Latest news with #RestoretheReuther
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
WB I-696 roadwork to close lanes for more than a week starting May 9
All lanes of a stretch of Interstate 696 in Oakland County will be shut down starting at 9 p.m. on May 9, and are scheduled to remain closed through 5 a.m. on May 19. Eastbound lanes on a stretch from the Telegraph Road/Lodge Freeway exit through Interstate 75 have been closed since March 3, a shutdown expected to last into 2027. Starting Friday night, the westbound lanes from Southfield Road to Lahser Road will also be closed, so work crews can demolish the Church Street plaza bridge. "We are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to grow our economy," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said last month of the state's road improvements, adding the efforts help "Michiganders go to work, drop their kids off at school and run errands safely." Workers will take down 170 concrete beams. For that, westbound I-696 traffic is set to be rerouted to southbound I-75, westbound Davison Highway (M-8) and northbound Lodge Freeway (M-10) to get back onto westbound I-696. There also will be a local westbound lane with access to Bermuda Street, Woodward Avenue (M-1) and Coolidge Highway. One of Whitmer's campaign slogans when she ran in 2018 was "Fix the damn roads." Since then, she has sought to live up to it, including offering a $3 billion plan earlier this year that includes funds to help local communities fix local roads. As part of Michigan's ongoing roadway construction project, MDOT said, 60 bridges are being repaired, including the rebuilding of the Church Street Plaza bridge that includes Victoria Park. More: Michigan road funding efforts have stalled before. Can new plans break the traffic jam? A walkway detour will be in place during the construction. Demolition has already begun on the eastbound side of the Church Street plaza bridge. Next year, westbound I-696 will be rebuilt from I-75 to Lahser Road; and the last phase of the Restore the Reuther project will rebuild I-696 in 2025-2026, and in 2027, I-696 will have major road work done between I-75 and Dequindre Road. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: I-696 construction to close WB lanes from May 9-19: Detours to know
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Westbound I-696 roadwork to close lanes for more than a week in May
Additional lanes — and later, an entire section — of Interstate 696 are set to close next week, eventually requiring a detour, the Michigan Department of Transportation announced. Beginning at 7 a.m. April 21 through late July, work on the median of westbound I-696, from Southfield to Lahser roads will temporarily narrow to just two lanes, which could lead to traffic delays. Then, next month, starting at 9 p.m. May 9 and running for more than a week until 5 a.m. May 19, westbound I-696 will be closed from I-75 to M-10 so work crews can demolish the Church Street plaza bridge. "We are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to grow our economy," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said this week of the state's road improvements, adding the efforts help "Michiganders go to work, drop their kids off at school and run errands safely." Workers will take down 170 concrete beams. For that, westbound I-696 traffic is set to be rerouted to southbound I-75, westbound M-8 (Davison Highway) and northbound M-10 (Lodge Freeway) to get back onto westbound I-696. There also will be a local westbound lane with access to Bermuda Street, M-1 (Woodward Avenue) and Coolidge Highway. One of Whitmer's campaign slogans when she ran in 2018 was "Fix the damn roads." Since then, she has sought to live up to it, including offering a $3 billion plan earlier this year that includes funds to help local communities fix local roads. As part of Michigan's ongoing roadway construction project, MDOT said, 60 bridges are being repaired, including the rebuilding of the Church Street Plaza bridge that includes Victoria Park. More: Michigan road funding efforts have stalled before. Can new plans break the traffic jam? A walkway detour will be in place during the construction. The eastbound side of the Church Street plaza bridge is set to be demolished beginning May 1 for approximately 10 days that will only affect the eastbound side of the freeway, which is already closed. Next year, westbound I-696 will be rebuilt from I-75 to Lahser Road; and the last phase of the Restore the Reuther project will rebuild I-696 in 2025-2026, and in 2027, I-696 will have major road work done between I-75 and Dequindre Road. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: I-696 roadwork to close WB lanes for more than a week in May
CBS News
18-04-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Additional lane closures announced for Interstate 696 in Oakland County
Additional lane closures will begin Monday on Interstate 696 in Oakland County as the Michigan Department of Transportation continues work along the freeway. Starting 7 a.m. Monday, and continuing through late July, westbound I-696 will be limited to two lanes from Southfield Road to Lahser Road because of median work. This is in addition to a planned closure of westbound I-696 between I-75 to M-10 that will be in effect from May 9 to May 19. The closure will allow the demolition of the Church Street plaza bridge, including the breakup of 170 concrete beams. The temporary closure of westbound I-696 will result in a detour via 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 demolition of the Church Street plaza bridge on the east side begins May 1. But the eastbound section of I-696 in that area is already closed. The final phase of the Restore the Reuther project involves rebuilding I-696 in 2025-2026, while in 2027, I-696 will have major road work done between I-75 and Dequindre Road.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Yahoo
Giraffe spotted in a truck • Detroit officer charged for inappropriate texts to 6th grader • I-696 closure
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A giraffe was spotted in the back of a pickup truck driving in Macomb County, a Detroit police officer is charged for sending inappropriate texts to 6th grader stepdaughter, and what to know about the I-696 closure: here are the top stories from FOX 2's Week in Review. 1. Giraffe in Detroit: Animal spotted in bed of pickup is 100% realA giraffe in the back of a truck turns out to be precisely what it looked like for a Metro Detroit driver. A driver spotted the exotic creature in the bed of a Ford pickup truck in Macomb County. Turns out it was owned by Darren Wehner who works at St. Clair Flats Taxidermy. 2. 'Delete these messages': Detroit cop accused of illicit texts to 6th grade stepdaughterA Detroit Police Officer and stepdad to a 6th grade girl is suspended from the force and facing prison time after Warren police said he sent inappropriate texts to his stepdaughter. Earl Raynard Anderson Jr. is charged with accosting a child for immoral purposes, after Warren Police said he sent his 12-year-old stepdaughter inappropriate texts and encouraged her to delete them. 3. Cause of death for two Detroit children who died in casino parking garageThe two children who police said froze to death at Greektown Casino in their family vehicle died from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office. On Monday, Feb. 10, Tateona Williams and her family, who were experiencing homelessness, were inside their van at Detroit's Greektown Casino. Inside were her five children. 4. Pontiac mother in court, attorney believes social media may lead to unfair trialThe Pontiac mother accused of abandoning three of her kids returned to court on Tuesday. Kelli Bryant's attorney told the judge she's concerned Bryant may not get a fair trial because of information shared in media reports and on social media. 5. I-696 closure: Three things to knowThe second phase of the Restore the Reuther project begins on Monday with all eastbound lanes of I-696 closing on Monday – sending Oakland County drivers searching for alternate routes. It's the final phase in the massive multi-year project and will take roughly two years before traffic is back open in both directions. 6. Madison Heights resident display vulgar anti-Trump signs, sparking controversyIt was part of a collection of anti-Trump lawn signage with some language we can't show you on television. So neighbors along Osmun Street don't want their kids to see it either. "Everybody's like shocked and disgusted about it," said one neighbor. "Not obviously everybody feels the same way that she does. But why is she allowed to portray this horrible opinion in view of children?" 7. Utica mother demands answers after teacher allegedly forces child to clean bathroomAn angry mother is asking for answers after she says her special-needs son was forced to clean up another child's urine by a teacher. "His principal made him clean up another child's urine off of the bathroom floor because he was the last one in the bathroom, so that made him responsible," she said. 8. Five transported to hospital from chemical leak at Frankenmuth's Splash VillageFive people were hospitalized after a chemical leak at Zehnder's Splash Village in Frankenmuth Tuesday, according to the fire department. The chlorine leak happened on the Tantrum Twist Family Raft Ride at about 11:21 a.m. and five guests were treated at the scene, then transported to an area hospital for chemical inhalation. 9. Pleasant Ridge estate sale at the home of Royal Oak's 'Noir Leather' founderIt is definitely not your mom's sleepy estate sale, and you'll soon see why: the odd, the bizarre, the kinky—and a lot of them are one of a kind. The FOX 2 blurring tools got their workout with this story, carefully crafting our angles to showcase this one-of-a-kind estate sale, where Aaron Siepierski works. 10. 'This is not normal': Watch Democrat's sign ripped away as Trump entersDuring President Donald Trump's first major speech to Congress since returning to the White House for a second term, he was greeted by protesting Democrats, many of whom held signs against the administration. While not officially a State of the Union address, the event carries all the hallmarks of one, with lawmakers from both chambers filling the House chamber as Trump lays out his administration's priorities.
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
