M-53 closure could last up to three months

A portion of the M-53 freeway in Sterling Heights that closed Monday will be shutdown for up to three months this summer for road and bridge work.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) says the $16 million project will impact traffic in several locations of Macomb County.

According to MDOT, the roadwork includes:

M-53, also known as the Van Dyke freeway, will be resurfaced between 18 Mile Road and M-59 (Hall Road), along with concrete repairs, sidewalk and guardrail repairs, and repairs to 10 bridges. The Clinton River bridge deck will be replaced, plus surface coating and substructure repairs. This work will close M-53 and Clinton River Road.

The ramps at the M-53/23 Mile Road interchange will be resurfaced, with intermittent nightly ramp closures for resurfacing.

Starting in early March, the southbound lanes of M-53 will be closed from

M-59 to 18 Mile. Traffic will be detoured for approximately three months to complete the road and bridge work.

The detour for southbound M-53 will be westbound M-59 to southbound Mound Road, then eastbound 18 Mile to southbound M-53.

Once the southbound work is completed, the northbound side of M-53 will be closed from 18 Mile to M-59 for about three months to complete that side’s road and bridge work.

Motorists who use northbound M-53 will be detoured via westbound 18 Mile to northbound Mound Road, eastbound Dobry Drive (service drive), and eastbound M-59 to northbound M-53.

According to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), the average daily traffic count for that section of southbound M-53 is about 22,500. About 33,300 drivers use the northbound side, figures show.

Drivers should expect local road closures at M-53 at various times during the project, according to MDOT.