On this week’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with Brian Travis, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) project manager overseeing the rebuilding of the central segment of I-696.

The work will begin in March and continue through most of 2027, and involves closing the eastbound lanes of I-696 from M-10 and Lahser Road east to I-75.

Travis explains that this is the last of three phases of the "Restore the Reuther" project, a $275 million rebuilding of the freeway. In 2019, the state completed work along the easternmost portion, along with the western end in 2023 and 2024.

A complete closure makes sense, Travis says, for the safety of drivers and the construction contractor’s employees.

Travis also talks about the history of the freeway, which was originally conceived as I-98 in the earliest discussion of the Interstate system. The center segment was completed years later than the eastern and western portions because of various obstacles, including a lack of agreement among community leaders on the corridor about the exact route. Progress came about only after then-Michigan Gov. George Romney forced the various leaders to gather in a room and come to an agreement.