ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Drivers in Oakland County will face new construction-related closures on westbound I-696 at Woodward Avenue starting Monday morning.
The Michigan Department of Transportation is closing the westbound I-696 off-ramp at Woodward Avenue at 9 a.m. Monday. The on-ramp to westbound I-696 at Woodward will close later in the week on Thursday.
With the off-ramp closed, the next available freeway access will primarily be at Southfield Road to the west or I-75 to the east.
The closures are part of MDOT's Restore the Reuther multi-million dollar project. MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross says the ramps are being closed to make important repairs to the freeway's bridges.
"No one would want us to do the freeway and not do the bridges. You don't want to drive under the bridge or on a bridge that is not being kept up to current standards and safety and all of that," Cross said.
Cross is encouraging drivers to give themselves extra time this week as they navigate the closures and detours.
"You'll see thousands of drivers using the mile roads as they make their way westbound because of this closure of Woodward. It is going to be very rough especially in the first couple of weeks as people try different routes every single day," Cross said.
Royal Oak resident Christian Flack, who works in Warren, said the closure will impact his daily commute.
"I live off a main street here, so I get off on Woodward every day. It's already been pretty rough, getting down to the single lane. Sometimes it takes an extra ten minutes just to get off that exit so… it'll be tough," Flack said.
Flack said he plans to monitor the situation before changing his route.
"I'll probably just try to eat it for the first couple of days, see how it goes, and then if it's bad enough, I'll have to find a different route, maybe take 12 mile or something," Flack said.
Some drivers say the closures are frustrating but necessary.
"It's inconvenient but they have to do what they have to do I guess, as long if it's better than it was before than we're perfectly fine with it," Detroit driver Jarriel Brown said.
Driver Michelle Harris echoed that sentiment.
"You know life happens, we just have to make lemonade," Harris said.
MDOT expects construction on westbound I-696 to be complete by the end of the year.
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