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Detroit I-94 ramp to M-10 closes for two weeks amid Restore 94 rebuild

Detroit I-94 ramp to M-10 closes for two weeks amid Restore 94 rebuild

Built World Detroit, MI local

The closure is one piece of a 13-mile freeway reconstruction running into 2027

2 days ago: Inkster Road and M-39 ramp closures start

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

The ramp from eastbound I-94 to the northbound Lodge Freeway closed Monday, September 14, and stays shut until September 28. Commuters who use that connection into downtown Detroit need detours for two weeks.

The closure is one step in Restore I-94, the Michigan Department of Transportation's project to rebuild 13 miles of I-94 between I-275 and US-12 through six Detroit-area communities. Crews have shifted traffic onto temporary lanes, and ramps are closing in phases, with work continuing through 2027.

Why it matters

This two-week ramp closure is one slice of a 13-mile I-94 rebuild that will disrupt Detroit driving into 2027.

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Key Indicators

14 days
Length of ramp closure
EB I-94 to NB M-10 ramp is closed September 14-28.
13 miles
Project length
I-94 reconstruction from I-275 to US-12 across six communities.
2027
Project completion target
Traffic remains on temporary lanes through mid-2027; full rebuild continues into 2027.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

July 2026 June 2027

6 events Latest: 2 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Temporary lane configuration scheduled to end

    Upcoming Construction

    Traffic is expected to shift back to permanent I-94 alignment around mid-2027.

  2. Ramp scheduled to reopen

    Upcoming Construction

    MDOT's listing shows the EB I-94/NB M-10 ramp returning to traffic this date.

  3. EB I-94 to NB M-10 ramp closes

    Upcoming Construction

    Michigan DOT shuts the ramp for two weeks of interchange work in Detroit.

  4. Inkster Road and M-39 ramp closures start

    Latest Construction

    Inkster Road under I-94 closes through September 11; SB M-39 to EB I-94 ramp closes into late October.

  5. Traffic pattern shift takes effect

    Construction

    EB I-94 from east of I-275 to west of US-12 moves into shared, barrier-separated lanes until mid-2027.

  6. EB I-94 traffic shift begins near I-275

    Construction

    Crews move eastbound I-94 onto the original westbound lanes, two lanes each direction.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2017-2023

I-75 Modernization, Detroit (2017-2023)

MDOT rebuilt roughly 15 miles of I-75 through Detroit, one of the most-traveled freeway stretches in the state. Crews used lane shifts, overnight closures and phased ramp shutdowns for years, mirroring the Restore I-94 playbook.

Then

Drivers faced years of lane shifts, closures and heavy congestion in a work zone through the city.

Now

The project set the standard for how MDOT manages multi-year urban freeway rebuilds with staged closures.

Why this matters now

I-75 showed Detroit drivers what Restore I-94 now brings: phased ramps, temporary lanes and years of disruption before the finished freeway opens.

1940s-1950s

Original I-94 (Edsel Ford Freeway) construction, 1940s-1950s

Michigan built the Edsel Ford Freeway, named for the Ford Motor Company president, as part of the state's postwar freeway boom. It became one of Detroit's main east-west arteries, with interchanges like the M-10 Lodge connection.

Then

The new freeways reshaped Detroit travel and development patterns across the metro area.

Now

Seven decades later, that original pavement and those bridges are the aging infrastructure Restore I-94 now replaces.

Why this matters now

The corridor being rebuilt this decade is the same one opened in the 1950s, explaining why the rebuild is so extensive.

Sources

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