(WXYZ) — Brace yourself! A major construction shutdown starts Friday evening that will change the way thousands of drivers get around southeast Michigan for the weekend.
According to MDOT, starting Friday night through 5 a.m. Monday, westbound I-696 will be closed from US-24 (Telegraph Road) to I-275 for pavement repair work. The following ramps will be closed as part of the westbound I-696 freeway closure:
- Southbound US-24 ramp to westbound I-696
- Northbound M-10 ramp to westbound I-696
- Franklin Road ramp to westbound I-696
- Northbound Orchard Lake ramp to westbound I-696
- Southbound Orchard Lake ramp to westbound I-696
From 4 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, April 15, westbound I-96 will continue the westbound closure from I-275 to Beck Road. The following ramps will be closed beginning at 4 a.m. and will reopen as work is completed. Some ramps may reopen early Saturday and others later in the day:
- Southbound Novi Road ramp to westbound I-96 – reopens 8 a.m. Saturday, April 15
- Northbound Novi Road ramp to westbound I-96 – reopens 11 a.m. Saturday, April 15
- Southbound M-5 ramp to westbound I-96 – reopens 11 a.m. Saturday, April 15
- Northbound I-275 ramp to westbound I-96 – reopens 5 p.m. Saturday, April 15
Detours:
Westbound I-696 traffic will be detoured on southbound US-24 (Telegraph Road) to westbound M-102 (8 Mile Road) to northbound M-5 to westbound 12 Mile Road to southbound Novi Road, then to westbound I-96.
When the ramp from southbound Novi Road to westbound I-96 is closed, detoured traffic will continue west on 12 Mile Road to southbound Beck Road then to westbound I-96.
The construction work is drawing mixed reactions.
One driver we spoke to, Junstin Curton said, "Gridlock, everybody's gonna be stuck."
The supervisor at Star Deli on 12 Mile, Shirah Euirch said, "We love when there’s traffic, we love being busy!"
A woman who works in the Southfield area, Urayna Nance told us she'll be rescheduling appointments to avoid the area.
"It’s gonna be a troublesome thing for everybody, all the commuters," said Nance.
MDOT says this is just the beginning. The weekend work is part of a $275,000,000 project funded by Governor Whitmer's Rebuilding Michigan program.
At some point in 2023, MDOT informs eastbound I-696 will be rebuilt from I-275 to East of Telegraph Road. Also, westbound lanes will be fully rebuilt in 2024.
One positive note out of all the construction?
MDOT says they expect it to support 3,500 jobs.
