
One of Michigan’s Main Highways Shutting Down Until 2027 This Spring
We always joke that Michigan actually has five seasons consisting of the normal four and then the construction season which grace is us every year.
People who live in Kalamazoo don’t need to be reminded of the construction projects that took place over the course of 2024, which caused a major disruption to local businesses all over the city. What’s even worse is when a major highway that gets people from point A to point B is facing construction and slowdowns.

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But just about the worst thing you can deal with is a major closure of a highway, which is what’s happening in Michigan this spring. The state has announced that eastbound 696 in Oakland County will be shutting down until 2027, as Freep reported:
Big changes are coming to a stretch of Interstate 696 in Oakland County. Eastbound lanes of the Walter P. Reuther Freeway will close between Lahser Road in Southfield and I-75 in Royal Oak starting March 1; this closure will last until late 2027 as part of the final phase of the sweeping “Restore the Reuther” project. While both sides of the freeway will undergo reconstruction, only eastbound traffic will be detoured.
This is going to be a major detour and will no doubt affected the way people get to work, home, and in general travel. Below, you can see a graphic of the detour and notes about the project.
MDOT says the closure is due to repairs that need to be done to rebuild the roadway, bridgework, and drainage structures.
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MDOT