News and announcements related to transportation
SERVICE ALERT: Dial-A-Ride Transportation (DART) will remove bike racks from its vehicles on November 1 as the fleet prepares for winter. Bike racks will be reinstalled and available for use in spring 2026.
For more information on DART, please visit www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/dart.
The City of Midland is partnering with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) on the reconstruction of the US-10 Business Route commonly known as the Indian and Buttles Corridor Improvement Project. This project presents a transformative opportunity to enhance one of our community’s most prominent gateways.
Tune in to the latest episode of the Word on the Streets podcast for an in-depth conversation with MDOT Project & Contracts Engineer John Kelley and Construction Engineer Shaun Bates about what’s coming and how it will impact travel in Midland. Here’s a quick look at what to expect over the next few years:
2025: Buttles Street Utility Burial
• In August 2025, MDOT began burying overhead utilities along the south side of Buttles Street from Jerome to State Street.
• This work will prepare the corridor for future street improvements planned in 2027.
• Sidewalk access: South side sidewalks will be temporarily removed during this phase, but the north side sidewalks will remain open.
• The south side 10-foot pathway will be built in 2027.
2026: Indian & Jerome Street Improvements
During this phase, Indian Street traffic will temporarily shift to Buttles/Lyons, which will operate as a two-way street with a center left-turn lane between Jerome and Washington.
• Indian Street (Jerome → Mill): Mill and resurface while keeping the current three-lane format. Add new street lighting, mast-arm traffic signals, and street trees.
• Indian/Patrick (Mill → Washington): Full reconstruction with new utility upgrades (water main and storm sewer), existing lighting relocated to inside of the curve, new mast-arm traffic signals, and new/more street trees.
• Jerome Street (Main → Indian): Street reconstruction, mast arm traffic signals, new street lighting, and crosswalk upgrades.
2027: Buttles Street Improvements
Once Indian is complete, traffic will shift to Indian/Patrick, which will operate as a two-way street with a center turn lane from Jerome to Washington.
• Buttles (Jerome → State): Mill and resurface, modified from current three lanes to two lanes with right-turn lanes at Ashman and Cronkright. Addition of a 10-foot-wide pathway along the south side, new lighting, new mast-arm traffic signals, and new/additional street trees.
• Buttles/Lyons (State → Washington): Maintain three-lane format but undergo a full reconstruction with new mast-arm traffic signals, and new/additional street trees. Utility upgrades will include new water main and storm sewer installations.
Receive the latest information on these projects by:
• Sign up for MDOT Bay Region News Release Emails for ongoing project updates here: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/midot/subscriber/new.
• Watch for a spring 2026 MDOT open house before major construction begins.
• For timeline, background and history on the project, visit cityofmidlandmi.gov/corridors.
Want to stay in the loop on what’s happening on city streets each day? The City of Midland’s Construction Daily Updates offer a quick, easy way to see what crews are working on, what’s wrapping up, and what’s next on the schedule. From street repairs and utility work to major improvement projects, you’ll get a fresh snapshot of progress, updated daily.
These updates make it simple to follow along as Midland keeps building, fixing, and improving. Check in often to see how today’s work is shaping tomorrow’s smoother travels!
Curious about how this year’s road projects are shaping up? The Midland County Road Commission’s 2025 Construction Dashboard is your go-to spot for tracking progress across the county. From fresh pavement to completed safety upgrades, you can explore what’s finished, what’s underway, and what’s coming up next—all in one easy, interactive place.
Whether you’re keeping an eye on your commute or just love seeing improvements take shape, this dashboard makes it simple (and even fun!) to follow along. Take a look and see how 2025’s construction season is moving Midland County forward!
LANSING, Mich. - Most roadside parks operated by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be closed for the season on Friday, Oct. 31.
Three parks will be closing early for the season on Monday, Oct. 20, to begin bathroom building upgrades:
White Cloud Roadside Park on M-37 in Newaygo County.
Chase Roadside Park on US-10 in Lake County.
Baldwin Roadside Park on US-10 in Lake County.
Some parks will remain open until later this fall.
Closing Friday, Nov. 28:
Brown Roadside Park on M-25 in Huron County.
Closing Saturday, Nov. 29:
White River Roadside Park on M-20 in Newaygo County.
High Rollway Park Roadside Park on M-82 in Newaygo County.
Closing Monday, Dec. 1:
Manistee River Roadside Park near Manton on US-131 in Wexford County.
Parks remaining open year-round:
White Rock Roadside Park on M-25 in Sanilac County.
Cass River Roadside Park on M-46 in Tuscola County.
Artesian Flow Roadside Park on M-140 near Watervliet in Berrien County.
MDOT maintains 82 roadside parks around the state, with nearly all of them closing annually in late October and reopening in late April. A map of all MDOT roadside parks is available on MDOT's website.
Oct. 19-25, 2025
National Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 19-25, 2025) is dedicated to raising awareness and seeking solutions to prevent teen injuries and deaths on the road. This grassroots movement has brought millions of teens, parents, schools, law enforcement, advocates, and policymakers from across the country together to tackle a leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. – car crashes.
From seeking change on the local level with a seat belt check or safe driving pledge wall to meeting with elected officials, teens and others are using National Teen Driver Safety Week as a platform to create positive change.
Inexperience, risk-taking behavior, and immaturity are all factors that increase the crash risk for young drivers. National Teen Driver Safety Week is an opportunity for parents and guardians to have conversations with teens about safe-driving habits. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) and its traffic safety partners created the Teen Driving Parental Toolkit to help talk to teens about driving safely.
The toolkit provides useful information and resources that parents and guardians can utilize to help teach their teens safe-driving habits. The kit includes information on driving safely in poor weather, such as fog, rain, ice, and snow; handling special weather hazards, including flooding, snowplows, and black ice; teen defensive driver programs; resources for parents; and more.
Get the conversation started about safe driving behaviors during National Teen Driver Safety Week in your community, school, or workplace. Additional information on teen driver safety can be found on the OHSP’s website.
SAGINAW, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) reopened all lanes of northbound I-75 on the Zilwaukee Bridge in Saginaw County on Tuesday, Oct. 14, after early completion of preventive maintenance.
Drivers should expect intermittent lane, shoulder and ramp closures throughout the project area during the morning into early afternoon hours as crews remove barricades and install new pavement markings.
Law enforcement will assist with traffic control. Motorists should expect delays. This work is weather-dependent.
This work was done as part of a $2.9 million investment in preventive maintenance on the Zilwaukee Bridge, which included expansion joint repair, deck patching and resealing. Work on the southbound side of the Zilwaukee Bridge was completed in June as a part of this project. This maintenance was necessary to improve and extend the service life of the structure.
MT. PLEASANT, Mich. - On Monday, Oct. 13, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) reopened the M-30 bridge over US-10 in Sanford.
M-30 was closed at US-10 as a part of a $7.3 million project to improve the structure. The new bridge will provide drivers with a safer, reliable structure. The bridge now includes a 14-foot-wide separated nonmotorized path on the west side of the structure for future pathway connections.
Intermittent lane and shoulder closures will be possible on M-30 and US-10 as crews finish remaining work.
Project completion was delayed by complications with previously set bridge beams. Beams that were set in May showed signs of cracking. Out of an abundance of caution, crews promptly removed the beams and replacements were obtained. New beams were secured and installed in August.
