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MDOT reminds drivers to slow down for construction after crash on I-96
It is unclear if there were any road crew workers injured and what circumstances led to the crash.
(FOX 2) - A new road lane is now open to drivers on I-96 in Oakland County, with motorists permitted to use the special flex lane at certain times of the day.
The flex route officially opened on Wednesday, March 19, with drivers allowed to use the lane whenever the green arrow above the highway is on. If there's a red x, the lane is closed.
Big picture view:
Beginning Wednesday, drivers will now have the option to travel in the flex lane on I-96, which is located on the far left side of the freeway between Kent Lake Road and the I-275/I-696/M-5 interchange.
The lane will be used during "typical congestion" in the morning and evening of weekdays, the Michigan Department of Transportation said.
Those times include 6 to 9 a.m. for eastbound traffic and 3:30 to 6 p.m. for westbound traffic.
A green arrow and red X will indicate whether the flex lanes are open to drivers.
'Toward Zero Deaths' campaign continues in Michigan amid deadly start to year on roadways
Michigan State Police posted a grim statistic this week: since last week 14 people have died on Michigan roadways, pushing the total number of fatal traffic crashes over a hundred in 2025.
Local perspective:
Flex lanes are growing in usage around Southeast Michigan. The first flex route opened along US-23 between M-14 and Nine Mile in Livingston and Washtenaw counties.
The new flex route on I-96 will be monitored by dispatchers from MDOT and Michigan State Police, who share data collected from traffic monitoring sensors and video feeds from closed-circuit TV cameras.
That same technology also helps authorities direct traffic around accidents that may block a lane.
There will also be speeds posted to help regulate traffic before it gets contested.
Motorists on the new I-96 flex lane Wednesday morning.
The Source: Information from the Michigan Department of Transportation was used for this story.