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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

September 2, 2026 

Contact: [email protected] 

 

*Gov. Whitmer Announces Orange Barrels Will Be Moved and Lanes Reopened, Easing Labor Day Weekend Travel* 

 

*LANSING, Mich. —* This Labor Day weekend, Governor Whitmer announced the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is removing lane restrictions on nearly 60 percent of its road and bridge projects statewide to ease traffic delays for holiday traffic.  

 

"This Labor Day weekend, people across Michigan will be traveling to soak up the end of another Pure Michigan summer,” said *Governor Whitmer*. “To make sure Michiganders can get where they’re going safely and easily, we’re temporarily removing construction barrels and lifting lane restrictions on as many projects as we can. Since I took office, I have been committed to smoother, safer commutes for Michigan drivers. Together, we’ve fixed more than 26,500 lane miles of road and almost 2,000 bridges across Michigan. We’ll be back to fixing the damn roads on Tuesday, but until then, drive safe and have a great holiday weekend!” 

 

Beginning at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, and continuing until 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, 91 out of 156 MDOT projects statewide will have lane restrictions removed. While motorists will see suspended operations in most state road work zones for the weekend, drivers are advised that equipment and certain traffic configurations may remain in place, like temporary shifts or shoulder closures. 

 

Travelers are also reminded that for safety and security, the Mackinac Bridge will be closed to public traffic on Labor Day, Sept. 7, from 6:30 a.m. to noon during the Annual Bridge Walk. Southbound I-75 and US-2 traffic will be stopped at Exit 344 on the north side of the bridge; northbound I-75 traffic will be stopped at Exit 337 on the south end. For more information, visit the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) website at MackinacBridge.org/Walk [ [link removed] ] or call the MBA at 906-643-7600. 

 

"It's been another tremendous year of progress for our state's roads and bridges, and while summer is winding down, that doesn’t mean projects are," said *State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich*. "Thanks to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan [ [link removed] ] program and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act [ [link removed] ], we still have many projects on our trunklines carrying through into November and beyond, with other smaller-scale projects occurring this fall as well. Even though we've pulled back the barrels in the majority of our work zones, there are still some cases where that just isn't possible. So drivers, remember to slow down, put away those devices and focus on the task at hand. We want everyone to make it back home safely every night." 

 

MDOT oversees I, M, and US routes and is responsible for nearly 10,000 miles of state highways, which carry more than 50 percent of all traffic and approximately 70 percent of commercial traffic in Michigan.  

 

Certain work zones will remain active or have lane restrictions during Labor Day weekend. View a list of these projects here [ [link removed] ]. If necessary, detour routes will be posted at the project location. All closures are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information on MDOT projects, go to the Mi Drive website at Michigan.gov/Drive [ [link removed] ].  

 

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This email was sent to [email protected] using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Executive Office of the Governor · 111 S. Capitol Ave · Lansing, Michigan 48901 Granicus Communications logo [ [link removed] ]

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