Downriver Today

Starting this week, renovation is expected to begin on eastbound and westbound I-96 between Kent Lake Road and the I-275/M-5/I-696 interchange in Oakland County, according to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Rep. Samantha Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills) said in a podcast that the infrastructure project would allow motorists to travel more efficiently.

"This is the kind of transportation infrastructure work I love most. It's using what we have in a smarter way to accommodate our current and future needs,” said Steckloff. "Historically, this kind of capacity addition would be wildly expensive due to everything from purchasing right-of-ways to physical road expansion. As the ranking member of the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, my biggest priority is finding efficient transportation capacity growth opportunities, just like this. I have been a frequent user of the U.S.-23 flex route system into Ann Arbor, and I've seen what it's been able to achieve. I can't wait to see the state's next installation of this technology right here in Oakland County and to use it on my drives to and from Lansing."

According to a press release by the governor’s office, the renovation of the roadway is being funded through Gov. Whitmer's Rebuilding Michigan program, a three-year development project to be done in six stages with the first stage being initiated this week with the improvements on eastbound and westbound I-96.

The I-96 Flex Route project involves renovating the median shoulders to be utilized during rush hours, sign enhancements, traffic management installation involving “intelligent transportation systems (ITS) equipment, overhead gantry installation and ramp signals” for merging traffic onto the highway, according to the release.

The release reports that drivers will be notified of travel data and speed concerns through electronic message boards with the initial flex route being fitted on U.S.-23 north of Ann Arbor, in Washtenaw and Livingston counties.