By: Mark Vest | Farmington Press | Published March 22, 2023
FARMINGTON/FARMINGTON HILLS — The Michigan Department of Transportation has announced numerous ramp closures that will affect local motorists through late fall.
The northbound US-24 (Telegraph Road) ramp to eastbound Interstate 696; the eastbound I-696 ramp to American Drive; the southbound Orchard Lake Road ramp to eastbound I-696; and the northbound Orchard Lake Road ramp to westbound I-696 will all be completely closed.
Once the shift is completed, there will be two lanes in each direction of I-696 sharing the current westbound side through the end of the year. In 2024, all traffic will be shifted to the newly rebuilt eastbound side to reconstruct the westbound side.
MDOT shared the following detours:
• The northbound I-275 ramp and all M-5 ramps to eastbound I-696 should use eastbound M-5 to eastbound M-102 (Eight Mile Road) to northbound US-24, then to eastbound I-696.
• The eastbound I-696 ramp to Orchard Lake Road should use northbound Novi Road to eastbound 12 Mile Road to southbound M-10, then to eastbound I-696.
• The Orchard Lake ramps to eastbound I-696 will use northbound Orchard Lake Road to eastbound 12 Mile Road to southbound M-10, then to eastbound I-696.
• The southbound M-10 ramp and southbound Lahser Road ramp to eastbound I-696 will use the northbound Lahser Road ramp to eastbound I-696.
• The northbound US-24 ramp to eastbound I-696 will use southbound M-10 to northbound Lahser Road, then to eastbound I-696.
• The eastbound I-696 ramp to American Drive will use southbound M-10 to southbound US-24 to westbound Franklin Road, then to American Drive.
• The northbound Orchard Lake ramp to westbound I-696 will use northbound Orchard Lake Road to westbound 12 Mile Road to southbound M-5, then to eastbound I-96.
“Drivers will need to allow for extra time to commute due to the reduced lanes and the ramp closures,” the release from MDOT states.
According to the release, the $275 million project includes rebuilding the roadway from the base up, including storm sewer replacement work and rebuilding ramps at Orchard Lake Road, American Drive, Franklin Road and US-24.
During 2023, eastbound I-696 will be rebuilt from I-275 to east of US-24. Westbound lanes will be rebuilt in 2024.
Project details can be found at drivingoakland.com.
“Funding for this project is made possible by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan program to rebuild the state highways and bridges that are critical to the state’s economy and carry the most traffic,” the release states. “The investment strategy is aimed at fixes that result in longer useful lives and improve the condition of the state’s infrastructure.”
According to the release, based on economic modeling, the investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 3,500 jobs.