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Crews to close ramps on WB I-696 before major traffic shift -- what drivers need to know

Ramp closures begin 8 p.m. Nov. 14

Diane Cross, Public Information Officer with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), provided Local 4 with insights into the extensive I-696 project set to impact drivers starting this weekend. (Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.)

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Crews will soon be shifting traffic from westbound I-696 to the newly rebuilt eastbound side of I-696 as construction continues.

The Michigan Department of Transportation posted ramp closures for this weekend as part of the next phase of the 2-year construction project to begin the full transition to the other side of the freeway.

Depending on when work is done, westbound I-696 traffic will be shifted to the newly built eastbound side either Sunday night or Monday morning. In the meantime, ramp closures are expected to begin Friday night and will remain closed through the weekend.

Here are the ramp closures drivers should be aware of ahead of the traffic shift on I-696:

Ramps to I-696 closing

Beginning 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, to 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 17, the following entrance ramps to westbound I-696 will be closed

  • Couzens Avenue
  • Bermuda/Hilton Road
  • M-1 (Woodward Avenue)
  • Coolidge Highway
  • Greenfield Road
  • Southfield Road
  • Evergreen Road 

Drivers can re-enter at the Lodge Freeway and Laser Road.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, to 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 17, the following ramps will be closed:

  • The northbound and southbound ramps to westbound I-696 will be closed.
  • Westbound I-696 will be closed from I-75 to Lahser Road. The suggested detour is southbound I-75, westbound M-8 (Davison Freeway) and northbound M-10 (Lodge Freeway).

Beginning 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 17, through late 2026, westbound I-696 will have three lanes open from I-75 to Lahser Road, with only the following entrance/exit ramps open:

  • I-75
  • M-1 (Woodward Avenue)
  • Southfield Road
  • US-24 (Telegraph Road)/M-10 (Lodge Freeway)/Lahser Road 

Extended ramp closures

The following westbound exit/entrance ramps will be closed through late 2026 (all eastbound ramps will remain closed as well):

  • Couzens Avenue
  • Bermuda/Hilton Road
  • Coolidge Highway
  • Greenfield Road
  • Evergreen Road

MDOT said the final phase of the Restore the Reuther project involves completing the rebuilding of I-696 in 2026, while in 2027, I-696 will have major road work done between I-75 and Dequindre Road. That work includes rebuilding the roadway, bridge improvements and drainage structures.

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