Westbound I-696 back open on rebuilt lanes; Woodward exit due Saturday

Westbound I-696 reopened Monday morning, Oct. 12, between I-75 and the Lodge Freeway after a weekend closure that shifted traffic onto the newly rebuilt westbound lanes, CBS Detroit reported.

Most westbound exit ramps between I-75 and M-10 are open again, according to WXYZ. The exception is the Woodward Avenue off-ramp, which stays closed until Saturday, Oct. 17 while crews resurface the westbound 10 Mile Road service drive.

The Michigan Department of Transportation said the weekend lane shift was the second-to-last step of its Restore the Reuther project, WXYZ reported.

What's open now

The ramps MDOT planned to reopen Monday, according to FOX 2 Detroit:

• I-75
• Campbell/Hilton and Bermuda/Mohawk
• M-1/Woodward (on-ramp only)
• Coolidge
• Greenfield
• Southfield
• Evergreen
• Lahser
• US-24/Telegraph

Our earlier story has details on the weekend closure.

Eastbound still closed

Eastbound I-696 remains closed between the Lodge and I-75 while crews finish crossover work. MDOT expects it to reopen before the end of 2026, CBS Detroit reported. No exact date has been announced.

Drivers have lived with closures in the corridor for months. "It just feels like literally everything is under construction all the time," one driver told WXYZ.

Next year

The work isn't over after this year. I-696 between I-75 and Dequindre is scheduled for work in 2027, WDET reported. From about mid-April through fall 2027, that stretch will drop to two lanes in each direction, according to WXYZ.

This story uses reporting from CBS Detroit, WXYZ, FOX 2 Detroit and WDET.