Michigan Avenue is shut down at the Verlinden Avenue intersection after the City of Lansing's Public Service Department began an emergency sewer repair on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

The closure is expected to last until approximately 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, according to a city traffic advisory also posted on the department's X account. The city has not disclosed what caused the emergency or the extent of the damage.

The repair affects a busy stretch of Michigan Avenue in the Westside neighborhood near J.W. Sexton High School, Saint Joseph Park and Montessori Children's House. Drivers dropping off students or visiting those areas should plan extra time.

During the closure, southbound Verlinden Avenue traffic can only turn westbound onto Michigan Avenue. Through traffic in both directions must follow posted detours.

Eastbound detour: South on Clare Street, east on Malcolm X Street, north on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard back to Michigan Avenue.

Westbound detour: South on Jenison Avenue, west on St. Joseph Street, north on Clare Street back to Michigan Avenue.

The advisory was issued under Mayor Andy Schor's administration. No Public Service Department spokesperson has been named in the announcement.

Separate project starts next week

The Verlinden emergency repair is unrelated to a larger combined sewer overflow construction project on Kalamazoo Street between Walnut and Pine streets. That project is scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 17, and run through Saturday, Oct. 31. Drivers who use both corridors should expect overlapping disruptions starting next week.

Residents with questions about the Michigan Avenue closure can contact the Public Service Department at (517) 483-4456.