Downed powerlines shutdown WB I-696 traffic at I-275 in Novi
Aerial footage over I-696 in Novi.
(FOX 2) - Downed power lines on I-696 shut down access to the freeway Tuesday afternoon in Novi for a couple of hours.
Traffic on westbound I-696 was narrowed to just one lane at I-275 when power lines went down on the side of the road. The live lines sparked a small fire that was put out.
DTE worked for a couple of hours to get the live line switched off and safely removed from the roadway.
Around 2:45, the interstate was reopened and traffic was flowing again.
However, Michigan State Police said DTE has to restring the line later in the afternoon on Tuesday. Around 4 p.m., the freeway will be closed completely until around 5 or 6 p.m. to allow DTE to restring the line.