TRAFFIC

Monroe County, MDOT announce detours around US-23 closure

Dean Cousino
The Monroe News
Monroe County Road Project Watch

The Monroe County Road Commission along with other various entities have come up with options for directing local traffic in rural areas around the closure of US-23 between Dundee and Milan due to repairs to the Ann Arbor Railroad bridge overpass.

The freeway is currently closed from M-50 north to Plank Rd. A semi-truck heading northbound with a high load struck the railroad viaduct Sept. 10.

The road commission worked out an agreement with Dundee, London and Milan townships for detours around the freeway. Dori Hawkins-Freelain, managing director of the road commission, said in a press release Monday that “it is our current understanding that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has deployed a contractor to install detour signs starting today which will indicate the through traffic and commercial vehicle detour route.”

She said local vehicle traffic may use the following primary road system detours:

Northbound US-23 traffic: Take northbound Ann Arbor Rd. in Dundee to westbound Cone Rd. to northbound Wabash Rd. to eastbound Main St. through the City of Milan to US-23.

Southbound US-23 traffic: Follow westbound Main St. in downtown Milan to southbound Wabash Rd. to eastbound Cone Rd. to US-23. Motorists are not permitted to block the entrance to the fire station located on Wabash in the City of Milan.

A three-ton emergency loading restriction for truck loads is in effect on the signed detour route under jurisdiction of the road commission effective immediately and until posted signs are removed, Hawkins-Freelain said.

All trucks, US-23 through traffic and commercial vehicles must follow the MDOT detour as follows: Detour for northbound US-23 traffic: Take eastbound I-475 in Toledo to northbound I-75 to northbound I-275 to westbound I-94 to US-23.

Detour for southbound US-23: Take eastbound I-94 in Ann Arbor to southbound I-275 to southbound I-75 to westbound I-475 in Toledo to US-23.

MDOT is expected to award a contract for the repairs this week and then begin the job soon. It is not known when the repairs would be completed.