(WXYZ) — Drivers in Oakland County are having to take a long detour in the mornings to get around the I-696 closure. We've been following the project for months now, and hearing from frustrated drivers across metro Detroit.
But this morning, we're honing in on the side streets, where so many drivers have turned to with 696 shut down. Every day, thousands of cars use the Mile Roads that run parallel to the freeway; we're talking 10, 11, and 12 Mile, which have all seen an increase in traffic.
I heard from drivers on 12 Mile and a local road commission on how they're handling the influx of cars.
Watch Brittany Toolis' report below
Drivers we talked to overnight said they're definitely seeing more cars on these Mile Roads since the 696 closures. The Road Commission for Oakland County, with help from the University of Michigan, is busting out some new tech to help get things moving.
Some Mile Roads already have adaptive traffic signals that adjust based on traffic. The new tech used is being applied at 12 Mile. The Road Commission, working with U of M, collected Smart Car Data, like where the vehicle is, how fast it's going, and how much it's delayed. They then fed that data into an algorithm to find the best traffic signal timing, and it's working.
Craig Bryson with the Road Commission said it's improved traffic flow up to 30 percent; you'll still see the same number of cars, but how often and how long you're stopped at a red light is less than before. Heavier traffic is also harder on the roads. Drivers are ready for the heavier traffic on these roads to be over, and Bryson gave us an update on the road conditions.
"In the daytime, it's packed," said driver Terence Anderson.
"It's pretty hectic," said driver William Boyd. "It has its pockets where it’s just congested at, pretty much in this typical area here, it’s jam-packed."
"That’s when it's busy in the morning, it’s pretty busy," Paul pointed out.
"So no significant amount of increased maintenance," Bryson said. "I think if this were to go on for years and years, 2 years is long enough, but if it went on longer than that it probably would begin to cause some increased deterioration. But right now we’re not seeing significant deterioration."
There's another unexpected issue with the traffic increase: Oakland County road crews are seeing a lot more litter on the sides of the streets and are making an effort to clean that up. Plus, it's springtime, so you know more construction is bound to pop up.
