2010 Road Construction

Thought this might be a handy thread for posting about road construction on the way to Cedar Point from all starting locations.

The only one I know that I can add for sure:

if you are coming from North of Detroit @ 9mile on I-75 both North and Southbound directions are down to two lanes. This is finishing construction on the freeway from last years bridge debacle. Back up southbound usually begin at 14 mile during rush hours and 11 mile during non rush hours. Northbounders can expect delays beginning at the Davison during rush hours and just shy of 8 mile during non rush hours.

Should only add about 5-10 minutes to your trip. The service drive does not add any relief, so don't try and get off.. everyone else has the same idea.

If you're heading south from Michigan to the Ohio Turnpike, I suggest getting off 75 onto 280 to get there. There's a bridge replacement project on 75 south of downtown Toledo that can be a big headache at certain times of the day.

Plus getting on the turnpike at 280 instead of 75 saves you 25 cents.

I've never done the 75 to Turnpike way. Construction delays aside, is it quicker than taking 280?

280 to the turnpike is faster than 75 to the turnpike. 75 takes you a little further south and west than the 280 route.

Between mile markers 9 and 16 in michigan (both ways) expect some major traffic depending on the time of your commute to the park.

On southbound you get 2 lanes. It can get tricky and there are plenty of cops.

Northbound is also 2 lanes with an odd split to the right for local traffic getting off and to the left for thru traffic. It technically behaves as one lane and it narrow and should be taken with caution due to the shifts and uneven pavement.

In other words... Northbound is a real pain when you're tired and coming home from a long day at the park.

edit: By the way thats I-75 I'm talking about.

Are there really lots of cops on I75 between exit 47 and the Ohio border? I have never seen one in all my years driving to Cedar Point (only 3 years). Or are you just referring to them being in the construction zone?

I know it odd, but on opening day this year I counted 4 in the construction zone and boy were they busy.

I'll let you know if this is going to be common when I go Saturday.

I don't know about Ohio, but Michigan cops are really trying to earn their keep this year. I'm seeing quite a lot, especially around construction zones (where traffic fines are doubled, not coincidentally).

Not too surprising. I suspect they're trying to earn their paychecks considering the money isn't coming from much of anything else in that state. Not sure if it's common or not, but my friend got nailed for a (disputable) "rolling stop" and they kept his license as ransom until he paid the fine.

No kidding. I got nailed my a state trooper on 75 near 275 in 2006 coming back from Cuyahoga Falls after seeing a concert. I was hauling ass though, it was purely stupidity on my part. He was very nice about it too. However when I asked how the ticket would affect my record back home, he told me it wouldn't. I would just pay it and that would be the end of it. So several weeks later when I got a letter from the Ministry of Transportation telling me that I got 2 demerit points for an "out of province offence" I was quite surprised. Even if the cops are around I tend to drive at an appropriate speed but still make good time. Windsor to Sandusky in 1h 50m is my record, including the border crossing.

@Raplh Wiggum: If you're saying that the officer took his license after the offense, or the court did without suspending the license, then thats illegal. I'm not sure if its federal or state, but its an offense against the law to drive without your license. Its called entrapment.

Now if he got to court, the judges wife busted his chops that morning and he suspended your friends license until he paid the fine, thats different.

@Vince: It varies by municipality. For example, I had an outstanding ticket in Ohio that I never paid. It didn't make a dent on my Michigan license and if I got pulled over in Michigan, it wouldn't have showed up when the officer ran my license, in Ohio or even Indiana though, it would have and I could have been arrested if I was pulled over. Odd huh? The statute of limitations ran out on the ticket. I'm now free and clear.

Yeah, I've always wondered about the legality of confiscating someone's license. Nothing about that seems remotely legal, and I'd flat-out refuse to do so, right up to, but not including getting arrested. I mean, you NEED your license for a lot of things.

I got a traffic ticket in California back in 2000 that I never paid. Two, actually, at the same time. Been pulled over in Michigan several times since, and nothing has ever happened. I'm not sure when the statute runs out on those tickets. Perhaps it already has.

Its probably about as legal as the officer making you pay the fine right then and there.

I actually asked to cop about what would happen if I never paid the ticket. He told me that would be fine, but I should never drive through Michigan again because they would/could put a warrant out for my arrest if I entered the state. I did pay it because it would be an awfully long drive to CP if I had to avoid Michigan.

PrawoJazdy said:
@Raplh Wiggum: If you're saying that the officer took his license after the offense...

That's exactly what happened. Sounded pretty illegal to me too, but his mom is a lawyer so I figured he would have known. Of course, it's likely he didn't mention it to her.

djDaemon said:
I mean, you NEED your license for a lot of things.

Funny thing is I found out about this whole story after asking why the heck he was using his passport as an ID at the bar that night.

7 cops on Friday afternoon heading out of Michigan.

S-E-V-E-N

That ride has never been more boring or long.

That's insane. I've driven to and from Sandusky four times this year and have still have yet to see one. Two trips ago I was south on 75 and spotted a blue Crown Vic in the centre lane so I slowed right down and got in the lane a couple of cars behind it. After a while I noticed everyone was passing it so I sped up a bit to investigate. It was an old man driving an old cop car. He fooled me. I guess that guy is doing the state of Michigan a service by driving that car on the freeways.

I get annoyed by people who purchase old cop cars. I mean, it's better than just throwing a relatively good car away, but still... paint it with stripes or polka dots or something.

I'm far more annoyed by actual cops who drive 5 mph slow, and then all the idiots who are afraid to pass them by going the speed limit.

Just because he's a cop doesn't mean he can pull you over for passing him.

I know several people who have gotten tickets after passing cops at the speed limit when the cop was driving under the limit. There's probably no legal justification for it, but it does happen.