I-496 & US-127 Plans and Lansing River Trail Impact |
The Red Cedar River Will Remain Open and Unimpeded.
by Mike Stout, President and Founder, Michigan Waterways Stewards
There is a rumor that the Red Cedar River will be closed for river use when construction begins on US-127/I-496 bridges
That is not the case. Please review internal correspondence between MDOT and City of Lansing, provided byLansing's Parks and Recreation director Brett Kaschinske,
"The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is in the preliminary design phase of a project in the Lansing area that will include work on the US-127/I-496 bridges over the Lansing River Trail. The work is expected to take place in 2024, 2025, and 2026. In order to safely complete the work over the trail a pedestrian detour is needed. We have been in communication with Andy Kilpatrick from the City on the project as a whole, including the trail detour concept. No impacts to the trail surface are expected. Any accidental damage would be restored to the original condition, or better. Please see the below preliminary files for the proposed trail detour route. The route will be signed.
Public recreational resources are considered important, and they are protected by Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act. Documentation for Section 4(f) is extensive, unless the Official with Jurisdiction over the resource agrees in writing with the assessment of the project.
Our assessment of the recreational impacts of the trail detour shows it to be temporary and minimal, and the detour will not affect the overall use, features, or activities of the trail as a whole.
Feel free to give me a call or email if you have any questions or concerns. Otherwise, an email back from you stating you approve of the above noted recreational impact assessment is sufficient documentation for MDOT to move forward in our environmental review process and design. "
That is not the case. Please review internal correspondence between MDOT and City of Lansing, provided byLansing's Parks and Recreation director Brett Kaschinske,
"The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is in the preliminary design phase of a project in the Lansing area that will include work on the US-127/I-496 bridges over the Lansing River Trail. The work is expected to take place in 2024, 2025, and 2026. In order to safely complete the work over the trail a pedestrian detour is needed. We have been in communication with Andy Kilpatrick from the City on the project as a whole, including the trail detour concept. No impacts to the trail surface are expected. Any accidental damage would be restored to the original condition, or better. Please see the below preliminary files for the proposed trail detour route. The route will be signed.
- 2024 construction season: 2-3 months of trail closure (proposed detour and signage as shown in the 210069 PDF file)
- 2025 construction season: 5-6 months of trail closure (proposed detour and signage as shown in the 208841 PDF file)
- 2026 construction season: 6-7 months of trail closure (proposed detour and signage as shown in the 208841 PDF file)
Public recreational resources are considered important, and they are protected by Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act. Documentation for Section 4(f) is extensive, unless the Official with Jurisdiction over the resource agrees in writing with the assessment of the project.
Our assessment of the recreational impacts of the trail detour shows it to be temporary and minimal, and the detour will not affect the overall use, features, or activities of the trail as a whole.
Feel free to give me a call or email if you have any questions or concerns. Otherwise, an email back from you stating you approve of the above noted recreational impact assessment is sufficient documentation for MDOT to move forward in our environmental review process and design. "
2024 Construction Season: I-496 |
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2025 & 2026 Construction Season: U.S. 127 |
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