Overview
- Both states announced construction pauses for the long weekend to ease congestion: Wisconsin halted most freeway work at noon Friday and will resume Tuesday morning, and Michigan removed barrels for about 100 of 168 projects from 3 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 26.
- Agencies warned that significant long-term closures, lane shifts, shoulder restrictions and parked equipment will still affect some routes despite the temporary work stoppage.
- AAA projects heavy travel this holiday, prompting Wisconsin to publish peak travel windows for midday and evening hours and Michigan to cite more than 1.3 million residents likely to travel 50 miles or more.
- Officials stressed safety rules for drivers, noting doubled fines in Wisconsin work zones, bans on handheld device use, move-over laws for crews and active enforcement, and urged use of real-time tools such as 511 Wisconsin and MDOT pages for live cams and updates.
- Transportation directors said the short pause is a routine kickoff to the summer travel season that should reduce delays for holiday travelers but drivers should still plan routes and expect post-holiday lane changes and longer-term project work to resume after Tuesday.