Westbound I-696 ramps connecting with both northbound and southbound I-75 in Oakland County are due to reopen on Monday, August 31, easing one of the major disruptions caused by the Restore the Reuther project.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) said the ramps would become available during the day, with final work including moving concrete barrier walls, covering and uncovering signs, and applying new road markings.
Diane Cross, an MDOT representative, said the reopening would not necessarily be in place for the morning rush hour but was expected to be ready for the afternoon commute.
“We have to move barrier wall. We have to cover and uncover signs,” she said. “We’ve got to put down new pavement markings. So it’s not a matter of just nine o’clock, boom, the ramps are open.”
The westbound I-696 ramps to I-75 have been closed since February 28 while crews rebuilt ramp foundations, drainage systems and pavement, alongside improvements to the interchange bridges. Drivers have faced lengthy diversions via Van Dyke Avenue, 8 Mile Road and M-59.
MDOT said the ramps would remain open for the rest of the year once they reopened. However, eastbound I-696 remains closed and traffic is still operating under a wider construction arrangement between M-10 and I-75.
The Restore the Reuther scheme involves rebuilding a roughly 10-mile section of I-696 in Oakland County and repairing 60 bridges. Further major work between I-75 and Dequindre Road, including roadway, bridge and drainage improvements, is planned for 2027.
MDOT expects both directions of I-696 and the associated ramps to be open by the end of 2026, although construction activity will continue in the area next year. ([michigan.gov](https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/news-outreach/pressreleases/2026/02/24/reminder-i-696-i-75-interchange-ramps-closed-beginning-feb-28-as-part-of-restore-the-reuther-project))
