Commuters in Metro Detroit are facing disruptions as the eastbound I-696 construction project has officially begun. The two-year project is expected to impact around 100,000 drivers daily. The stretch between Lahser Road and I-75 will be closed, requiring drivers to find alternative routes and potentially leading to increased traffic on local roads. According to CBS News Detroit, the project is expected to result in longer commute times for many drivers.
"It's going to be bad for all of the other freeways too you know and then you got to go it's going to be more time to get to work, you have to leave a little bit earlier like it's about to be crazy I'm nervous," Toriana Evans told CBS News Detroit. Despite the frustration, some commuters, such as K Stone, are accepting the inconvenience in anticipation of the road improvements. "Anything that is going to make things better I'm with, and I'm willing to get up a little earlier," Stone remarked.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has set up a 25-mile U-shaped detour rerouting eastbound drivers onto the Lodge, then east onto Davison and northbound onto I-75 as disclosed by CBS News Detroit.
The substantial project known as "Restore the Reuther" is a response to the aging infrastructure and includes a comprehensive overhaul of the 36-year-old pavement of I-696, drainage repairs, 60 bridge rehabilitations, and a bridge replacement, as mentioned by Detroit Free Press.
While eastbound lanes are closed, westbound traffic will remain unaffected and will be redirected within the work zone. With the closure of the eastern arterial route, residents of Ferndale, Oak Park, Huntington Woods, and nearby areas will be most impacted. "Just give us a few weeks, it will settle down," Diane Cross, MDOT communications representative, advised as quoted by Detroit Free Press.
The announcement of the closure comes as the final phase in the sprawling $275 million "Restore the Reuther" mission to revitalize a critical component of Michigan's transportation infrastructure, as detailed by The Detroit News.
