I-96 expected to fully reopen in Oakland County this weekend after years of lane closures

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - For more than two years, drivers have been dodging barrels and dealing with backups on I-96 in Oakland County, but it's expected to get better this weekend.

All lanes of both directions of the freeway from Kent Lake to I-275 are scheduled to reopen on Sunday night, though that plan is weather-dependent.

The freeway has had ongoing lane closures since the $270 million project to add a flex lane began in 2022. A flex lane is an extra lane that opens during peak travel hours to alleviate traffic backups. Michigan has another one of these lanes on US-23.

"We are all driving the same roads, including our families who constantly complain to us about backups and delays. So we get it, really," said Diane Cross, with the Michigan Department of Transportation. "We are all thrilled that we're going to be back to having three lanes open eastbound and westbound."

The entire project is expected to be completed early next year. When the flex lane is up and running, it will have signs to direct drivers for when they are able to use the extra lane.