I-696 Restore The Ruther Westbound Update

I-696 has been a hassle for 6 months now. Drivers are getting used to the detours set up for them.

 Six months after the construction began on I-696, the Michigan Department of Transportation gave an update on the ongoing project.

The eight-mile stretch from I-75 to the Lodge is causing headaches for thousands of drivers, including me, who would normally travel on I-696.

Brian Travis, a construction engineer with MDOT. “So, a lot that’s still happening.” “We have a ton of concrete that’s been paved, and we’re working on 60 bridges throughout the corridor.

I-696 westbound is about 95% finished, according to their website

A few months from now westbound lanes will be open for drivers. Early Christmas gift for most of us.

Let me say that crews have done an amazing job. The result will be something to be proud of.

The eastbound lanes will be closed through next year. In a few months, drivers heading westbound on I-696 will be back on the westbound lanes.

After the eastbound lanes are complete, the project will shift to reconstructing the westbound side, with major work also occurring between I-75 and Dequindre in 2027. 

For the latest, most up-to-date information, it is recommended to check official Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) resources or local news sources. 

The "696 history" is a 28-mile freeway built between 1961 and 1989 that faced significant community opposition, environmental challenges, and legal hurdles, particularly for its central section.

 Originally planned as "I-98" in the 1950s, the freeway was completed in three phases, with the final section opening on December 15, 1989.

The project involved unique compromises, such as building landscaped pedestrian plazas over the freeway to accommodate the Orthodox Jewish community in Oak Park. 

Construction officially started in 1961, with the western third of the freeway opening between 1963 and 1964. 

The central segment of I-696 was finally completed and opened on December 15, 1989.