OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – What do businesses, delivery drivers, college campuses, and commuters have in common?
Tens of thousands of them will all be impacted by the upcoming closure of I-696.
The closure, which goes into effect on March 1, will affect the eastbound lanes of I-696 between Lahser Road in Southfield and I-75 in Royal Oak.
“All of the neighborhood businesses, everyone’s concerned,” said Rafi Rahmn.
He works at Sahara Restaurant & Grill, which is located at the corner of 10 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway, just off of I-696.
The restaurant had been there in that location since 2011 and recently underwent renovations.
Now, he worries how many customers will be coming over the course of the two-year closure.
“We have lunch and dinner business, so a lot of customers come from Southfield, Greenfield, and the westside, so when they close 696, it’s going to affect everybody over here,” Rahmn said.
DoorDash driver Maurice McGill is also worried about how the closure will impact his livelihood.
“I use 696 for my corridor going from Southfield to Royal Oak,” said McGill, who remembers the I-75 closure very well and not fondly. He says it was “Horrible. I didn’t know where I was going, lost, traffic jams, not to mention.”
On Tuesday (Feb. 4) night, MDOT invited community members to learn more about the project and the detours around it.
Oakland Community College has five locations and says this will also impact its students and staff.
In addition to planning ahead, they’re reminding students that they can arrange their classes around the extended closure.
“We will communicate information to our students and employees with links to the MDOT website for the most up-to-date news to help them plan their routes. Fortunately, OCC offers flexible course modalities--including online, hybrid, and on campus--to meet our students' needs and support them in planning their schedules.”