MDOT vehicle jammed I-696 traffic for hours after hitting DTE power pole

A traffic nightmare on I-696 gets even worse

Around 4 p.m. on Monday, rush-hour traffic completely stopped after an MDOT vehicle struck a DTE power line, blocking travel across all lanes.

(FOX 2) - Hundreds without power, thousands of cars stranded, and a highway already beleaguered by construction becoming ground zero for frustrated commuters and a massive backup.

Monday afternoon became a total traffic nightmare after a crash on I-696 blocked travel for hours. The vehicle that caused the poorly-timed traffic jam was one of MDOT's own.

Big picture view:

"It was a major inconvenience to probably close to 100,000 drivers who would've used westbound 696," said Diane Cross, "and it was an afternoon rush-hour so we could not pick much of a worse time for that to happen."

Around 4 p.m. on Monday, a vehicle driven by a Michigan Department of Transportation driver took out a DTE power pole. The utility said nearly 800 homes lost power as a result.

The crash stretched across all lanes of I-696 that weren't closed for construction, taking place near Bermuda in Ferndale.

What they're saying:

"What we thought was gonna be just a few hours ended up taking most of the night," Cross, an MDOT spokesperson said. "It was probably close to 12 hours of having westbound 696 closed."

Cross added it took another 14 hours before the service drives could reopen. The all-clear was given at 5 a.m. on the freeway and 7 a.m. on the streets above.

Local perspective:

Downed power lines and major traffic jams during stressful transit periods also made for a potentially hazardous situation along I-696.

"We had to clear all the folks who were sitting in the back up between 75 and Bermuda Mohawk, which is where the line went down," said Teresa Robinson, Ferndale's fire chief.

DTE says its crews worked overnight to make repairs, getting the power back online before 2 a.m.

Michigan State Police is investigating the crash, according to MDOT. No details about why the crash happened have been given.