Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A reminder to motorists and commuters – a portion of eastbound I-696 will be closing for roughly two years starting this weekend.

Work on the final phase of MDOT’s Restore the Reuther project on I-696 in Metro Detroit is scheduled to begin this Saturday.

Starting at 7am, crews will be performing pavement markings, ramp closures, lane closures, etc., on eastbound I-696 from M-10 (Lodge Freeway/Northwestern Highway) to I-75, with eastbound I-696 expected to be fully closed at approximately noon.

Westbound traffic will be maintained while eastbound and westbound I-696 are rebuilt between Lahser Road and I-75.

However, eastbound traffic will be detoured for two years via southbound M-10 (Lodge Freeway), eastbound M-8 (Davison Highway), and northbound I-75 back to eastbound I-696.

The final phase of the Restore the Reuther project involves rebuilding I-696 in 2025-2026.

In 2026, westbound I-696 will be rebuilt from I-75 to Lahser Road.

In 2027, I-696 will have major road work done between I-75 and Dequindre Road. Work includes rebuilding the roadway, bridge work, and drainage structures.

As part of the project, 60 bridges will be repaired, including the rebuilding of the Church Street Plaza bridge that contains Victoria Park. During that rebuilding, a walkway detour will be in place.

Project information is available in the provided link.