MDOT continues I-696 Restore the Reuther project with westbound lanes

SOUTHFIELD — After being delayed multiple times due to winter weather conditions Jan. 12, 16, 22 and 23, the bridge work scheduled for east of Telegraph Road as part of the Restore the Reuther project was rescheduled again tentatively for Jan. 25. On Thursday morning, the Michigan Department of Transportation will reassess winter conditions and equipment to evaluate whether they can start construction that day or later this month.

MDOT announced several lane and ramp closures now through early May:

• Northbound M-10, from south of Lahser to the westbound Interstate 696 entrance ramp.

• Westbound I-696, from Lahser to M-10, with two lanes open.

• Evergreen Road ramp to westbound I-696.

• Lahser Road ramp to westbound I-696.

• Northbound Telegraph Road ramp to northbound M-10.

Westbound I-696 traffic will be detoured to northbound M-10 and back to westbound I-696. MDOT informed residents that I-696 will have three lanes open in both directions between Interstate 275 and U.S. 24 until the spring. In the spring, work will begin again in this area, and traffic will go down to two lanes.

“We’ll start as soon as we can in the spring, and it will be done by the end of the year. And then, in the future, we’re going to be working further east on 696, going from roughly the Lahser/Evergreen area out towards (Interstate) 75. That project will start up in the next year or two. So we’re taking care of the west end of it. And then we’ll move and do the east end of it in Oakland County,” said Diane Cross, MDOT’s metro region media representative.

Cross explained that this work is part of the $275 million Restore the Reuther project, made possible through the Rebuilding Michigan program, which covers $258 million of the project, with $20.2 million in federal funding and a state funding match of $2.2 million.

“We are always pleased to see MDOT’s reinvestment in one of the major arteries through our city,” Southfield Mayor Ken Siver stated. “I-696 is a very important and heavily traveled freeway in Southfield. It serves our businesses and residents daily.”

Southfield Detective Anthonie Korkis, who handles the traffic investigations for the city, emphasized the importance of patience for drivers commuting through the construction zones. “I think patience is a big word that people need to put into their repertoire, especially when operating on busy roadways, such as on the freeways during rush hour time. Southfield Road is another major one; 11 Mile Road actually … rose through the ranks and made the top 10 for crashes and injuries last year.”

Detective Korkis explained that one of Southfield’s busiest intersections, 12 Mile and Southfield roads, ranked No. 5 in 2022 as one of the most dangerous intersections in metro Detroit. “That intersection has a lot of retail there. We also have a lot of traffic lights there. Our officers patrol heavily on Telegraph, and we still seem to see an uptick in over 100 crashes at that specific intersection every single year,” he said. “I think people are just distracted and in a rush, and to be honest, with the technology nowadays that’s in cars and on phones, nobody is really paying attention.”

Korkis added that it’s no longer just texting that poses a threat to drivers. Checking Facebook Marketplace, changing a song on Spotify or scrolling on social media are all common occurrences he encounters.

“I think it’s having the world in your hands,” he said. “It’s convenient for people to do that. They never think it’s going to happen to them until they get to a minor or major accident.”

He explained that Oakland County ranked second in the state with the most crashes in 2022, with 34,000 crashes in one year. “That’s just shy of 100 crashes per day throughout the entire county,” he said.

With the construction, Korkis encourages drivers to be patient and alert and follow the flow of traffic to ensure the safety of other drivers and construction workers at the site.

For more information on the Restore the Reuther project, visit drivingoakland.com/i696-west.