Watch CBS News

Westbound I-696 Closes For $90M Project

(CBS Detroit/AP) — A $90 million construction project is getting underway tonight and it will shut down westbound I-696 between I-94 and I-75 through the summer.

The Michigan Department of Transportation on Friday announced the date for the shutdown between I-94 and I-75 as the roadway is rebuilt. Eastbound traffic will have access to I-696, but lanes will be shifted. Work is expected to wrap up in November.

MDOT is spending $90 million on the "Restore the Reuther" project in Macomb and Oakland counties. I-696 is used by tens of thousands of motorists daily.

The shutdown is to start at 9 p.m. April 27. Ahead of the project, road crews this year stepped up efforts to patch potholes following reports of vehicles being damaged by concrete that may have been loosed by fluctuating winter temperatures.

Construction Details

  • In Oakland County, the freeway will remain open weekdays from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. with work being performed during overnights and weekends, including 10 weekends with freeway closures.
  • In Macomb County, eastbound I-696 will remain open from I-75 to I-94 while the westbound lanes will be closed from I-94 to I-75 for the entire project. The closing of one direction of the freeway will provide a safer work zone for construction crews and drivers.
  • To provide a freeway-to-freeway detour, the suggested detour for the westbound I-696 closure is westbound I-94 to northbound I-75 to westbound I-696. Eastbound I-94 traffic will also be detoured via northbound I-75 to westbound I-696.

Click here for more information.

© 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.