Birmingham and Bloomfield Township commuters who use Woodward Avenue to reach westbound I-696 will get their freeway access back Thursday, July 30, at 5 p.m.

MDOT announced Tuesday, July 28, that the M-1/Woodward on-ramp to westbound I-696 will reopen after roughly two months of closure as part of the Restore the Reuther project, according to WXYZ. The Woodward off-ramp from westbound I-696 follows on Thursday, August 6, at 9 a.m.

But the swap comes at a cost for drivers farther west. The Southfield Road on-ramp to westbound I-696 closes Friday, July 31, at 9 a.m., and the westbound off-ramp to Southfield Road closes Friday, August 7, at 9 a.m.

What's happening on I-696

Westbound I-696 traffic is currently shifted onto the rebuilt eastbound lanes between I-75 and M-10 while crews rebuild the original westbound pavement. Eastbound I-696 from Lahser Road to I-75 has been fully closed since construction began in March 2025, with traffic detoured via southbound M-10, eastbound M-8 (Davison Highway), and northbound I-75.

Only a limited number of ramps remain open at any given time. MDOT is rotating access as work progresses along the corridor.

Dates to know

  • Thursday, July 30, 5 p.m. — Woodward Ave on-ramp to WB I-696 reopens
  • Friday, July 31, 9 a.m. — Southfield Rd on-ramp to WB I-696 closes
  • Thursday, August 6, 9 a.m. — WB I-696 off-ramp to Woodward Ave reopens
  • Friday, August 7, 9 a.m. — WB I-696 off-ramp to Southfield Rd closes

Other closures still in effect

Northbound Main Street remains closed from Woodward Avenue to 10 Mile Road for approximately two months. The Church Street Plaza bridge over I-696 is closed through fall 2026. The eastbound I-696 service drive at Woodward is maintaining two lanes for bridge deck patching and signal upgrades.

The bigger picture

The current work is the final phase of the Restore the Reuther project, a $275 million rebuilding of I-696 across Oakland County, according to MDOT project manager Brian Travis. In an April 2025 episode of MDOT's Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Travis described the scope: crews are replacing all pavement, repairing most barrier wall, replacing storm sewer, and making repairs to nearly 60 bridges along the corridor.

"The pain is worth it. For a couple of years the benefit will outweigh any added commute time that folks have right now," Travis said in that April 2025 interview.

MDOT says eastbound I-696 and all ramps along the construction zone are set to reopen before the end of 2026.

Drivers can check live closures and detours on the Driving Oakland I-696 project tracker. For project questions, MDOT's public information line is 248-930-1777.