Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

The long-awaited I-96 flex lanes will open Wednesday.

The I-96 Flex Route, which runs from Kent Lake Road to the I-275/I-696/M-5 interchange will open March 19.

The left shoulders will be used as flex lanes during typical morning and afternoon rush hour congestion. They will also be open during traffic incidents and other events that cause congestion as needed.

Eastbound I-96’s flex lane will be open from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. The flex lane on Westbound I-96 will be open from 3:30 p.m. until 6 p.m.

The electronic signs above the road will indicate when the lane is open. A green arrow means the lane is open, while a red X means it’s closed and it will be illegal to drive in it. The flex lanes will be opened only when it is safe to do so.

Michigan’s Flex Routes are monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by MDOT’s transportation operations centers. The center is made up of dispatchers from MDOT and MSP.

“The agencies share resources and information by monitoring traffic sensors, distress calls and video feeds from closed-circuit TV cameras,” the press release about the flex lane opening said. “Not only do overhead signs indicate when the flex lanes are open, but they also allow TOC operators to direct traffic around incidents that block a lane. The signs can also display suggested speeds ahead of slowdowns or traffic incidents, improving safety.”

Ramp meters, which are traffic signals placed on entrance ramps to manage the flow of traffic entering the freeway during periods of heavy congestion, will be activated soon. When the meters are activated, drivers will stop at the red signal then enter the freeway when the green signal is shown. Officials said this will improve traffic flow by reducing stop-and-go traffic as well as crashes.

The first Flex Route in the state was built along US-23 between M-14 and M-36 in Livingston and Washtenaw counties. A project to extend that Flex Route north to I-96 is currently underway.