The current stretch of US-127 construction between I-69 and Lake Lansing Road should be finished by the end of November, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) said. But a larger phase with more road and bridge closures is next.

MDOT Assistant Construction Engineer Brendan Ryder told WILX on Wednesday, Sept. 30 that the project is in Phase 2 of three. Phase 3, covering US-127 from I-496 north to Lake Lansing Road, is set to begin in spring 2027 and run through 2029.

That next phase carries a price tag of about $150 million and will run through a heavily traveled stretch of the corridor, according to WKAR. The work includes replacing two bridges over the Red Cedar River and replacing bridge decks at Saginaw Highway and Grand River Avenue.

Crews will also rehabilitate structures near Kalamazoo Street, Vine Street, Sellers Avenue and Michigan Avenue.

"There's a lot more bridge work in the section. We're doing a couple of bridge replacements," Ryder said.

In a Sept. 28 interview with WKAR, Ryder warned that drivers near Frandor should expect ramp closures, road closures and bridge closures on the highway and local streets during Phase 3.

Ryder said the work is overdue. "I think anyone who drives in Mid-Michigan knows that 127 is a pretty bad stretch, and it needed a lot of work," he told WILX. He added that once the project wraps up, there will be no more potholes on the corridor.

The overall US-127 corridor improvement stretches from the Ingham/Jackson county line north to the I-69 interchange. Federal Highway Administration Chief Administrator Sean McMaster said during an Aug. 27 tour, reported by WILX, that the full project will cost "a little bit north of $400 million all in," with roughly a third coming from federal assistance.

McMaster said the corridor is about 50 years old and had reached the end of its life cycle. The project is part of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Rebuilding Michigan program, according to MDOT's project page.

The city of Lansing is adjusting its own road schedule around the MDOT work. Lansing Public Service Director Andy Kilpatrick said at a Sept. 10 press conference, reported by WILX, that the city is trying to finish Kalamazoo Street work from Pennsylvania Avenue to Mifflin Avenue before MDOT's Phase 3 construction begins.

Drivers can check current closures and detour routes on MDOT’s Mi Drive map