New diverging diamond interchange at 8 Mile, Telegraph nearly complete by MDOT

Eight Mile and Telegraph road project nearly complete

Planners with MDOT believe the diverging diamond interchange will make the area safer and faster.

FOX 2 - A major construction project that has snarled traffic in the area of Eight Mile and Telegraph for months, is now nearly complete.

Heading on northbound Telegraph near the Eight Mile overpass Monday afternoon drivers will encountering a diverging diamond interchange.

Drivers will be crossing over into the opposite direction of traffic from where you were traveling - and it just opened there on Monday. It is all part of a $54 million project to renovate Telegraph including bridges and more due to be completed by the end of the year.

It may seem strange, but MDOT says - just follow the rules. You’ll be safe.

"It’s not (crossing over into) oncoming traffic. We stop oncoming traffic. You follow the paving markings and the signs," said Bill Erben, MDOT construction engineer. "You do a chicane, a racing term (for series of tight turns in opposite directions used to slow vehicles and increase safety) underneath the bridge. It’s a Jackie Stewart racing term - or you go left and then you go right."

MDOT already has these DDI‘s on Big Beaver, and I-75 and on 14 Mile and 12 Mile to I-75 and there’s been no problems.

But then there’s social media.

FOX 2: "Here’s someone who writes 'It’s like they’re trying to kill us. I could design this better." What’s your reaction?"

"Well, nobody at MDOT is trying to kill anybody," Erben said. "We're trying to keep people from getting killed. So again, follow the pavement markings, stop at the traffic signals and follow the signs. It will be a safe interchange."