18-05-2025
696 construction: Bridge demolition finishes early, road re-opens
OAK PARK, MICH (Fox 2) - Originally set to be closed through Monday, the section of I-696 from I-75 to M-10 re-opened Saturday when crews finished work two days early.
The Church Street bridge demolition began May 9.
The demolition is ongoing on the eastbound side of the road, which will be closed through late 2026, but the westbound side has re-opened.
During the closure, crews also did repair work on bridges west of the Church Street plaza.
Eastbound 696 was closed in early March for a two-year project to rebuild both sides of the freeway. During the next 24 months, traffic on 696 will only go west. Crews are rebuilding the eastbound side of the highway first before shifting to the westbound side. When they make that move, westbound traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lanes.
The Source
FOX 2 spoke with the Michigan Department of Transportation for details on the road construction.
