SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — “What used to take me 15 minutes to get home, takes almost 40 minutes now,” said Renee Williams, a metro Detroit driver.
And no one likes getting slowed down by construction.
“It’s boring, cause it is a lot of traffic. It’s boring cause I have to stay in my car and I got to go to work,” said Sarah Ostrowik, another metro Detroit driver.
But the good news is soon some of that construction is wrapping up for the year.
Including on I-696 — which has been slowing down local driver Carmen Walker on her way into work at Einstein Bagels on Orchard Lake just north of I-696.
“Coming to work, it has been a little rocky, you know holding me back from getting to work,” Walker said.
On 696 in December, all eastbound lanes are expected to reopen, with traffic shifting on over to those newly built lanes. But come next construction season, both directions of 696 will go onto those eastbound lanes to rebuild the westbound lanes in between Lahser and I-275.
This construction season, if you’re lucky enough to make it out of the 696 construction zone unscathed, I-96 construction was just around the corner.
When asked what construction along I-96 has been like for Renee Williams, she said it has been “terrible because you have to take so many detours to get home and that traffic is just backed up.”
“I want the roads to be good, but I don’t want to deal with it,” said metro Detroit driver Diane Helou.
The good news is we won’t be dealing with it for much longer on 275.
Only two lanes will be open on I-275 in between M-14 and Eureka until the end of this year.
In 2024, work will begin on M-14 and I-96 between Newburgh and Sheldon.
The three year project will include new pavement as well as bridge and drainage work.
The work will look a lot like what we have already seen on I-275 with a traffic shift and two lanes open in each direction.
While none of us like seeing the orange barrels especially, when new ones pop up — it’s an encouraging sign for some.
“I’m seeing a lot of, more construction, around this area as well, so I am glad they are getting fixed,” Walker said.
