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I-96 project begins at Cascade Road to create unusual interchange

Posted at 7:38 AM, Aug 12, 2015
and last updated 2015-08-12 07:38:20-04

GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — For years, making a left turn from Cascade Road to I-96 has meant long waits for oncoming traffic to clear. Wednesday, work began on an unusual solution where eastbound and westbound traffic switches sides. It’s called a diverging diamond interchange.

First, the Michigan Department of Transportation will build one of two new bridges that will carry Cascade Road traffic over I-96. To accommodate construction, I-96 traffic will shift eastbound and westbound, but most of the time there will be no lane closures.

In 2016, the old Cascade Road bridge will be demolished and replaced. Eventually, eastbound and westbound traffic on Cascade Road will switch sides at the interchange, which will eliminate the traffic signals at the entrance ramps. (Watch the video for MDOT’s view of the finished interchange.)