Southfield, Mich. — Westbound I-696 reopened Monday morning between I-75 and the Lodge Freeway after a weekend closure that allowed crews to shift traffic onto the newly reconstructed westbound lanes.
The Michigan Department of Transportation said the move is a major milestone in the Restore the Reuther project. Over the weekend, crews closed both eastbound and westbound sides of I-696 between I-75 in Hazel Park and M-10, the Lodge Freeway, in Southfield so they could move westbound traffic back onto the rebuilt roadway.
Almost all westbound ramps reopened with the lanes on Monday, Oct. 12. The westbound Woodward Avenue off-ramp remains closed while resurfacing work continues and is set to reopen on Saturday, Oct. 17. Exit ramps from I-75 to M-10 have opened with westbound I-696, except for the off ramp exit to Woodward Avenue.
Eastbound I-696 remains closed between the Lodge and I-75 as crossover work continues. MDOT expects the eastbound lanes to reopen before the end of the year. Detours are still in effect for that direction of travel.
Drivers along the corridor have spent more than a year navigating orange barrels and shifting patterns. MDOT says this is the second to last step for the I-696 project, with eastbound set to reopen later this year once crossover work is completed.
