Skip to main content

The flex lanes of US Route 23 between Ann Arbor and Brighton


The flex lane corridor of US Route 23 in Michigan exists on the freeway segment between Ann Arbor and Brighton.  The flex lanes serve as an experimental temporary third lane only during commute hours.  The lanes are intended to mitigate the numerous safety issues the freeway segment is associated with.  The initial flex lanes opened between Ann Arbor and Whitmore Lake in 2017.  Construction broke ground on a corridor extension north to Brighton in 2023.



Part 1; the history of the US Route 23 flex lanes between Ann Arbor and Brighton

The US Route 23 freeway corridor between Ann Arbor and Whitmore Lake was completed during 1957.  The corridor was expanded north to Interstate 96 in Brighton by 1960.  Despite being over sixty years old the freeway between Ann Arbor and Brighton has seen little expansion but has had an increasing number of commuters use it.  This has led to safety and congestion issues which have been only worsening with time.  

During November 2016 a $92,000,000 improvement project between Ann Arbor and Whitmore Lake began.  The improvements consisted of reconstructing the antiquated freeway ramps and adding part-time interior shoulder flex lanes.   The project zone was completed, and the flex lanes made functional during November 2017.  The flex lanes were opened to commuter traffic during the hours of 6 AM-9 AM and 4 PM-7 PM Monday-Friday.

An extension of the US Route 23 flex lanes north of M-36 in Whitmore Lake to Interstate 96 in Brighton was announced during July 2020.  The flex lane extension north to Interstate 96 was priced an estimated $150,000,000 and also include the reconstruction of numerous antiquated freeway ramps.  The corridor would break ground during 2023 and is ongoing as of the publishing of this blog.  



Part 2; scenes along the flex lanes of US Route 23 between Ann Arbor and Whitmore Lake

Below northbound US Route 23 can be seen approaching Site 46N in the Ann Arbor-Whitmore Lake flex lane corridor.  Site 46N denotes a crash investigation site at Mile Marker 46 north of Warren Road.  Motorists can use these crash sites to pull off the travel lanes of US Route 23 after minor accidents.  


Below an overhead Variable Message Sign announces the current status of the flex lanes.  Overhead gantries also display the lane status along with variable speed limits for the general use lanes based on the traffic conditions.


The US Route 23 connector ramp to M-36 is currently closed so it can be reconstructed.  


US Route 23 north of M-36 can be seen split partially to the grade of the southbound lanes to aid in the flex lane expansion to Interstate 96.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80.   This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail.  Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range.  The first documented wagon crossi...

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River.  Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207.   Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road.   The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939.   Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune .  Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903.  The postal name was sourced...