Another Round Of Traffic Jams Strikes Metro Detroit In Time For Afternoon Commute

(WWJ) The traffic woes today just won't go away.

This morning it was a traffic jam on westbound I-696 that had some commuters hitting their hands on the steering wheel in despair. This afternoon, it's a crash on westbound M-14 after Sheldon Road.

In the latest crash, a semi-truck plowed through a guard rail. Only one lane was open as of 4:20 p.m.. Backups are reported all the way back from I-275 while crews worked to clear it.

This morning, many people were late getting to work because of a jack-knifed semi on westbound I-696 at Greenfield. For most of the morning rush hours, traffic was getting by only in one lane or on the shoulder. No injuries were reported.

Some people who drive from Macomb County to Southfield every morning say it took them two hours to get to work. One WWJ employee spent 45 minutes on the 3 mile stretch between Woodward and Greenfield.

There were other crashes throughout the day. At one time or another there were traffic jams of at least a mile on westbound I-696 near Gratiot, on eastbound I-696 near Telegraph and along the Southfield Freeway near Grand River.

The rain has caused flooding in Farmington Hills. Police have put out an alert saying Halsted Road is closed south of 14 Mile due to flooding. It's unclear when the road will re-open.

It's unclear if the rain played a part in the crashes.

Stay up to the minute with WWJ traffic updates on the 8s and the real-time map on our traffic page.