Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced 60% of traffic restrictions will be removed for the Fourth of July weekend.

Traffic restriction removal will begin at 3 p.m. Thursday, July 2, and continue until 6 a.m. Monday, July 6.

Restrictions include road and bridge projects statewide.

106 out of 179 MDOT projects statewide will have lane restrictions removed.

For the Fourth of July weekend AAA estimates more than 2.6 million Michiganders will travel at least 50 miles or more from home.

Adjustments are aimed to keep traffic moving smoothly for the busy travel weekend.

While drivers will see suspended operations in most road work zone, equipment and certain temporary traffic shifts or shoulder closures may remain.

“As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday this Fourth of July, we want every Michigander to get where they’re going safely and with fewer delays,” said Governor Whitmer. “That’s why we’re temporarily lifting lane restrictions and removing orange barrels along key routes across the state. But once the holiday weekend ends, we’ll get right back to work fixing the damn roads.”

Here is a list of work zones and their status for the Fourth of July weekend.

Some routes may have detour routes posted at the project location.

All closures are subject to change.

Here is the most up-to-date information on MDOT projects.

Three first-time Democratic candidates for key Michigan U.S. House districts each own at least one home in Washington, D.C., that’s valued at more than $1 million as they stump for votes in a campaign where the cost of housing has become a prominent issue.

In the 7th Congressional District, anchored by the Lansing area, Democrat Bridget Brink reported in a financial disclosure form having four investment properties in Washington, D.C., though one was sold last year, according to her campaign.

Brink, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, valued two of the four properties between $1 million and $5 million, and, according to Washington, D.C., property tax records, she’s listed as an owner of two homes in the nation’s capital worth more than $1 million.

Another 7th District hopeful, former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam, reported having an investment property in Washington, D.C., worth between $1 million and $5 million. And Democrat Eric Chung, a former Commerce Department lawyer who’s running in the 10th District, owns a home worth more than $1 million in Washington, D.C., according to property tax records.

The details underscore what some observers see as a growing trend in the battleground state: Congressional hopefuls with ties to Michigan returning to the state to run for Congress there.

“There does seem to be an uptick in the number of such candidacies in recent years,” said Bill Ballenger, a former Republican state lawmaker and longtime political pundit in Michigan.

More: Out-of-state donors fueling U.S. House campaigns in Michigan swing districts

The ties each candidate has to the area where they are running for Congress could be more scrutinized this year as national Democrats and Republicans both target the 7th and 10th districts in the midterm elections, with Democrats aiming to flip control of the seats.

What Brink, Chung and Maasdam are attempting to do — running for the U.S. House in a Michigan congressional district where they aren’t longtime residents  — has precedent.

In 2017, Elissa Slotkin, a former Central Intelligence Agency official who worked for presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, moved back to her family’s farm in Oakland County and beat Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Bishop of Rochester for a seat in the U.S. House, representing what’s now the 7th District. The Holly Democrat is now Michigan’s junior U.S. senator.

Lansing, where Brink and Maasdam are now running for Congress, is more than 500 miles from Washington, D.C., where they own properties and hope to serve constituents. The average home value in Ingham County is $229,189, according to the real estate website Zillow.

The homes that Brink and Maasdam own in Washington, D.C., are worth more than four times that amount. In Macomb County, where Chung is running, the average home is worth $273,000, per Zillow.

“I’m a little taken aback by the opportunism here by people who have relatively little to no ties to a district showing up to run there,” said John Sellek, CEO of the firm Harbor Strategic, who has advised Republican campaigns.

“It’s galling to think that I could pick up and move to Dayton, Ohio, because maybe there’s an open seat there, and I run because they didn’t have another candidate. That’s not great.”

Both Brink and Maasdam are in a three-way Democratic primary race with climate activist Will Lawrence for their party’s nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, in the general election. Barrett is a former state lawmaker serving his first term in Congress.

• Much of the furniture and antiques shown in listing photos may remain with the property.
• Additional structures include a carriage house, barn, pub, garage and dollhouse.

A historic Marshall estate built in 1858 that appears almost frozen in time has hit the market for $1.499,000.

Known as Oakhill, the Italianate-style home sits on approximately 12 acres just three blocks from downtown Marshall. The property offers more than 9,000 square feet of living space, seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms and three half bathrooms, along with a carriage house, barn, tennis court, pub and other outbuildings.

According to listing agent Dylan Tent of Signature Sotheby’s International Realty in Northville, Oakhill offers a rare glimpse into the past, with some of the home’s furnishings and décor expected to remain with the property.

“It’s like a time capsule,” Tent said.

For Patty Williams, the home represents nearly five decades of family history.

Williams was 16 years old when her parents purchased Oakhill in 1979 after discovering Marshall during a trip through the area. Her father, a real estate developer, was immediately drawn to the historic property and relocated the family from Bloomfield Hills.

“All of a sudden we were moving to Marshall,” Williams recalled. The town is about 100 miles away, east of Battle Creek.

Over the next 47 years, Oakhill became the setting for family gatherings, weddings and celebrations spanning multiple generations. Williams said generations of children spent hours playing in and around the Acorn, a playhouse her father built for the family’s grandchildren.

“It was about every little kid’s dream,” Williams said.

The home was built by Chauncey Brewer, one of Marshall’s early settlers, Williams said. Some furnishings believed to have belonged to the Brewer family, along with books and other artifacts connected to the home’s history, are expected to remain with the property.

One of Williams’ favorite features is what she believes is the home’s original wallpaper. A cream-colored pattern with blue swirls lining the main staircase is believed to date to the home’s earliest years.

“It’s amazing how well it has held up,” she said. “There’s no seam pulling, no shifting. It’s kind of cool.”

Her father later added a conservatory inspired by those he and his wife, Lucy, admired while traveling in England. Today, the addition houses a hot tub.  

Among the property’s outbuildings is the Nancy Boyer Pub, named after a local actress who was friends with descendants of the Brewer family. Williams said it became the family’s gathering place for cookouts and celebrations.

The property also includes a separate apartment with its own entrance that is currently occupied by a tenant. Williams said previous owners also rented the apartment, which may have originally served as servants’ quarters.

Although Oakhill, at 410 N. Eagle Street, is located just blocks from downtown Marshall, Williams said the property’s wooded areas, gardens and wildlife create a sense of seclusion.

More: Look inside Uncle Kracker’s $2.3 million Macomb County waterfront home

“You really don’t feel like you’re in town at all,” she said.

Marshall is known for its well-preserved historic architecture, with dozens of 19^th-century homes and buildings surrounding its walkable downtown.

Now, after nearly five decades of family ownership, Williams and her siblings are preparing to pass the estate to its next owner.