Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is warning drivers about a major freeway pattern change next to the airport. A July 28, 2026 alert from the Wayne County Airport Authority says eastbound I-94 traffic will shift beginning Saturday, August 1, as part of Michigan’s Restore 94 project.
If you are flying out of DTW in early August or any time through mid-2027, the traveler decision is simple: leave earlier, prefer I-275 to Eureka Road when the shift is active, and do not assume your usual eastbound I-94 ramps still work.
- What: Eastbound I-94 traffic shift near DTW under the Restore 94 project.
- When it starts: Saturday, August 1, 2026, from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for the initial shift window.
- Who said it: Wayne County Airport Authority, citing MDOT work east of I-275.
- During the shift: Use I-275 to Eureka Road to reach DTW.
- How long detours last: Selected ramp closures remain through mid-2027 after the shift.
What the airport authority published
According to the July 28, 2026 Wayne County Airport Authority travel alert, customers traveling to or from DTW should plan for possible delays beginning August 1.
The Michigan Department of Transportation will implement a new traffic pattern on eastbound I-94 as part of Restore 94.
On August 1 between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., eastbound I-94 traffic east of I-275 will be shifted into shared westbound lanes.
During that transition, several entrance and exit ramps will temporarily close while crews complete the work. The airport’s plain instruction for that window is to use I-275 to Eureka Road for airport access.
Travelers who still try the old eastbound I-94 approach should allow extra time. The airport specifically flags eastbound I-94 users as the group most likely to lose minutes on the way to curb, garage, or rental return.
| If this is you | Do this |
|---|---|
| Flying DTW on August 1 during the day | Leave earlier and route via I-275 to Eureka Road instead of assuming a normal eastbound I-94 approach. |
| Usually enter from southbound Wayne Road to eastbound I-94 | Plan the posted detour using westbound I-94 to Haggerty Road back to eastbound I-94. |
| Usually enter from southbound Merriman Road to eastbound I-94 | Plan the posted detour using westbound I-94 to Vining Road back to eastbound I-94. |
| Need the eastbound I-94 exit to Ecorse Road | Use eastbound I-94 to southbound US-24, then Ecorse Road. |
| Being dropped off by rideshare or family | Share the I-275 to Eureka path and the mid-2027 ramp list before the driver leaves home. |
Ramps that stay closed after the shift
The airport alert is not only about one Saturday. After the traffic pattern changes, these closures remain in place through mid-2027 according to the same notice:
Southbound Wayne Road ramp to eastbound I-94 closes, with a detour of westbound I-94 to Haggerty Road to eastbound I-94. Southbound Merriman Road ramp to eastbound I-94 closes, with a detour of westbound I-94 to Vining Road to eastbound I-94.
Eastbound I-94 exit to Ecorse Road also closes, with a detour of eastbound I-94 to southbound US-24 to Ecorse Road. Those three items are the durable planning facts for fall and winter trips, not one-day construction noise.
For broader project context beyond the airport page, the authority points travelers to Restore94.com. Treat that site as the construction project surface, and treat the airport alert as the DTW-access surface you should recheck the week you fly.
How this changes a real DTW trip
Airport access is part of the flight day budget. A delayed curb drop or rental-car return can turn a normal domestic connection into a sprint through security.
If you already build a 90-minute buffer for domestic flights and a longer buffer for international, add more time on August 1 and any morning when you still rely on the affected I-94 ramps. Map apps may lag a new barrier wall or temporary signing for the first days after the shift.
Hotel and rental-car drivers should not assume the same freeway exit they used last year. Print or screenshot the detour list for Wayne, Merriman, and Ecorse before you leave the garage, especially if cell coverage is spotty in the work zone.
Travelers connecting from another Michigan city by car, such as Ann Arbor or Toledo-area drivers feeding into I-94, are the highest-risk group for surprise closures. If your mental model of DTW access is “stay on I-94 until the airport signs,” rewrite that model now.
Deep Arrival’s broader planning pages can still help with trip structure, but this story is specifically about the road into the airport, not a change inside the terminal.
- August 1 window: Expect active ramp closures and a temporary traffic shift from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Preferred path that day: I-275 to Eureka Road for DTW access during the shift.
- Through mid-2027: Keep the Wayne, Merriman, and Ecorse detours in your local notes if you drive those ramps regularly.
- Buffer: Add drive time on top of your normal airport security buffer, especially for early outbound flights.
What is confirmed and what to recheck
Confirmed from the airport authority’s July 28 notice: the August 1 start date, the 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. shift window, and the instruction to use I-275 to Eureka Road during the transition.
Also confirmed: the three ramp closures lasting through mid-2027 with named detours.
Still worth rechecking the week you travel: overnight work changes, temporary signing, and any later MDOT updates that alter the mid-2027 horizon. Construction projects can accelerate or slip without rewriting the traveler’s need for a backup route.
Airline schedules are not the issue here. The risk is the ground path to the curb, garage, and rental facilities while Restore 94 rebuilds the eastbound side of I-94 near the airport complex.
If you are meeting a flight or driving someone to a red-eye, share the detour list before departure day. A passenger who only knows the old ramp names can send a rideshare driver into a closed entrance at the worst moment.
How to build the day without missing a flight
Start with the flight time, then reverse-plan the drive. For a 9:00 a.m. domestic departure on August 1, treat the freeway shift as a reason to leave home earlier than your usual weekday DTW run.
If you are parking long term, factor the same I-275 to Eureka path into the return trip when you reclaim the car. A closed ramp that only costs five minutes empty can cost twenty minutes when the airport peak and construction merge.
Travelers combining DTW with southeast Michigan sightseeing should keep the road change separate from destination plans. A stop at River Raisin National Battlefield Park near Monroe still works as a regional day trip, but only after you protect the airport arrival window first.
Airline route news around Detroit remains useful context for who is flying the market, including recent coverage of Frontier nonstops from Detroit later in 2026. None of those schedule stories change the I-94 construction detours described here.
Rental-car customers should confirm which garage or off-airport lot their reservation uses. A lot that sits on the wrong side of a closed ramp can force a longer local loop even when the terminal itself is open and calm.
Finally, save the airport alert URL on your phone. Screenshots of the Wayne, Merriman, and Ecorse detours are easier to share with a rideshare driver than a verbal description of “the usual exit.”
When does the I-94 traffic shift near DTW begin?
The Wayne County Airport Authority says Saturday, August 1, 2026, with the initial shift window from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
What route should drivers use during the shift?
The airport says drivers traveling to DTW during the traffic shift should use I-275 to Eureka Road.
Do the ramp closures end after August 1?
No. The airport lists selected ramp closures that remain in place through mid-2027 after the traffic pattern changes.
Which ramps are called out for longer closures?
Southbound Wayne Road to eastbound I-94, southbound Merriman Road to eastbound I-94, and the eastbound I-94 exit to Ecorse Road, each with a published detour.
Where can I follow the wider construction project?
The airport points travelers to Restore94.com for project information while keeping the metroairport.com alert as the DTW-access summary.
