The I-75 phase one construction is upon us. Here's what commuters need to know

TROY, Mich. (FOX 2) - It almost makes you want to scream. 

With the emergence of orange traffic barrels, Michigan's unofficial state flower is finally in bloom. This time, it's found its roots on I-75.

"There's a lot of costs that will be avoided by having good roads to ride on and so you have to look at the big picture," said Jeff Groen, a driver.

That big picture will stretch from Big Beaver to 14 Mile Road. The entrance ramps from eastbound and westbound Big Beaver, as well as the ramps from Rochester and 14 Mile are now closed and under construction.

Part of phase one of a massive overhaul of one of Michigan's busiest interstates, drivers find the benefits outweigh the costs.

"It has to be done, 75 has to be fixed," said Toni Crouch. "...really looking forward to it being fixed properly."

If everything goes according to plan over the next few weeks, traffic heading northbound on I-75 will be diverted onto the southbound lanes. The two will share the southbound lanes for the entirety of 2019's construction season.

You can track the progress of the $224 million endeavor at http://modernize75.com/