Construction is ongoing on Interstate 96, as seen here from the Wixom Road bridge on June 6. The freeway is now temporarily shifted to only two lanes in either direction on the westbound side of the highway.
By: Charity Meier | Novi Note | Published June 22, 2022
NOVI — Daily commutes will now take a little longer as Interstate 96 has been reduced to two lanes from Kent Lake to Wixom Roads because the I-96 Flex Route project has moved into its next phase.
All eastbound I-96 traffic from Kent Lake Road to Wixom Road has been shifted across the median until late fall. Eastbound I-96 is reduced to two lanes approaching Kent Lake Road and then shifted across the median to the westbound lanes. During the traffic shift, there are two lanes open in each direction on the westbound side of I-96. Westbound I-96 will continue to have two lanes open from Wixom to Kent Lake roads with all on and off ramps open.
As part of the traffic shift, the following ramps will be closed until late fall:
• The northbound and southbound Kent Lake Road ramps to eastbound I-96.
• The eastbound I-96 exit to Milford Road.
• The northbound and southbound Milford Road ramps to eastbound I-96.
• The eastbound I-96 exit to Wixom Road.
“I don’t know that we’re seeing a spike in crashes as a result of (construction), but a lot of traffic delays and a lot of speeding through the zone before they get caught,” Sgt. Chris Wicklund, of the Michigan State Police Metro North Post in Oak Park, said of the construction during the Flex Route Project. “It is inconvenient for motorists, and I know they get frustrated, as there’s definitely a delay with traffic backing up.”
The project will install an active traffic management system (flex lane) on I-96 from Kent Lake Road to the Interstate 275/Interstate 696/M-5 interchange. The Flex Route will consist of intermittent shoulder use and ramp metering at eight ramps within the project limits. The system will post variable speed advisories and traveler information using electronic message boards. The median shoulders will be rebuilt during the project to be used as the additional flex lanes during peak travel periods, special events, maintenance activities, and incidents or crashes.
“In the 96 Flex Route case, it will be the eastbound I-96 direction in the a.m. hours, probably 6 a.m.-9 a.m., the shoulder can be used as a lane. And in the 3 p.m.-7 p.m. hours, the westbound I-96 direction will be able to use the shoulder,” MDOT media representative Diane Cross stated in an email.
According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, the route will feature gantries, lane control signs, message boards, cameras and detection to allow part-time, peak-period median shoulder use; to provide queue warning and variable speed advisories; and to facilitate incident management.
Ramp metering will be done at eight entrance ramps to help reduce congestion and improve travel time reliability and safety by breaking up entering traffic groups. There will also be seven crash investigation sites along outside shoulders to provide for the clearance of incidents. All eastbound and westbound lanes and shoulders will be rebuilt from Kent Lake Road to approximately 3,200 feet east into the I-275 interchange, and the existing 9-foot outside paved shoulders will be widened to 10 feet.
The project will also:
• Rebuild ramps, except at the Kent Lake, Wixom and Beck road interchanges.
• Repair pavement for the existing Wixom and Beck road ramps.
• Improve the Beck Road carpool lot.
• Improve 11 bridges and one box culvert, and build 11 replacement or new box culverts.
“The project is over the next three years. This first year is on schedule,” Cross said.
According to MDOT, the I-96 Flex Route project and its $269 million investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 3,429 jobs.
There may be additional changes to this stretch of the project. For up-to-date information on the I-96 Flex Route, go to DrivingOakland.org.