OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. - It's not for lack of effort or a decline in resources that I-75 construction has been delayed.
Instead, you can thank whatever fitting term that Michigan weather deserves - well, mostly.
If you've spent much time on the I-75 corridor between 13 Mile and Coolidge, you've probably seen the monstrosity that is roadwork on the largest of scales. The original plan was for northbound traffic to be moved onto the new northbound lanes by Thanksgiving.
Well, that's not going to happen.
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Crews two months behind on construction of I75 corridor
With weather playing a big factor, MDOT has notified its scheduled shift of northbound traffic to its new northbound lanes will now happen at the end of the year, instead of by Thanksgiving. Crews have lost about 60 workdays because of bad weather.
"It's not resurfacing, it's not repairing a bridge here or there, this is a complete rebuild of everything within that eight and a half mile work zone," Morosi said. "It was an ambitious schedule to begin with. Unfortunately, we can't make that switch by Thanksgiving - we're looking at the end of December."
About 200 people have been working on the project every day. The eight and a half mile project is apparently so complex that it just takes that much time.
Along with inclement weather, Morosi said there have also been add-ons to the project that have beefed up the amount of work.
"It's been a combination of things. We added some things to the original contract just based on some feedback we got from stakeholders - some extra sound walls going up by Wattles and just the weather really wasn't cooperating," said Morosi.
Since March 1, crews have lost about 60 workdays due to bad weather. Once they finish ramp work and some paving work, northbound traffic will switch over.