Westbound I-96 Reconstruction Starts Monday in Livonia and Plymouth Township

The Michigan Department of Transportation kicks off reconstruction Monday on the westbound stretch of I-96 where it merges into M-14 at I-275. Work will span from Sheldon Road to Newburgh Road in Livonia and Plymouth Township.

Traffic gets redirected to the freshly rebuilt eastbound lanes during construction. Two lanes remain open in each direction.

"They're going to start seeing crews bringing in traffic control. We have to bring in barrels and signs and I believe the second week of March, we're going to start bringing in a barrier wall," said MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross according to WXYZ.

Ramp closures will disrupt traffic patterns over the next few months. MDOT shuts down the northbound I-275 ramp to west M-14 in the second week of March. A couple weeks after that, the west M-14/I-96 ramp to south I-275 closes.

Come June, officials shut down south I-275 to west M-14. Crews must demolish and rebuild the westbound side completely.

"It's cause we're tearing up the westbound side. We're going to be rebuilding that this year. We can't have any traffic on it and unfortunately, it affects drivers at this interchange," Cross said.

Commuters already endured months of construction on the eastbound side. Justin Radecki, who drives from Livonia, plans to tweak his schedule for this new phase. He'll wake up 30 minutes earlier to make sure he arrives on time.

Nicolas Smith showed acceptance after hitting a pothole and filling his tire with air. "I don't complain too much about construction," Smith said. "If we don't have it, we have more potholes. At least I see my tax dollars in action."

Another driver named Demings travels for work and sees both sides. "I like that the roads are getting fixed. It's a slight inconvenience because I travel for work," Demings said. "It's bittersweet. It needs to be done, so I'm OK with it."