More work on I-696 in Oakland County kicked off Monday, with a full closure of the highway planned for several days next month.
According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, westbound I-696 will now only have two lanes open from Southfield to Lahser roads for median work. That will go through late July.
It's part of work on the Restore the Reuther project, which is reconstructing both directions of I-696 between I-75 and Lahser over the next two years. During the project, eastbound I-696 is fully closed.
However, starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, May 9 and lasting until 5 a.m. on Monday, May 19, westbound I-696 will also close from I-75 to M-10 for bridge demolition.
Crews will be demolishing the Church Street plaza bridge. The closure is required so crews can safely demolish 170 concrete beams and clean up debris from the construction.
The detour for the project will be southbound I-75 to westbound M-8 to northbound M-10 and then back to westbound I-696.
There will be one local westbound lane open that has access to Bermuda St., Woodward Ave. and Coolidge Highway.
