Crews Will Rebuild Part Of I-696 In Oakland County: Officials

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — A $275 million major road construction project is on the horizon in Oakland County, the Michigan Department of Transportation announced.

Starting next year, construction crews will rebuild Interstate 696 from Interstate 275 to Evergreen Road in Oakland County, state officials said.

Crews will start preparing the freeway for the project in mid-October by widening the freeway's westbound shoulders from Evergreen Road to Interstate 275, adding temporary median crossovers and repairing pavement, officials said.

The project will begin sometime in 2023, when the eastbound lanes on the freeway will be completely closed from Interstate 275 to Evergreen Road as crews rebuild the road, officials said.

The work will include rebuilding the road from the base up, replacing storm sewers and rebuilding ramps at Orchard Lake Road, American Drive, Franklin Road, Michigan 10 (Northwestern Highway) and US-24 (Telegraph Road).

Work on the westbound lanes will start sometime in 2024, officials said.

The project is part of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Rebuilding Michigan program, which aims to rebuild Michigan's highways and bridges that are critical to the state's economy and carry the most traffic, officials said.

The $275 million project is expected to directly and indirectly support 3,500 jobs, officials said.