Latest news with #DianeCross
CBS News
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Section of 10 Mile reopens as more Interstate 696 closures go into effect
As the Michigan Department of Transportation crews continue working along Interstate 696, a stretch of westbound 10 Mile Road is reopening to traffic. A planned closure of westbound I-696 goes into effect starting Friday, and is expected to last for 10 days. That closure will allow the demolition of the Church Street plaza bridge, including the breakup of 170 concrete beams. Just in time for the full closure of I-696 for bridge demolition. Westbound 10 Mile Road, Woodward Avenue to Scotia, has reopened to traffic. Drive safely. — Oakland County Roads, Michigan (@oaklandroads) May 9, 2025 The temporary closure of westbound I-696 means there will be a detour along I-75, M-8 (Davison Freeway) and M-10 (Lodge Freeway). There will also be a local westbound lane open with access to Bermuda Street, M-1 (Woodward Avenue) and Coolidge Highway. The transportation department reminded commuters to keep a close eye on the latest closures as they venture out in the coming weeks and months. "You should check before you head out. Whatever map or traffic service you use, we have where we show you construction and crash locations, but you've got to use something, you've got to have some idea what's going on the roads," Diane Cross, with the Michigan Department of Transportation's Metro Region communications team, said. "Some people listen to traffic, some watch it in the morning, but you've got to have a plan. And, you also need to know more than one way to get to work or get home, because stuff like this, suddenly you can't use West 696. So what do you do? So even if you don't use the freeway, if you use local roads, you're going to have a lot more traffic on those local roads." The "Restore the Reuther" project isn't slated to wrap up until 2027. contributed to this report.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oakland County I-96 Flex Route opens for Wednesday rush hour
Some new lanes are now available for use — at least some of the time — on Interstate 96 in Oakland County. The I-96 Flex Route, with a lane that opens during rush hours and when deemed necessary by officials, opened for use in the Novi area Wednesday morning. Here's what to know: A flex route is essentially a lane of traffic that is open some of the time to ease congestion on roadways. The idea is to ease that congestion when it's necessary without the massive cost of creating permanent new lanes, said Diane Cross, Michigan Department of Transportation communications representative for metro Detroit. Creating a new lane requires building new shoulders on the road and, in this case, grappling with wetland use, she said. Instead, the state got dispensation to use already existing left shoulders, at times, to offer another lane to drivers, she said. 'We really are busy a few hours a day,' Cross said of the stretch of I-96. The new I-96 Flex Route is on part of the stretch of the freeway from Novi to Brighton, but it stops a little bit before Brighton. It's between Kent Lake Road in the area of New Hudson, above South Lyon, and the I-275/I-696/M-5 interchange in Novi. It touches Lyon Township and Wixom, as well. The eastbound I-96 flex lane will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. weekdays. The westbound I-96 flex lane will be open from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., also on weekdays. Officials may also choose to open the lanes when there's a crash or congestion at other times, but Cross indicated that would probably be rare. Officials don't just flip a switch to turn on the flex lanes, but have to take other steps including sending a van to check that the lanes are clear and safe before it can open. More: Michigan road funding efforts have stalled before. Can new plans break the traffic jam? To be clear, drivers don't get to make the call that it's an OK time to use the flex lanes. Using the flex lanes when not officially open by officials could result in a ticket. Look for the green arrows. The flex lane is set off with yellow lines, denoting that it is technically a shoulder of the road. Above it are electronic message signs. When the message signs show a green arrow, the flex lane is open and may be used. When a red X shows on the message board instead of a green arrow, the flex lane is closed. Again, use of the flex lane when there's a red X could lead to a citation. The signs may also flash suggested speed limits. The idea is to help drivers slow down before congested areas or spots with crashes. They aren't up and running yet, but in a few weeks it is expected the state will begin the use of ramp meters on eight ramps along this same stretch of I-96 in Oakland County, Cross said. These ramps will split into two lanes before they merge onto the freeway, and each will have their own signals, she said. More: Higher fees for heavyweights? Whitmer targets heavy trucks in new road funding plan Green and red lights will indicate to drivers when they can enter the highway. The key difference from a normal traffic signal is that motorists in one lane may get the green 'go' signal while the lane next to it still has a red 'stop' signal,' by Cross' description. The goal is to reduce stop-and-go traffic and crashes. These are new in the state, Cross said. The flex lanes aren't. The state first opened a flex route in 2017 on U.S. 23 north of Ann Arbor. A project is underway to extend that route to I-96. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oakland County I-96 Flex Route opens: What to know
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Eastbound I-696 closure in Michigan begins today, will last for 2 years: Map, what to know
It is here. Starting Monday and for the next two years, motorists won't be able to take eastbound Interstate 696 through the southernmost part of eastern Oakland County. It will affect residents in Ferndale, Oak Park, Huntington Woods, Madison Heights, Warren, Pleasant Ridge and beyond. It's part of a larger multi-year road project called 'Restore the Reuther,' so named for I-696's other moniker, Walter P. Reuther Freeway. Here's what to know about the I-696 closure, a map of where the closure takes place and why it's happening. Starting Monday, March 3, the eastbound lanes of I-696 will close between Lahser Road, in the area of the John C. Lodge Freeway, in Southfield and I-75 in Royal Oak. Two years, from March 2025 until 2027. Starting at 9 a.m. March 3, crews will begin marking pavement, closing ramps and closing lanes to the selected section of eastbound I-696, according to a Feb. 24 news release from the Michigan Department of Transportation. By afternoon, that portion of the freeway is expected to be fully closed, according to an MDOT news release. "Westbound traffic will be maintained while eastbound and westbound I-696 are rebuilt between Lahser Road and I-75," MDOT said in the release. "However, eastbound traffic will be detoured for two years via southbound M-10 (Lodge Freeway), eastbound M-8 (Davison Highway) and northbound I-75 back to eastbound I-696." Drivers who would have otherwise taken the closed eastbound portion of I-696 will be detoured down through Highland Park on their way back to eastbound I-696. Drivers will be directed south on the Lodge Freeway, also known as M-10, to the Davison Freeway, or M-8, and then will be sent north up I-75 until they reconnect with eastbound I-696. Eastbound drivers not taking the detour can still exit the freeway at Telegraph Road or Lahser, but those who need that eastbound I-696 path all the way through will start their detour at Telegraph Road before Lahser, Diane Cross, MDOT communications representative for the metro Detroit area, previously told the Free Press. She noted motorists are legally allowed to take other routes, besides the closed portion of eastbound I-696, and it will take quite some time to learn how traffic shifts. Drivers may take different roads from one day to the next. People should start checking out their routes ahead of time and give time for the region to get used to the change, she said. 'Just give us a few weeks, it will settle down,' she said. More: Gov. Whitmer wants $3B for Michigan roads: Here's where it would come from No. Even though westbound I-696 will be reconstructed, too, westbound travelers won't need a detour. Officials plan to simply shift the westbound traffic around parts of the freeway they are working on during the project. The most heavily trafficked portion of the stretch is used by about 200,000 drivers daily, Cross said. The I-696 interchange with I-75 is among the most used in the state. Sign up for our Daily Briefing newsletter today to get the Free Press in your inbox. ] Road work. The road was built in the 1980s and is overdue for major work, the Free Press previously reported. The state has been working on various phases of the 'Restore the Reuther' project, with other portions of I-696 already seeing a facelift and lane closures. During this two-year stint, the closed section is expected to be rebuilt. Then in 2027, I-696 between I-75 and Dequindre Road will get some major work. Bridges and drainage structures will be addressed, with 60 bridges expected to be repaired. That includes the plaza on the Church Street bridge in Oak Park home to playscapes and walking paths. Prior reporting by Bill Laytner of the Free Press contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: I-696 closure in Michigan begins today: Map, what to know
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Eastbound I-696 closure in Michigan begins today, will last for 2 years: Map, what to know
It is here. Starting Monday and for the next two years, motorists won't be able to take eastbound Interstate 696 through the southernmost part of eastern Oakland County. It will affect residents in Ferndale, Oak Park, Huntington Woods, Madison Heights, Warren, Pleasant Ridge and beyond. It's part of a larger multi-year road project called 'Restore the Reuther,' so named for I-696's other moniker, Walter P. Reuther Freeway. Here's what to know about the I-696 closure, a map of where the closure takes place and why it's happening. Starting Monday, March 3, the eastbound lanes of I-696 will close between Lahser Road, in the area of the John C. Lodge Freeway, in Southfield and I-75 in Royal Oak. Two years, from March 2025 until 2027. Starting at 9 a.m. March 3, crews will begin marking pavement, closing ramps and closing lanes to the selected section of eastbound I-696, according to a Feb. 24 news release from the Michigan Department of Transportation. By afternoon, that portion of the freeway is expected to be fully closed, according to an MDOT news release. "Westbound traffic will be maintained while eastbound and westbound I-696 are rebuilt between Lahser Road and I-75," MDOT said in the release. "However, eastbound traffic will be detoured for two years via southbound M-10 (Lodge Freeway), eastbound M-8 (Davison Highway) and northbound I-75 back to eastbound I-696." Drivers who would have otherwise taken the closed eastbound portion of I-696 will be detoured down through Highland Park on their way back to eastbound I-696. Drivers will be directed south on the Lodge Freeway, also known as M-10, to the Davison Freeway, or M-8, and then will be sent north up I-75 until they reconnect with eastbound I-696. Eastbound drivers not taking the detour can still exit the freeway at Telegraph Road or Lahser, but those who need that eastbound I-696 path all the way through will start their detour at Telegraph Road before Lahser, Diane Cross, MDOT communications representative for the metro Detroit area, previously told the Free Press. She noted motorists are legally allowed to take other routes, besides the closed portion of eastbound I-696, and it will take quite some time to learn how traffic shifts. Drivers may take different roads from one day to the next. People should start checking out their routes ahead of time and give time for the region to get used to the change, she said. 'Just give us a few weeks, it will settle down,' she said. More: Gov. Whitmer wants $3B for Michigan roads: Here's where it would come from No. Even though westbound I-696 will be reconstructed, too, westbound travelers won't need a detour. Officials plan to simply shift the westbound traffic around parts of the freeway they are working on during the project. The most heavily trafficked portion of the stretch is used by about 200,000 drivers daily, Cross said. The I-696 interchange with I-75 is among the most used in the state. Sign up for our Daily Briefing newsletter today to get the Free Press in your inbox. ] Road work. The road was built in the 1980s and is overdue for major work, the Free Press previously reported. The state has been working on various phases of the 'Restore the Reuther' project, with other portions of I-696 already seeing a facelift and lane closures. During this two-year stint, the closed section is expected to be rebuilt. Then in 2027, I-696 between I-75 and Dequindre Road will get some major work. Bridges and drainage structures will be addressed, with 60 bridges expected to be repaired. That includes the plaza on the Church Street bridge in Oak Park home to playscapes and walking paths. Prior reporting by Bill Laytner of the Free Press contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: I-696 closure in Michigan begins today: Map, what to know
Axios
28-02-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Metro Detroit commuters face lengthy I-696 closure
Commuters beware: Prolonged traffic pain around I-696 starts Monday. Why it matters: The closure of 10 miles of I-696's eastbound lanes will force about 100,000 drivers daily to take a lengthy detour for the next two years, according to MDOT. The latest: Work was supposed to start Saturday. But weather complications have delayed construction crews until 9am on Monday. Zoom in: The closure stretches from the Lodge Freeway in Southfield to I-75 near Hazel Park. Drivers must take an approximately 25-mile detour from the Lodge to the Davison Freeway to northbound I-75, which connects back to I-696. Eastbound lanes are expected to be fully closed by Monday afternoon. Yes, but: Westbound traffic will be maintained during construction on the eastbound lanes, which is expected to last about a year. Rebuilding the westbound lanes after that will take another year. What they're saying: Traffic congestion is expected to peak during the next few weeks as drivers figure out their most efficient alternative routes, MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross tells Axios. Many drivers are expected to use east-west Mile roads such as 12 Mile and 14 Mile to get around, she says. Zoom out: The closure is the last phase of MDOT's Restore the Reuther Project, which dates to 2018 and will rebuild all 28 miles of I-696 from I-94 to I-275, per Crain's. The project's total cost is about $530 million. In addition to the highway, 60 bridges will be repaired in the work zone over the next two years. The big picture: The project is tied to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Rebuilding Michigan program to improve the most-traveled state highways and bridges that are key to the state's economy. What we're watching: How much rush-hour congestion trickles from I-696 onto city streets in suburbs like Royal Oak and Southfield. The bottom line: Ramps to Lahser, Evergreen, Southfield, Greenfield, Coolidge, Woodward and Campbell/Hilton will be closed during construction.
