SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — If you think traffic is bad now on I-696, prepare for significant delays as the Michigan Department of Transportation's "Restore the Reuther Project" enters a major new phase.
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Starting the weekend of November 15, westbound drivers will be shifted into the eastbound lanes, while the freeway will remain closed for eastbound drivers between Lahser and I-75 for the next year.
The traffic shift will require closing that stretch of freeway from around 4 a.m. Saturday, November 15, until 10 a.m. Sunday. By Monday morning, November 17, commuters will face a dramatically different driving experience.
Several I-696 exit and entrance ramps will be closed as part of this shift, including Evergreen, Greenfield, and Coolidge.
"We're going to close all westbound 696 ramps, which means if you don't get off at 75, you can't get off until M-10 going westbound," said Diane Cross from MDOT.
Cross warned that the changes will catch many drivers off guard.
"So once we shift you the weekend of Friday the 14th, you're only going to be able to exit starting Monday morning at Woodward or at Southfield Road, and that's going to catch a lot of drivers by surprise," Cross said.
Local drivers are already preparing for the impact on their daily commutes.
"I definitely feel like it is an inconvenience," said Barbra McCray of Southfield.
"I mean, it's disappointing as I'm sure it's going to be for everybody who commutes and who have to leave out extra early so that they can make sure that they're on time," McCray said.
However, some drivers are taking a more optimistic view of the construction project.
"It's just one of them things they're getting out there. They're getting it together. It's going to take some time, and we just got to just work with them while they're working," said Joe Jones of Southfield.
Fred Prime of Southfield echoed that sentiment.
"We all wanted it done. It's getting done, and we'll just have to manage the inconveniences as we work through it," Prime said.
The rebuild project is expected to be completed late next year.
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