US-23 (I-94 to Earhart Road) Improvement Project Study

MDOT is undertaking an Environmental Assessment (EA) study on US-23 in Washtenaw County. This corridor carries approximately 80,000 vehicles on a typical weekday. The US-23 project scope has changed and MDOT is moving forward with a new alternative that best fits the community’s needs while providing improvements to roadway pavement, bridges, multimodal mobility, and safety. Alternatives that have been studied and dismissed from consideration include the addition of a high-occupancy vehicle lane, flex lane, and general-purpose lane.

An EA, development studies and road and bridge designs will be conducted as part of this project.

• Revised limits along I-94, east of US-23 interchange.
• Revised limits on US-23. New northern study limit will end just north of Earhart Road.
• Three US-23 freeway alternatives dismissed.

• Maintains existing lanes; two lanes in each direction.
• Continues routine maintenance of roadway and bridges.

• Rebuilds two lanes in each direction from I-94 to Geddes Road.
• Accommodates future transit plans (I-94 to Washtenaw Avenue).
• Improves the westbound I-94 ramp to northbound US-23.
• Addresses geometric deficiencies and safety issues.
• Rebuilds bridges to accommodate multimodal improvements.
• Provides US-23 freeway improvements from I-94 to south side of Geddes Road, including an auxiliary lane between I-94 and Washtenaw Avenue.

• Proposed Bridges will accommodate future local road enhancements.

• Proposed bridge will be built to accommodate cyclists and a future sidewalk.

• 47 common noise environments (CNEs) were studied and 16 were found to have impacts.

• 16 noise barriers were studied, and five noise barriers were found to meet the criteria. 

• The future US-23 bridges will accommodate wider shoulders along the freeway and extra width for the northbound Geddes Road exit ramp.
• The new bridges will span across the entire river with no piers in the waterway.
• The bridge piers on the south bank will be in the same location as the existing piers.

Replacement of the US-23 bridges over the Huron River, high-speed rail line, and the Gallup Park Pathway will result in temporary unavoidable impacts on both the pedestrian and water trail passage directly under the bridges during demolition and construction.

Actions taken to address the unavoidable impact:

• Meetings have been held with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), TheRide, and the Ann Arbor Parks Department regarding avoidance, minimization, and mitigation, including detour options.
• Continue coordination with MDNR and the Ann Arbor Parks Department to evaluate the temporary trail impacts under Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966.
• Public review and comment period: October 9, 2024, through November 5, 2024.

• Temporary access roads from the north, with floating causeways/barges across the river to access the south bank.
• Pathway temporarily rerouted out onto the causeway, bypassing the work area on the south bank.
• Changeable message signs will be placed at decision points along the pathway indicating closure schedules.

Pathway closure is expected to occur between the 2027 and 2029 construction seasons. A flagging operation will be used to control pathway traffic during construction of the temporary stone causeway and temporary path and intermittently for several minutes to several hours daily for the movement of materials, equipment and workers to/from the south bank.

Construction of the tie-ins of the temporary pathway with the existing permanent path, placement of spans for a temporary bridge, demolition of existing bridge span/removal of existing beams, placement of proposed beams and installation of false decking, pouring of the bridge deck, and pouring of the concrete barrier.

MDOT will post closure details on appropriate city websites, as well as on signs at parking areas. In the winter, the pathway will be open either on the temporary route or back on the original route. Water trail access will be restricted during the construction season, while temporary portage will be provided along the temporary path.

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 ^{The aerial image is an example of the Indigenous Arbor design theme.}