Skip to main content

I-96 Flex Route project update: Eastbound I-96 lane closure, complete closure and traffic shift in Oakland County

MILFORD, Mich. - Work continues on the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) I-96 Flex Route project in Oakland County.
Beginning 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, eastbound I-96 will have one lane open from South Hill Road to Old Plank Road for guardrail repairs.

Beginning 5 to 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, eastbound I-96 will be closed from Milford Road to Wixom Road for overhead sign installation. Traffic will be detoured via southbound Milford Road to eastbound Grand River Avenue, then northbound Wixom Road to eastbound I-96.

In addition, eastbound I-96 will have a traffic shift from Beck Road to I-275 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. The right lane will be closed, as well as the following ramps:

  •          The eastbound I-96 ramps to Milford Road, Wixom Road, and southbound I-275/M-5.
  •          The Milford Road ramps to eastbound I-96.

Local traffic can use Wixom Road to re-enter eastbound I-96.

Finding for this project is made possible by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Rebuilding Michigan program to rebuild the state highways and bridges that are critical to the state's economy and carry the most traffic. The investment strategy is aimed at fixes that result in longer useful lives and improves the condition of the state's infrastructure.

Based on economic modeling, this $269 million investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 3,416 jobs.

There may be additional lane and ramp closures on this stretch of the project. For up-to-date information on the I-96 Flex Route, go to DrivingOakland.org.

I-96 Rebuilding Michigan project profile

Project Update:
Work continues on the I-96 Flex Route project as the second season of this three-season construction project nears completion. To date, the eastbound I-96 lanes from Kent Lake Road to I-275 have been rebuilt with concrete, with the exception of just under a 1-mile stretch of pavement west of Novi Road. This remaining stretch will be paved once work is completed on a large box culvert that carries the Walled Lake branch of the Rouge River. When all eastbound lanes are completed, traffic will be shifted to the new pavement from Kent Lake Road to I-275 and the ramps to and from Novi Road will reopen. Crews will then turn their focus to the median of I-96, where construction of the eastbound I-96 flex lane, valley gutter, median barrier wall, and remaining culvert sections will take place from Wixom Road to I-275. Once this work is completed in late fall, I-96 traffic will return to its normal configuration for the winter, with three lanes open in each direction and all on and off ramps open. Drivers will notice many large sign supports being installed in the median and on the outside of eastbound I-96. These are in preparation for the overhead lane assignment signs for the eventual use of the flex lanes, which will be operational at the end of 2024 when the project is completed.

As always, please feel free to contact the project team with any questions: MDOT-I96FlexRoute@Michigan.gov.
You can also check our Driving Oakland website for additional information.

Rebuilding Michigan I-96 Flex Route
Trimming aggregate base in preparation for concrete paving

Rebuilding Michigan I-96 Flex Route
18-footby 24-foot box culvert Walled Lake branch of Rouge River

Media Contact: