Detroit, MI - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will open a one-mile section of I-96 from Rosa Parks Boulevard to I-94 in southwest Detroit as early as Saturday, Sept. 6, weather permitting.

The I-96 reconstruction project was closed to traffic and originally scheduled to re-open in mid-October 2008, but because of hard work by everyone involved in the project, it was completed early.

"We are pleased to announce the early opening of I-96, an important portion of the Gateway Project," said MDOT Metro Region Engineer Greg Johnson. "We thank everyone in the community and motorists for their patience and understanding. This section of I-96 may re-open as early as Saturday evening, but we expect it to open no later than very early Monday, in time for the morning commute."

As the single-largest construction contract in MDOT's history, the Ambassador Bridge Gateway Project is a $170 million investment in Michigan's infrastructure that will increase capacity and ease traffic at the international Detroit-Windsor border crossing. The project will reconstruct 1.5 miles of I-75, one mile of I-96, 18 ramps and 24 bridges. In addition, MDOT will build a state-of-the-art pedestrian bridge over I-75 and I-96, connecting east and west Mexicantown. The entire project was originally scheduled for completion in late 2009, but MDOT officials expect a fall 2009 reopening.

To learn more about this project, please visit www.michigan.gov/gateway. Real-time traffic information also is available on the Web at www.michigan.gov/drive.