The major I-96 highway construction project west of Detroit was delayed because of the extended winter.
Now the Detroit News reports that the project is back on schedule and should finish on-time in October. The “countdown” clock on the I-96 Fix webpage shows a completion date of October 31, 2014.
The $148 million project to rebuild the roadway also includes bridge repair and replacement work.
According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, the shutdown has forced an estimated 140,000 drivers to seek alternate routes, such as I-94, I-696 or the Lodge Freeway.
From the Detroit News:
“We’re making good progress, and I’d say we’re right on schedule,” said Joe Goodall, project manager for Dan’s Excavating, one of the major companies involved in rebuilding I-96 — which was first built in 1970.
The companies working on the project have some incentive to finish on time. The News reports that if contractors finish ahead of schedule, "they receive a $150,000-per-day bonus with a cap of five days." And if they don't finish on time, "they are penalized $150,000 a day with no cap."
