
Are You Obligated To Follow Official Detours When Road Construction Strikes Michigan?
Road construction is a fact of life, particularly in the summer months across Michigan that become road work season. In many of those construction zones, the road is closed fully and drivers are forced to take a detour. So the question is, must you take the official routed detour? Do states like Michigan have laws on the books that would force drivers to take those routes?
The question came up recently on a Facebook group dedicated to road and driving.
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Is it illegal in any state to use a detour, other than the officially posted one?
I know, for example, that PennDOT can only send motorists onto roads it maintains (and even then, not just any PennDOT road), supposedly because of concerns over increased wear and tear. Also, I know that in NJ, it's illegal to use private property to "avoid a traffic sign or signal."
There's an interesting point raised in the question. Many state Departments of Transportation will use signed highways as the official detours, presumably since the roads are built to certain standards like those to accommodate weights of heavy trucks. Using state routes may mean a much longer detour route than using local roads.
There appears there is no restrictions on what routes you much take if you're forced into a detour. However, if you're unfamiliar with the local roads, you may end up a bit lost and disoriented, unless of course, your GPS guides you well.
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Gallery Credit: Lauren Gordon
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