It is here. Starting Monday and for the next two years, motorists won’t be able to take eastbound Interstate 696 through the southernmost part of eastern Oakland County.
It will affect residents in Ferndale, Oak Park, Huntington Woods, Madison Heights, Warren, Pleasant Ridge and beyond.
It’s part of a larger multi-year road project called “Restore the Reuther,” so named for I-696’s other moniker, Walter P. Reuther Freeway.
Here’s what to know about the I-696 closure, a map of where the closure takes place and why it’s happening.
Where is I-696 closing in Oakland County?
Starting Monday, March 3, the eastbound lanes of I-696 will close between Lahser Road, in the area of the John C. Lodge Freeway, in Southfield and I-75 in Royal Oak.
Eastbound I-696 at I-75 is shown on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. Beginning Monday, March 3, the eastbound lanes of I-696 will close between Lahser Road, in the area of the John C. Lodge Freeway, in Southfield and I-75 in Royal Oak for two years.
How long will eastbound I-696 be closed between Lahser Road and I-75?
Two years, from March 2025 until 2027.
What time does the 2-year I-696 closure begin in Oakland County?
Starting at 9 a.m. March 3, crews will begin marking pavement, closing ramps and closing lanes to the selected section of eastbound I-696, according to a Feb. 24 news release from the Michigan Department of Transportation.
By afternoon, that portion of the freeway is expected to be fully closed, according to an MDOT news release.
“Westbound traffic will be maintained while eastbound and westbound I-696 are rebuilt between Lahser Road and I-75,” MDOT said in the release. “However, eastbound traffic will be detoured for two years via southbound M-10 (Lodge Freeway), eastbound M-8 (Davison Highway) and northbound I-75 back to eastbound I-696.”
Beginning March 3, eastbound traffic on I-696 from Lahser to Dequindre will have a detour as part of the Restore the Reuther project. Westbound traffic won’t be affected.
What is the eastbound I-696 detour?
Drivers who would have otherwise taken the closed eastbound portion of I-696 will be detoured down through Highland Park on their way back to eastbound I-696.
Drivers will be directed south on the Lodge Freeway, also known as M-10, to the Davison Freeway, or M-8, and then will be sent north up I-75 until they reconnect with eastbound I-696.
Eastbound drivers not taking the detour can still exit the freeway at Telegraph Road or Lahser, but those who need that eastbound I-696 path all the way through will start their detour at Telegraph Road before Lahser, Diane Cross, MDOT communications representative for the metro Detroit area, previously told the Free Press.
She noted motorists are legally allowed to take other routes, besides the closed portion of eastbound I-696, and it will take quite some time to learn how traffic shifts. Drivers may take different roads from one day to the next.
People should start checking out their routes ahead of time and give time for the region to get used to the change, she said.
“Just give us a few weeks, it will settle down,” she said.
More: Gov. Whitmer wants $3B for Michigan roads: Here’s where it would come from
Will westbound I-696 close, too? Is there a westbound I-696 detour?
No. Even though westbound I-696 will be reconstructed, too, westbound travelers won’t need a detour. Officials plan to simply shift the westbound traffic around parts of the freeway they are working on during the project.
How big of a deal is the eastbound I-696 closure in Oakland County?
The most heavily trafficked portion of the stretch is used by about 200,000 drivers daily, Cross said. The I-696 interchange with I-75 is among the most used in the state.
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Why is I-696 closed between Lahser and I-75?
Road work. The road was built in the 1980s and is overdue for major work, the Free Press previously reported.
The state has been working on various phases of the “Restore the Reuther” project, with other portions of I-696 already seeing a facelift and lane closures.
During this two-year stint, the closed section is expected to be rebuilt. Then in 2027, I-696 between I-75 and Dequindre Road will get some major work.
Bridges and drainage structures will be addressed, with 60 bridges expected to be repaired. That includes the plaza on the Church Street bridge in Oak Park home to playscapes and walking paths.
Prior reporting by Bill Laytner of the Free Press contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: I-696 closure in Michigan begins today: Map, what to know
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