Q. What is the purpose of the “Crash Investigation Site” on eastbound I-94 a short distance east of the Jackson entrance ramp? Since there doesn’t seem to be another on the westbound side, how effective is it?
A. Crash investigation sites are established along heavily traveled freeways. These bump-outs provide a safe refuge for vehicles that have been involved in a minor accident, getting them out of the way of freeway traffic while accident reporting is conducted.
Vehicles should be relocated to an investigation site only if safe to drive and only if there have been no injuries.
There aren’t many of these sites in Michigan. MDOT selected this one a couple years ago after a study that included traffic congestion and available land. Another study to improve traffic flow on US-23 north of Ann Arbor is considering adding a couple of these sites.
It is true that this eastbound I-94 site won’t help westbound traffic (except perhaps to reduce gawker slowdowns), but for a modest outlay it is expected to increase safety and reduce congestion.
—
Got a question? Email question@aaobserver.com.
