More I-696 Ramp Closures in Oakland County

The Michigan Department of Transportation has added more ramp closures along I-696 in Oakland County as its multi-year Restore the Reuther reconstruction continues through 2026. The work is centered on the corridor between M-10 and I-75, including the Royal Oak area, where drivers have already been navigating a long-running eastbound closure and repeated interchange changes. MDOT said a westbound I-696 shared ramp to Lahser Road, US-24 and M-10 closed May 4 and will remain shut through the summer. The agency has also kept key I-75 interchange movements closed or restricted in phases as crews rebuild the freeway and ramps. ### Which ramps are closed now? MDOT said the westbound I-696 shared ramp at Exit 10 to Lahser Road, US-24, also known as Telegraph Road, and M-10, also known as Northwestern Highway, closed on May 4 for the summer. The closure is part of the Restore the Reuther project in Oakland County, the agency said in an April notice and an April 29 reminder. (michigan.gov) The I-75 interchange has also been operating under phased closures. MDOT said in March that the southbound I-75 ramp to westbound I-696 would close in early April through early summer, when the entire interchange was scheduled to reopen. Earlier notices in February said various interchange ramps would close beginning Feb. 28 as the next phase of work began. (michigan.gov) ### How does this fit into the larger I-696 project? MDOT has described Restore the Reuther as a multi-year reconstruction of I-696 in Oakland County. Patch reported in 2024 that the work was the final part of a $275 million project to rebuild the freeway, and MDOT notices this year describe the current closures as part of that same ongoing effort. (michigan.gov) Eastbound I-696 remains the biggest long-term traffic change in the area. MDOT said eastbound I-696 is closed and detoured from M-10 to I-75 through late 2026, while westbound traffic in the area of the I-75 interchange has been shifted onto the newly rebuilt eastbound side. ### Why are Royal Oak drivers seeing heavier traffic on local roads? (patch.com) Royal Oak-area traffic has been pushed onto alternate routes because the freeway work removes direct ramp access and forces detours around the closed segments. MDOT has said drivers should expect delays and use signed detours during the closures. Patch has separately reported that commuters around Royal Oak should plan for longer travel times as additional ramps shut down during the project. (michigan.gov) The detour pattern changes depending on which ramp is closed, but the effect is cumulative. With eastbound I-696 already detoured for the long term and summer ramp closures layered on top, drivers who normally use the Woodward, I-75, Telegraph or M-10 connections can face extra time on surface streets and alternate freeway approaches. That is an inference drawn from MDOT’s closure notices and detour descriptions. (michigan.gov) ### What should drivers watch next? MDOT has said some of the spring closures are tied to milestones later this summer. The southbound I-75 ramp to westbound I-696 was scheduled to stay closed through early summer, when MDOT said the full interchange would reopen. The westbound I-696 shared ramp to Lahser Road, US-24 and M-10 is scheduled to remain closed through the summer. (michigan.gov) Through late 2026, MDOT said eastbound I-696 will remain closed and detoured from M-10 to I-75 while the larger rebuild continues. The agency has been issuing project-specific press releases and reminders as phases change, and those notices are where drivers can find the next reopening or closure dates. (michigan.gov) (michigan.gov)