Breaking down the state’s plans to rebuild infrastructure around Marshall as Ford’s BlueOval Battery Park Michigan aims to begin production this year
By: Nick J. Buckley, Lucy Hough/For Black Squirrel News
MARSHALL, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is leading the Marshall Modernization Project, a multiyear, roughly $335 million effort to improve roads and interchanges in Calhoun County.
This investment in local roads supports the development of the Marshall Area Jobs, Opportunity and Recreation Campus — an industrial area being developed on 2,000 acres west of Marshall’s downtown. Ford’s BlueOval Battery Park Michigan sits on 500 acres within the MAJOR Campus. These road updates are intended to improve daily travel patterns around the MAJOR Campus into the future.
Current project scope
MDOT is improving:
- Roadways: M-96 (Michigan Avenue), I-94 and I-69.
- Interchanges: I-69/M-96, I-69/I-94, and I-94/M-311.
Work in these areas includes lane widening, bridge replacements, new traffic signals, overhead sign structures, lighting towers and retention pond grading. Accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists are also part of the upgrades.
The interchange at I-69 and M-96 (Michigan Avenue) will have a diverging diamond. This change is already complete at I-69 and M-96. The interchange at I-94 and M-311 (11 Mile Road) will be reconstructed as part of Phase 3, which began in 2026.
Why a diverging diamond interchange?
MDOT says the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) shifts traffic to the left side of the roadway at the interstate crossing, eliminating traditional left turns. The design improves traffic flow, increases safety for drivers and pedestrians, and is built to handle the full MAJOR Campus build-out. For a visual explanation, watch the MDOT video.
Timeline
The project began planning in 2023, and Phases 1 and 2 were essentially complete at the end of 2025, including the rebuilt road east of BlueOval Battery Park Michigan and the installation of the DDI at I-69 and M-96 (Michigan Avenue).
Phase 3 is underway. On March 2, MDOT closed the M-96 (Michigan Avenue) bridge over I-94, which will remain closed until Sunday, Aug. 30. Traffic will be detoured on Wheatfield Parkway and M-311 (11 Mile Road).
To allow for the demolition of this bridge, I-94 was also closed March 6-8 from M-311 (11 Mile Road). Numerous other areas were closed to account for this detour, including eastbound Columbia Avenue from Riverside Drive to I-194, access to Columbia or I-94 eastbound from Beadle Lake Road, and multiple I-94/I-194 interchange ramps.
Work on this project into 2026 will also include rebuilding I-94 between F Drive North and Ackerson Drive and rebuilding M-96 (Michigan Avenue) as a boulevard between Wheatfield Parkway and M-311 (11 Mile Road).
In 2027, MDOT intends to build a new M-311 (11 Mile Road) bridge over I-94, complete this interchange reconstruction and complete the conversion of M-96 (Michigan Avenue) into a boulevard from M-311 to Eden Street.
Who is affected
Drivers, commuters and local businesses are adjusting to new traffic patterns. As construction shifts to M-311 (11 Mile Road), drivers will face a detour on M-96 (Michigan Avenue) through August 2026.
The reconstruction of the interchange at M-311 (11 Mile Road) and I-94 will also lead to significant changes to traffic patterns.
MDOT says advance notifications will be provided and emergency access will be maintained throughout construction.
Where to get MDOT updates
How we reported this: This article was based on public documents from the Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Marshall. Links to those source materials are provided above for readers who want to explore further.
Photo by Lucy Hough.
Edited March 22, 2026 to reflect that the interchange at M-311 (11 Mile Rd) and I-94 is being reconstructed, but not necessarily to a diverging diamond, per a reader comment and a review of the latest information from MDOT.
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