode became a case study in how a single freeway point failure ripples across a region.
The Livernois closure is planned and short by comparison, but it shows the same mechanism: one shut exit pushes traffic onto surface streets and can back up an entire corridor during peak hours.
I-75 Modernization Project through Detroit (2017–2021)
MDOT rebuilt a long stretch of I-75 through Detroit, keeping traffic moving on the same corridor with temporary lanes and rolling ramp closures over several years. The project used phased detours resembling what Restore 94 does now.
Drivers faced years of narrowed lanes, reduced speeds, and repeated ramp shutdowns through the city.
The finished freeway reopened with rebuilt bridges and pavement, and the project set MDOT's template for managing major Detroit freeway reconstruction while traffic keeps flowing.
Restore 94 follows the same playbook on I-94, so the Livernois closure fits a pattern Detroit drivers have already navigated: long projects, rolling disruptions, and a clear end date.
