This morning, another layer of construction will be added to the closure along the eastbound lanes of I-696, between the Lodge and I-75. Greenfield Road over I-696 is shutting down and won't reopen for months.
A lot of people are going to get traffic headaches from this one; if you live in Oak Park, Southfield or Berkley, this could impact your morning commute.
Watch Brittany's report below
Drivers here are feeling the frustration; these Greenfield ramps for 696 have already been closed for months now, and for the next couple of months, this overpass will be out of commission. Drivers say these surrounding streets are not going to be fun.
This closure, estimated by officials to last two months for bridge work, is part of the Restore the Reuther project. The project already has the entrance and exit ramps to Greenfield down, which happened earlier this year.
We talked with drivers overnight, who all say this area is already backed up, and this closure is going to add to the congestion. Diane Cross with the Michigan Department of Transportation laid out what work is being done.
"We’ve got major deck patching, which is the bridge surface. We’ve got joint repairs to do. We’ve got unfortunately, sidewalks are crumbling in that area," Cross said. "So there’s a lot that we’re going to need to over the course of about 2 months that we’re going to have Greenfield closed right over 696."
"It’s going to be terrible over here. You know it’s going to be terrible over here," said driver Marc Oliver. "It’s going to be hectic. It’s going to be rough for drivers in the morning on their way to work."
"That’s horrific kinda. What you all going to do? What are people going to do?" said driver Vince Aarons. "Leave out early, everybody."
To get around the closure, the SD Crossover Bridge should be your best route, with Southfield Road also running parallel.
