I-696 begins three-year rebuild

  • 2023-03-23
A major highway that serves the outskirts of Detroit is scheduled to undergo maintenance work.

Motorists who use Interstate 696 regularly in Farmington Hills and Southfield should anticipate inconveniences during their travel for the remainder of this year. A three-year reconstruction project on the freeway area between Lahser Road and Interstate 275 has been started by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Until the end of 2023, MDOT will be transferring all traffic to the westbound side while it reconstructs the eastbound section of this stretch.

Through the latter part of fall, areas closed to traffic include the ramps at eastbound I-696 to American Drive, southbound Orchard Lake Road, eastbound I-696, northbound Telegraph Road to eastbound I-696, and southbound Orchard Lake Road. The ramps at northbound Orchard Lake Road and westbound I-696 and will remain inaccessible for a little longer still. Printing services can be used to inform people about traffic diversions like these.

Brian Travis, the project’s manager, advises motorists to take an alternative route if they can, or to allocate extra time to their journey and remain patient. He added that people should expect to deal with short-term closures all through the summer.

MDOT will focus on the westbound side of I-696 during the construction season of 2024, and the traffic will be moved to the newly constructed eastbound lanes. The drivers will witness occasional median reconstruction on that stretch in 2025.