If you leave now, you'll probably make it to the game on time.

That's hyperbole of course, but it's also good advice if you are traveling to mid-Michigan to watch the Spartans play sports this fall.

And that advice will be acutely accurate on football game days.

Simply put: leave a lot of extra time no matter which direction you are coming from.

With that disclaimer out of the way, here is a closer look at some tips and tricks to make the best of it.

MDOT is rebuilding 3.7 miles of US-127 from I-96 to I-496, including the Dunckel Road and Trowbridge Road interchange ramps. In addition to performing work on 18 bridges, MDOT is also rebuilding Trowbridge Road at US-127 and adding freeway lighting from Dunckel Road to Trowbridge Road.

They're doing it over a two-year stretch with the northbound side of US-127 closed during this year's work (northbound and southbound lanes are sharing the southbound side). While a road zipper moveable barrier wall is in place to provide additional access to these lanes, it doesn't always work as intended. Theoretically, it promotes smooth traffic flow during peak travel hours (two northbound lanes/one southbound lane in the morning, one northbound lane/two southbound lanes in the evening) but it's tough to know exactly where the peak traffic will be at any given time.

MDOT is encouraging drivers to plan ahead and take alternate routes during this time to avoid extended delays.

They aren't kidding. Things can get pretty messy, pretty fast. Especially if there is any disruption to traffic (crash, etc).

Coming from north of town (Mt Pleasan/Claire), the traffic always seems to back up on 127 South as you approach Frandor. See picture below. This happens because one lane is closed and traffic is also entering from the Frandor area heading south, merging with the already merged traffic from 127 South.

If you are coming from the north (heading south) and can avoid exiting at Frandor and/or Trowbridge, it would probably be wise to do so (unless you have arrived very early and can spare a bit of a backup if it happens).

Enter campus from the north on surface streets, not the highway.

It's worth noting that, currently, the only exit ramp closed is the 127 North exit to Trowbridge Rd. If you are heading north, once you pass the Jolly/Dunckel exit, you will be on 127 until the Frandor exit -- so those of you who are coming from the south (or from the east and don't exit in Okemos like you should) will need to exit at Holt Rd (and take either College Road or Hagadorn Road north to campus) or get off at Dunckel Road and take two lefts in order to take Collins Road north to campus.

If you are trying to get to the parking lot at Farm Lane/Mt Hope, the Holt Road exit will be a far superior option coming from the south and the Okemos exit off I-96 will be a preferable choice coming from the east.

If you are heading north on 127 and you don't get off at Holt Rd, be sure to get off at the Dunckel exit. Otherwise, you will be joining a massive amount of traffic exiting at Frandor (from both the north and the south), heading east to campus.

Currently MDOT has the Trowbridge exit from 127 South open so you can get to campus this way (see picture above). The businesses along this stretch of Trowbridge would definitely appreciate you doing so. Likewise, the Trowbridge exit from 496 East (right before it merges with 127 South) is still currently open as well. These two exits merge together and make their way through the construction to enter campus at the typical Trowbridge area.

Most assuredly, though, the large amount of traffic working its way through here will result in backups. That being said, it is possible to get through this way.

Instead of jamming to the far left in anticipation of a left turn on Harrison Rd -- and backing up traffic significantly while doing so -- I highly suggest you stay right and go straight through the light at Harrison. This allows you to do a legal u-turn on Trowbridge and then take a right on Harrison instead of a left.

MDOT announced this week that, in order to accommodate Michigan State Spartan football game day traffic, the Kalamazoo Street ramp to southbound US-127 will be temporarily opened each game for exiting traffic. This will allow for an extra departure point from campus but, as I mentioned above, I generally recommend avoiding the 127 area near Frandor (including Kalamazoo after the game) - but it is good that MDOT is doing this.

However you choose to get to campus this fall, take your time, drive safe and leave yourself plenty of time to arrive.

Michigan State has more helpful information as well you can find here.

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