Detroit, MI

MDOT plans to finish diverging diamond interchange at Telegraph/8 Mile Rd. by late fall

Published

2 years ago

July 8, 2024

MDOT plans to finish diverging diamond interchange at Telegraph/8 Mile Rd. by late fall

Starting later this year, motorists on Telegraph Road will notice that as they pass beneath Eight Mile, they’ll be routed to the left side of the roadway before returning to the right side.

This layout is called a diverging diamond interchange. The Michigan Department of Transportation built a series of these interchanges underneath key points on Interstate 75 in Oakland County between 2015 and 2023. And now it’s constructing one on Telegraph (U.S. 24) at the border of Detroit and Southfield.

This $54 million project also involves replacing the pavement on Telegraph between just south of Grand River and just north of Eight Mile, said Bill Erben, the MDOT construction manager overseeing the project. The construction work began in February 2023 and is expected to end in the late fall.

Erben said the pavement on this section of Telegraph and in the Telegraph/Eight Mile interchange was “falling apart” and needed to be reconstructed. They also decided to update the interchange itself. The existing one has free-flowing ramps that allow motorists to get from Telegraph to Eight Mile or vice versa. But because the ramps are “so short,” he said, the driver must pause at a stop or yield sign at the end of the ramp before continuing onto the road.

“We could have just rebuilt the old interchange back to the old, outdated standard,” he said. “We had to upgrade it to a current design standard.”

The new layout, a diverging diamond interchange, is a kind of interchange that temporarily shifts traffic to the oppose side of the road before returning it to the right side. This allow motorists to make free-flowing left turns onto an interstate or main road. Traffic signals control the flow of traffic in these interchanges. Erben said diverging diamonds prevent people from turning left in front of traffic.

In Oakland County, the state built these kind of interchanges off I-75 at 12, 14 and 16 Mile roads. He said he isn’t aware of any diverging diamond interchanges in Metro Detroit that aren’t underneath interstates, so this appears to be the first one. Diane Cross, an MDOT spokesperson, said her agency can only speak to state roads since MDOT doesn’t control county or city roads.

MDOT is also replacing the pavement on Telegraph. The roadway in the interchange will be made of concrete, and Telegraph between Grand River and just south of Eight Mile will be made of asphalt. He said MDOT is about 90% done with installing the asphalt and nearly 50% done with the concrete.

Mario Gjolaj, one of the owners of Omega Coney Island on 8 Mile in Detroit, said people will be confused by the diverging diamond interchange at first, because it’s something they’re unfamiliar with.

“But as they use it, you know, they’ll conform to the design and they’ll obviously see it for what it’s supposed to be,” he said. He is familiar with the diverging diamond at Big Beaver Road and Interstate 75.

Gjolaj said there has been other construction work in his area over the last few years as well. He can’t wait for the projects to be done.

“Because they affect my ability to come and go, and the costumers that I serve are affected by it also,” he added. He said he’s had fewer customers than normal because of the construction.

However, he said Telegraph was “horrible” in the few years leading up to the construction project. He noted that it was choppy and had potholes.

“It’s about time they repaired it,” he said.

asnabes@detroitnews.com

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Detroit, MI

Lions save nearly $1.3 million with Malcolm Rodriguez contract trick

Published

6 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Lions save nearly .3 million with Malcolm Rodriguez contract trick

Earlier this week, contract details on the Detroit Lions’ re-signing of Malcolm Rodriguez came out, and if you were to just look at the Over The Cap outline of the deal, it would probably be pretty confusing.

Rodriguez has a salary of over $2.5 million—all guaranteed—a signing bonus of $137,500, and a workout bonus of $50,000. Combine all of those, and it should equal a salary cap hit of a combined $2.7 million. Yet, per OTC, the Lions’ cap charge for Rodriguez’s deal is just $1,402,5000.

There are no void years. This isn’t a misprint. The Lions are just using a salary cap stipulation that rewards teams for developing players and staying loyal to them.

How to qualify for the Four-Year Player Qualifying Contract

The relevant Collective Bargaining Agreement rule is called the “Four-Year Player Qualifying Contract.” You can read the entire terms of this rule, but here’s the short of it. In order to qualify for this advantage, a player has to have:

Four or more Credited Seasons whose contract with a Club has expired after four or more years of continuous, uninterrupted service with that Club

In Rodriguez’s case, he played through the entirety of his four-year rookie contract, so both he and the team are certainly eligible for this benefit.

What is the actual benefit?

Essentially, a team can award a one-year contract to these players that acts as a veteran minimum salary deal when it comes to the overall cap hit, but they are able to increase these players’ salaries from the minimum by a fixed number that will not count against the cap.

In Rodriguez’s case, the veteran minimum for a player with four accrued seasons is $1,215,000. According to the CBA, for the 2026 season, the “Four-Year Player Qualifying Contract” can increase the salary by a maximum of an extra $1.55 million.

So if you look at the actual cap hit, it’s based on that veteran minimum salary:

Vet minimum salary: $1,215,000
Signing bonus: $137,500
Workout bonus: $50,000

Add those together, and you get $1,402,500—Rodriguez’s cap hit for 2026.

But the actual payment Rodriguez will be getting in 2026 is this:

Actual salary: $2,562,500
Signing bonus: $137,500
Workout bonus: $50,000

For a total of $2,700,000 in earnings. In short, the Lions are saving nearly $1.3 million by using this salary cap tool. And for Rodriguez, the benefit is that everything but the workout bonus is guaranteed. Note that no player is obligated to accept this kind of contract, but for a player like Rodriguez, who is coming off an injury-shortened season, it’s a nice little guaranteed payday that he may not have been able to get elsewhere. And for the Lions, it’s a way to pay a player his value while also getting some savings on cap space.

This isn’t the first time the Lions have used this cap trick. They used it with Jalen Reeves-Maybin back in 2021, and they’ll likely use it again.

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Detroit, MI

3 Trades That Would Instantly Elevate Detroit Lions

Published

18 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

3 Trades That Would Instantly Elevate Detroit Lions

With a majority of the big name free agents off the board, the focus for the Detroit Lions becomes acquiring depth or players that have a plus side as starters.

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The Lions have addressed two glaring holes so far in free agency, with the signings of Cade Mays and Tyler Conklin plugging holes at center and tight end depth, respectively. Now, the focus for acquiring talent can be with remaining free agents or the NFL Draft.

However, there is a third option that general manager Brad Holmes can explore. The Detroit Lions can look to acquire the crucial depth and starting-level talent with trades.

Trades do require giving up players or picks to acquire talent, and here are players that Holmes can trade draft picks for this year. These are players on the last year of their contract with their current team’s.

Safety Jeremy Chinn (Las Vegas Raiders)

Jeremy Chinn would provide a crucial depth piece at safety with the Lions facing an unknown future and Week 1 status for starters Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, along with reserve Dan Jackson missing all of 2025.

Chinn signed with the Las Vegas in free agency before last season, and he took a two year deal with $12 million guaranteed. With the Raiders pressing against the cap, especially after the Maxx Crosby trade was revoked by Baltimore, Chinn could be a trade piece to help offset their spending spree.

The one concern for Detroit here is that Chinn missed the ending two games of the 2025 season with a back injury after 114 tackles and two forced fumbles in 15 starts. He is productive, but another player off the injured reserve could scare away the Lions as a suitor.

OT Dawand Jones (Cleveland Browns)

Jones is a player facing an uncertain future after seeing his season shut down in September last year with a knee injury. Cleveland made the former Buckeyes’ status even more cloudy with a trade for Tytus Howard earlier this offseason.

The Lions have their own uncertain future at offensive tackle, with longtime stalwart Taylor Decker released to free agency. The Lions did acquire Larry Borom during the free agency cycle, and his contract suggests he is a swing tackle option that can start. However, Borom is a downgrade from Taylor Decker in terms of tackle production.

Additionally, depth is needed beyond Borom, as tackle Giovanni Manu struggled in his limited appearances in 2025 before ending the year injured.

Jones provides a proven right tackle option, as he earned All-Rookie honors at right tackle after an injury to Jack Conklin forced him into a starting role as a fourth-round pick.

The concern on Jones is, much like Chinn, his injuries. He has ended the year on injured reserve for lower body injuries in all three seasons in the league, in addition to needing an offseason knee surgery last February.

CB Deontae Banks (New York Giants)

Banks is a former first round selection that has struggled to meet expectations since entering the league out of Maryland, and enters his fourth season with the Giants recently announcing there was no consideration of picking up his fifth year option.

He struggled in 2025, with his limited snaps having little to show for them. Banks ranked No. 112 of 114 qualifying corners among PFF grades last season, despite only ranking 88th of the 114 in snaps.

However, he has speed and athleticism, along with a knack for returning kicks. Last season saw the athlete blaze in his first career touchdown, which is a spot that is now a need for Detroit after Kalif Raymond left to reunite with Ben Johnson in Chicago.

The Giants might be looking to ship Banks off before losing him for no cost, with his current play unlikely to even factor in for a seventh-round compensatory selection. With Detroit needing depth at corner and a potential starting return man, Banks provides hidden value for Detroit.

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Detroit, MI

Report: Cade Cunningham suffers collapse lung, out for extended period of time

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

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Report: Cade Cunningham suffers collapse lung, out for extended period of time

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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 31: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons looks to drive around Olivier-Maxence Prosper #8 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Little Caesars Arena on January 31, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won th

(FOX 2) – Detroit’s star point guard Cade Cunningham is expected to miss an extended period of time after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung.

First reported by ESPN, the loss to the Pistons’ offense happens as the NBA’s regular season reaches its conclusion.

Big picture view:

Cunningham appeared to suffer a back injury during Detroit’s game against the Washington Wizards. He played a little more before being subbed out for the rest of the game.

Cunningham has led the Pistons to its best season in years. The Pistons are currently seeded No. 1 in the Eastern Conference.

It’s possible he could be back in time for the playoffs, but much of his condition is unknown.

The Source: ESPN first reported the injury update.

Detroit PistonsInstastories

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