WB I-696 closing Friday night to prepare for project that will close eastbound side next week
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A stretch of westbound I-696 is closing completely Friday night as crews prep for a project that will close the eastbound side next week.
From 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21 through 6 a.m. Feb. 22, westbound I-696 will be closed from I-75 to Lahser.
The detour will be from southbound I-75 to westbound Davison to the Lodge Freeway, back up to I-696.
Additionally, the eastbound side of the service drive will only have one lane open through 5 p.m. Feb. 25.
I-696 rebuild
The backstory:
The closures are part of the prep work for phase two of the Restore the Reuther project in Oakland County.
From early March until 2027, crews will be completely reconstructing the pavement of both sides of I-696 from Lasher to I-75. The project will also include wall and drainage repairs, along with the rehabbing of 60 bridges.
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EB I-696 total closure starts soon in Oakland County -- What to expect over next 2 years
In just a few weeks, eastbound I-696 will close completely between Lahser and I-75 as crews begin the second phase of the Restore the Reuther project.
Timeline:
The eastbound side of the freeway will be reconstructed in 2025, while the westbound side will be the focus in 2026.
Both years will involve work on the Church Street Plaza bridge and bridge repairs along the entire stretch of road.
The project will wrap up in 2027, with crews finishing median reconstruction, bridge repairs, pavement work, and ramp reconstruction. There will be major roadwork completed between I-75 and Dequindre during this time, MDOT said.
I-696 Detour:
While the eastbound side of the freeway is rebuilt, traffic will be detoured from 696 to the southbound Lodge Freeway to eastbound Davison Highway to northbound I-75 then back up to 696.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Michigan Department of Transportation.