LANSING — If you’re heading out on the roads for the holiday weekend, it’s a fair bet you’ll be jockeying for space with a lot of other drivers.
But state highway officials were vowing to suspend lane closures on most road and bridge projects for the Independence Day weekend holiday, meaning drivers may come across fewer traffic slowdowns than they might have expected, at least once they get out of town.
A sign for U.S. 127 on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Lansing.
Lansing-area residents will have to navigate their way around the U.S. 127 work zone and a half-dozen other construction sites in Eaton and Ingham counties where freeway ramps, lanes or entire roads are closed.
With that done, expect relatively smooth sailing.
State officials said they’ve reopened all state parks, boat ramps and state forest campgrounds closed by the devastating ice storm in northern Michigan in late March, although they warned that many areas will look different.
AAA: Number of July 4 travelers at ‘historic’ levels
More than 2.6 million Michiganders were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home during the holiday period, which AAA counts as two weekends this year to account for “extended trips and varied departure schedules.”
That number is nearly 71,000 more than last year. And, as usual, the vast majority will go by car. The 2.4 million people taking road trips would be nearly 60,000 more than 2024. Nearly 96,000 are expected to fly to their destinations, up by more than 1,000 from last year.
The auto club projects about 72.2 million Americans will travel within the country from Saturday, June 28, to Sunday, July 6, up about 2.4% from last year and way higher than in 2019.
“This year, we’re seeing strong demand for road trips, flights, and cruises, especially with the holiday falling on a Friday,” Debbie Haas, AAA’s vice president of travel, said in a news release. “This is allowing travelers to extend their getaways and make lasting memories with loved ones.”
What about the construction traffic situation?
Traffic along the Harrison Road bridge construction site north of Kalamazoo Street on Thursday, June 5, 2025, in East Lansing.
The Michigan Department of Transportation said it will stop work and lift traffic restrictions at 105 of its 174 projects across the state for the July 4 weekend, although some construction traffic configurations will remain.
The barrels will be lifted starting at 3 p.m. Thursday, July 3, and go back up at 6 a.m. Monday, July 7, MDOT said.
Here’s a statewide list of closures.
More than a dozen highway projects are ongoing in Greater Lansing, including the multi-year rebuild of U.S. 127 between Interstates 96 and 496, where current traffic configurations will remain through the weekend.
Along with lane closures between I-96 and M-43, these ramps are closed: Northbound U.S. 127 to westbound I-496; eastbound I-496 to Trowbridge Road; southbound U.S. 127 to Trowbridge Road; Dunckel Road to southbound U.S. 127; and Trowbridge Road to southbound U.S. 127.
In Eaton County, the westbound I-96 ramp to northbound Lansing Road is closed and Billwood Highway remains closed at I-96. The M-99 ramp to eastbound I-96 also is closed, along with one lane of I-96 in each direction between Holt Road and Edgewood Boulevard.
Another closure of note for folks traveling out of town: M-43 is closed at the Red Cedar River in Meridian Township because of a bridge project.
Cheap? Not exactly. But gas prices are lower than last year
Coming into the week of the July 4 weekend, gas prices were falling across the state, averaging about $3.23 for a gallon of regular gas on Tuesday, July 1, AAA said.
That’s a few cents less than the week before and more than 40 cents cheaper than this time last year.
The average price in the Lansing-East Lansing metro area was a tad less than $3.25 a gallon on July 1. Last year at this time, gas was averaging about $3.71 a gallon here, AAA said.
Fuel was selling for a little less in the Flint, Jackson and Grand Rapids areas.
Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on X @KBPalm_lsj
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: July 4 travel forecast: Lots and lots of traffic, some orange barrels