IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — First, we’re not talking about the so-called “zipper merge.” That’s where drivers approach a lane closure using both lanes right up to the lane closure, then take turns merging into one lane.
We’re looking at a machine that actually moves the concrete barrier in the construction zone, creating a second lane on one side of the highway and eliminating a lane on the other.
It’s called the Road Zipper, and the Michigan Department of Transportation is using it in ongoing construction on I-96 in Ionia County.
West Michigan drivers first saw the Road Zipper in 2018 on US-131 in the Rockford area.
"What this machine does is ... it'll actually pick up the concrete barrier and move it over 12 feet to provide a lane," Tanya Pawlukiewicz of MDOT explained to us in 2018.
So, instead of forcing drivers into one lane in each direction, crews created three lanes through construction, and the Road Zipper was used daily to create two lanes for the side of the highway that was busier, southbound for the morning commute, northbound for the afternoon drive.
You will see a similar set-up on I-96 in Ionia County.
From Saturday evening to Friday morning, eastbound I-96 gets two lanes. Then the Road Zipper goes to work, and by Friday afternoon, westbound I-96 has two lanes and eastbound has just one. The process is reversed Saturday evenings.
Predictably, whichever side of the highway has one lane, a traffic jam develops.
"What this machine does is ... it'll actually pick up the concrete barrier and move it over 12 feet to provide a lane," Tanya Pawlukiewicz of MDOT explained.
MDOT is using not only the specialized Road Zipper machine but also a special concrete barrier equipped with hinges. Each concrete piece is smaller, and they're linked together like a chain.”
Travelers should be aware of the potential for delays depending on the timing of their trips through the eight miles of construction. With two lanes available, drivers may pass through smoothly, or they may encounter congestion as traffic funnels into a single lane.
Keep in mind, the westbound lane squeeze and backup will occur from Saturday night through Friday morning, while the eastbound lane squeeze and backup will happen from Friday morning until Saturday night each week.
One more note: "Don't get distracted by the beautiful zipper machine, because it's a wacky-looking contraption," said MDOT representative John Richard.
This construction project is set to last two years, meaning the work on I-96 in Ionia County will end this November but will resume in 2026.
And the Road Zipper will be doing its thing again.
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