Rant: Senseless traffic lane closures !

**darwinism** · October-09-10, 01:21 PM

What a way to ruin a terrific evening .....

How many of you have encountered an unexpected traffic backup on our expressways that makes absolutely no sense at all? No visible heavy machinery? No accidents? Just orange barrels and orange cones taking 4-lanes down to 1.

Such was the case Friday night 10/8/2010, on Southbound I-75 from Baldwin[[Great Lakes Crossing) all the way to Crooks Road.

We were just enjoying a nice pre-season victory when the Pistons beat the Bucks at the Palace, but our positive mood was short-lived. Practically bumper-to-bumper, inching along for hours. Not too many ways to waste a beautiful night away.

Modern Mass Rapid Transit, PLEASE, make it happen, SOON !

**gazhekwe** · October-09-10, 01:24 PM

We ran into a similar slowdown east of Kensington on 696. Drives you crazy especially when you have been hotfootin' it to get home by suppertime. Still, it was beautiful weather.

**chitaku** · October-09-10, 01:39 PM

75 has been like that for a while now, We own a restaurant up there and our employees that live south have to take Telegraph or Woodward home.

**dtowncitylover** · October-09-10, 01:53 PM

Got onto southbound 75 yesterday at Adams at rush hour. It was pretty thick from there at Adams, and more likely than not from M-59, all the way to Big Beaver where I got off, and more than likely not it was busy from 12 Mile. It was really incredible. SB traffic was heavy by Long Lake, but that was due to an accident at Big Beaver, it then speed up for 1500 ft then it was slow just past the Big Beaver curve. What a day for 75 traffic that was.

Bearinabox · October-09-10, 01:57 PM

Did you think about trying to find an alternate route? If it took you "hours" to get from Baldwin to Crooks, almost any route probably would have been faster. Try Baldwin into downtown Pontiac, jog to SB Woodward, and then take 16 Mile or 696 back to 75. Carry a map in your car if you don't know your way around.

**Goose** · October-09-10, 02:05 PM

why would anyone want to live way out there....

**lalynch** · October-09-10, 02:26 PM

Darwinism, you sound just like my husband!! This has been his same complaint. He thinks that they should just remove the orange barrels, if no work is going on, and open up those lanes. He says Florida does it this way. I just keep my mouth shut and ignore him when he rants like this because I doubt that MDOT would pay a road construction company to remove orange barrels and then put them out again, LOL.

**313WX** · October-09-10, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by darwinism

What a way to ruin a terrific evening .....

How many of you have encountered an unexpected traffic backup on our expressways that makes absolutely no sense at all? No visible heavy machinery? No accidents? Just orange barrels and orange cones taking 4-lanes down to 1.

Such was the case Friday night 10/8/2010, on Southbound I-75 from Baldwin[[Great Lakes Crossing) all the way to Crooks Road.

We were just enjoying a nice pre-season victory when the Pistons beat the Bucks at the Palace, but our positive mood was short-lived. Practically bumper-to-bumper, inching along for hours. Not too many ways to waste a beautiful night away.

Modern Mass Rapid Transit, PLEASE, make it happen, SOON !

That wouldn't have happened if the Pistons were in downtown Detroit.

Could have found another route and been on your merry way.

**darwinism** · October-09-10, 05:28 PM

I am familiar with the routes in that area, but when something like that happens, it takes a long wait until the next exit to get off. And sometimes, the exits are chocked up as well.

Having the Pistons play in downtown Detroit isn't going to solve the problem, especially when more than 1 team plays on the same night. All the "spokes" will be chocked up, including the expressways.

The only reasonable and intelligent solution is a solid rapid transit system to move folks out of the core area.

lilpup · October-09-10, 06:08 PM

couldn't have been much of an evening if this is all it took to ruin it

**darwinism** · October-09-10, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by lilpup

couldn't have been much of an evening if this is all it took to ruin it

How was your Friday night, lilpup? And please tell the truth this time, will ya'.

lilpup · October-09-10, 09:35 PM

My Friday night was fine - off work at 6 p.m., ate dinner then slept until about 11:00, played a little on the computer and Wii, out to the second job around 12:30 a.m. - beautiful clear night sky with a lot of stars - finished there no problems around 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning. I do admit the late sunrises aren't as pleasant as the early ones in the summer months, but that will change when the clocks do.

btw I always tell the truth as I see it

**JBMcB** · October-09-10, 10:05 PM

I've yet to see any indication that MDOT is a competent organization. They'll close every major road going in one direction over a weekend, making cross-town travel impossible. They'll close a freeway and start road construction on the most viable alternate route at the same time. Even they know it's hopeless - instead of posting a detour they'll just say "alternate route advised."

They botched the I94/I75 bridge restructuring so badly they had to work on it an extra year to fix the surface [[I'm not talking about the tanker fire, either.) While that project was going on they would regularly close the Woodward exit so they could park work vehicles on the ramp - only to close the Woodward exit after they were finished so they could repave it. That went on for four years.

The Mound ramps to 696 they just re-opened drive like the cement is already a decade old.

I just can't find any rhyme or reason to anything they do. They repave roads that are in relatively good shape, leaving a terribly crumbling stretch alone only a half mile away. It's infuriating.

**manualshift** · October-10-10, 02:22 AM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

I've yet to see any indication that MDOT is a competent organization. They'll close every major road going in one direction over a weekend, making cross-town travel impossible. They'll close a freeway and start road construction on the most viable alternate route at the same time. Even they know it's hopeless - instead of posting a detour they'll just say "alternate route advised."

They botched the I94/I75 bridge restructuring so badly they had to work on it an extra year to fix the surface [[I'm not talking about the tanker fire, either.) While that project was going on they would regularly close the Woodward exit so they could park work vehicles on the ramp - only to close the Woodward exit after they were finished so they could repave it. That went on for four years.

The Mound ramps to 696 they just re-opened drive like the cement is already a decade old.

I just can't find any rhyme or reason to anything they do. They repave roads that are in relatively good shape, leaving a terribly crumbling stretch alone only a half mile away. It's infuriating.

Exactly.

I also love the complete lack of notice of road work. I pass an exit and all of a sudden I am trapped in some crazy traffic jam. Please give me notice so I can get off the freeway.

**jackie5275** · October-10-10, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

I've yet to see any indication that MDOT is a competent organization. They'll close every major road going in one direction over a weekend, making cross-town travel impossible. They'll close a freeway and start road construction on the most viable alternate route at the same time. Even they know it's hopeless - instead of posting a detour they'll just say "alternate route advised."

I just can't find any rhyme or reason to anything they do. They repave roads that are in relatively good shape, leaving a terribly crumbling stretch alone only a half mile away. It's infuriating.

I'm particularly infuriated over the job they've been doing on Southfield between 94 & 75 which they started over a year ago. My daily commute hits the part between 94 & Allen Rd. This is the part they dug up first which made me have to change my commute. This is the part on which they're still working. The section between Allen & 75 has been done for about 6 weeks. I know the project is supposed to end in November. I can see they will stretch it out all the way to the 30th for the contractor to get the full contract amount. However, this is just stupidity because there were several stretches of 5-6 weeks when nothing was being done on it. It's as if they built extra time into the length of the project in order for the contractor to do other jobs. If this had been worked on consistently, it would've been done by now.

**jackie5275** · October-10-10, 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

I've yet to see any indication that MDOT is a competent organization. They'll close every major road going in one direction over a weekend, making cross-town travel impossible. They'll close a freeway and start road construction on the most viable alternate route at the same time. Even they know it's hopeless - instead of posting a detour they'll just say "alternate route advised."

Reminds me of one day last month when I was trying to get to downtown from Dearborn. I heard on the radio 94 was extra jammed up with the "let's replace the lights between 96 & 75" project. I had thought about going down Southfield to pick up 75 from there, but decided against it with the construction on those 2 roads. I got on 94 at Southfield. It started being jammed up at Oakwood. I exited at Michigan thinking I could take that. Michigan was jammed up from Wyoming into downtown because of it being taken down to one lane at Clark. OMG what a commute that morning.

LodgeDodger · October-10-10, 07:39 AM

My irritation stems from people who don't know how [[or won't) merge when a lane closure is happening. Yes please, zoom to the very end and then try to wedge yourself into the remaining lane.

What people don't realize [[or care) is that if everyone were to play nice, the traffic backup wouldn't be so long or lengthy.

**English** · October-10-10, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by LodgeDodger

My irritation stems from people who don't know how [[or won't) merge when a lane closure is happening. Yes please, zoom to the very end and then try to wedge yourself into the remaining lane.

What people don't realize [[or care) is that if everyone were to play nice, the traffic backup wouldn't be so long or lengthy.

It never occurred to me that anyone would do this until I visited a friend in Florida several years ago. "This is how you get through construction quickly -- drive in the lane that will be closed untiil the very end, then they HAVE to let you over." I was raised absolutely NOT to do this. so I was appalled.

I must admit that occasionally I've been in this boat, but only if/when I am driving distracted or there isn't adequate warning to get over. That's actually been the case in some spots in Wayne and Washtenaw County this fall -- the Telegraph horror... I mean, construction signage is particularly bad about this. You don't realize the lane is closing at some points until you see the orange barrels or cones invading the lane.

As for MDOT, my guess is they're trying to take care of their people in a lean economy and are stretched thin thanks to the stimulus funds for roads. I can't wait until construction season ends

**MCP-001** · October-10-10, 09:05 AM

People who pull that stunt with me have a problem when I match their speed and don't give them a chance to get in.

If several big honking flashing arrows and an empty lane isn't a dead enough of a giveaway, parking in that lane waiting for some yutz to let them in usually does the trick.

**canuck** · October-10-10, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by LodgeDodger

My irritation stems from people who don't know how [[or won't) merge when a lane closure is happening. Yes please, zoom to the very end and then try to wedge yourself into the remaining lane.

What people don't realize [[or care) is that if everyone were to play nice, the traffic backup wouldn't be so long or lengthy.

Yes, I feel the same way about this, and even without construction, on a normal stretch of highway, if everybody goes full speed at rush hour to a sector that potentially turns into a bottleneck; then it inevitably does.

EastSider · October-10-10, 09:34 AM

Getting over too soon causes increased backups. There's absolutely no rational reason to forego a perfectly usable length of lane just to "get over early."

In the 696/94 work this summer, the right lane would back up more than two miles before the construction, and the left lanes would be wide open.

The best practice is for the drivers to cooperate [[ha!) and come together at the merge point like teeth in a zipper.

Various states, including Minnesota, have expended a lot of effort trying to get drivers to understand the concept, but we may as well try to teach quantum mechanics to 2nd graders.

http://www.thedeets.com/2009/08/16/z...ension-issues/

http://wcco.com/goodquestion/right.w...2.1686209.html

**English** · October-10-10, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by EastSider

Getting over too soon causes increased backups. There's absolutely no rational reason to forego a perfectly usable length of lane just to "get over early."

That's what she said. [[Hats off to "The Office"!) Her point was that it's faster to get through if you just use the lane until it's unusable, and it's better for traffic. But I was raised to believe this is incredibly rude. Perhaps it's a Midwestern "nice" thing?

**gazhekwe** · October-10-10, 10:04 AM

Then you have the self appointed "police" people. They get in the lane that will close in two miles and slow down to match the slowest traffic in the other lane. They hang there, preventing anyone from using the open lane. Those are the longest and slowest backups ever.

**Detroitnerd** · October-10-10, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

Then you have the self appointed "police" people. They get in the lane that will close in two miles and slow down to match the slowest traffic in the other lane. They hang there, preventing anyone from using the open lane. Those are the longest and slowest backups ever.

Nope, it's just that all the dickheads don't get to take cuts. Sorry if I've offended you, but the people who do the right thing and get over early deserve a break... What did you think all those arrows were for? Just to warn you that you have to merge a mile down the road?