(WXYZ) — The massive I-696 construction project that's expected to span two years kicked off Monday here in metro Detroit, as crews began putting up barriers around 9 a.m.
MDOT'S WEBSITE BREAKS DOWN CURRENT CONSTRUCTION AND TRAFFIC UPDATES
The Michigan Department of Transportation is doing a complete reconstruction of both the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-696 from Lahser Road all the way across Oakland County to I-75.
RELATED VIDEO: Where exactly is I-696 closed and how do you get around it
According to Diane Cross with MDOT, crews have taken eastbound I-696 to one lane from Middlebelt to M-10, and then by Monday afternoon, it will become two lanes and those two lanes will get detoured to Southbound M-10. They expect all of eastbound I-696 to be closed by around 2 p.m.
Related Video: Watch the interview with MDOT's Diane Cross about the project
Only months ago was the construction project of I-696 completed from I-275 to Lahser. Now, it's on to the next phase.
MDOT says I-696 is old and crumbling and temporary pothole fixes just won't do the trick anymore. They’re investing $250 million to redo both the eastbound and westbound lanes, as well as improving 60 bridges, including the large bridge near 10 Mile and Greenfield roads where hanging icicles are a common problem.
Related Video: Chopper 7 shows crews begin work on I-696
Both sides of the freeway will eventually be fixed. Westbound drivers will always be able to get through I-696 during construction regardless of which side of the freeway MDOT crews are working on.
However, when it comes to eastbound drivers, they will have to take a lengthy detour.
MDOT says they recognize some drivers may not follow the official detour and will take mile roads instead, and that’s where some of the headaches and traffic will be.
"Learn more than one way to get to work, because even if you don't use 696, if you use any other mile road in Oakland County, you are going to see heavier traffic on that eastbound route. Our commute does take you 25 miles down into Detroit and Highland Park because we have to look at the big picture of moving large quantities of traffic. Drivers can use any road they want and you know they're going to use a lot of the eastbound mile roads, so everybody here is going to be affected, not just those that aren't going to be able to use 696," said MDOT's Diane Cross.
Approximately 100,000 drivers are expected to be affected by the construction every day for two years. MDOT understands the frustrations some drivers will have, but says the end result will be well worth it and that no more large construction projects will plague the area for over 20 years.
