I-696 Westbound Lanes Close Through Fall 2026 for Reconstruction Project

Westbound I-696 shut down between I-75 and Telegraph Road on Saturday, Nov. 15. Work will continue until fall 2026. This reconstruction work affects roughly 100,000 drivers who pass through Oakland County each day. The Michigan Department of Transportation shifted westbound traffic onto the rebuilt eastbound lanes.

"A lot of preparation has to happen this weekend to push traffic to the other side," said Brian Travis, MDOT spokesperson, according to Click on Detroit. Construction crews hauled temporary concrete barrier walls from the west side over to the east. They painted new pavement markings. Fresh signage went up throughout the corridor.

The shutdown blocks access to several entrance and exit ramps. Couzens Avenue, Bermuda/Hilton Road, Coolidge Highway, Greenfield Road, and Evergreen Road ramps will remain closed on both eastbound and westbound sides during this phase.

Just four entrance and exit points will remain open on westbound I-696: I-75, Woodward Avenue, Southfield Road and the Telegraph Road/Lodge Freeway/Lahser Road interchange. 

Miss your westbound entrance? You'll have to exit at I-75 and circle back to find another entry point. A decision point at Couzens Avenue forces drivers to pick: keep heading west or merge onto I-75.

Diane Cross, Public Information Officer with MDOT, warned about bottlenecks at the few access points left open. "We're going to have heavier traffic at Woodward and Southfield, because those are the only parts where you can get on and off. And so that's going to be frustrating until people figure it out," Cross said, per Hoodline.

In 2027, additional construction starts from I-75 to Dequindre Road, covering bridge improvements and drainage structures.

MDOT urges drivers to plan alternate routes and budget extra travel time during peak commuting hours. Traffic updates and detour information are available at Michigan.gov/Drive.