Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will remove lane restrictions on nearly 60 percent of its road and bridge projects statewide for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, aiming to ease traffic delays. The temporary lifting of restrictions will begin at 3 p.m. Friday, September 4, 2026, and continue until 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
"This Labor Day weekend, people across Michigan will be traveling to soak up the end of another Pure Michigan summer,” said Governor Whitmer. She added that since taking office, her administration has fixed over 26,500 lane miles of road and almost 2,000 bridges, promising to resume road work on Tuesday.
Out of 156 MDOT projects, 91 will have lane restrictions removed. While most state road work zones will see suspended operations, drivers should be aware that equipment and certain traffic configurations, such as temporary shifts or shoulder closures, may remain in place.
Additionally, the Mackinac Bridge will be closed to public traffic on Labor Day, September 7, from 6:30 a.m. to noon during the Annual Bridge Walk. Southbound I-75 and US-2 traffic will be stopped at Exit 344, and northbound I-75 traffic at Exit 337.
State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich highlighted the progress on roads and bridges, noting that projects continue into November, supported by the Rebuilding Michigan program and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He urged drivers to "slow down, put away those devices and focus on the task at hand" for safety, acknowledging that some work zones will remain active. MDOT manages nearly 10,000 miles of state highways.