OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich (WXYZ) — If you've been dreading your daily drive on I-696, relief is almost here. The Restore the Reuther project has been progressing in phases since June of 2023.
Starting this Friday night, according to MDOT, westbound traffic will close for the weekend so crews can begin opening up the newly reconstructed westbound lanes.
Driver Denise Harvey told 7 News Detroit, “I used to like the color orange. I hate it now. I hate it. I was telling my husband I hate the color orange.”
"I try to avoid 696," she said.
The endless sea of orange construction barrels has turned routine commutes into daily bottlenecks that frustrate drivers trying to beat the rush.
Driver Leo Evans said, “3 o'clock rush hour, it’s over with it. So, having the freeway closed, iI’s frustrating for most drivers. But we’re making it happen.”
Motorists acknowledge the long-term benefits and recognized that decades-old infrastructure along 696 desperately needed an overhaul.
Driver Greg Mavian said, “The freeway was built, I don’t know how many years ago, 40 years ago. And it’s obsolete with the traffic today. So, it needed to be done. They’re doing a great job.”
There's good news on the horizon. MDOT said this Friday a major traffic shift starts at 9 p.m. Crews will move westbound drivers back onto the newly reconstructed side of the freeway between I-75 to M10, with nearly all westbound ramps reopening by Monday morning at 5 a.m.
On the phone, MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross told 7 News Detroit, “Having most of those ramps open and traffic back on westbound is go e still have to keep eastbound closed though. Because we have to fix all the places where we were letting you cross over to Woodward, to Southfield, to M10.”
Cross said drivers can expect westbound mile roads north of 10 mile to be busier and that motorists are encouraged to take designated detours.
For residents living right along the stretch, the progress can't come soon enough.
Driver Richard Nash told 7 News Detroit, “That will be great. It’s a serious pain in the rear end. I’m right here at Woodward and 696 area where I live and I-75. We use I-75 all the time, and everything’s congested.”
While drivers are ready to celebrate this milestone, many know the orange barrels won't stay away for good.
“It’s good that they are fixing the roads," Harvey said. She added she knows it's only a matter of time before more work begins down the line.
MDOT said drivers should also note that the Woodward westbound off-ramp will remain closed for about another week for resurfacing.
