Flooding Shuts Down I-696 In Both Directions Monday Evening
SOUTFIELD (WWJ) - Driving in Southeast Michigan was quite a doozy Monday night.
Heavy rains hitting the metro Detroit area, beginning in the late afternoon, caused major flooding on local roads and freeways.
The worst of it was along I-696 where all lanes of the freeway were flooded on the eastbound side near Evergreen Road. Traffic was backed up for several miles during the afternoon rush, with tipsters telling WWJ they had been waiting in a line for over an hour just trying to get onto the freeway in Southfield.
Eastbound I-696 was completely closed at M-10, the Lodge Freeway, and the westbound side of I-696 was also completely closed at Southfield Road. Also, the Telegraph Road ramp to eastbound I-696 and the M-10 ramp to eastbound 696 were closed due to flooding.
The freeway was closed for hours until the water subsided.
Royal Oak resident Christy Strawser, calling WWJ from where she was stuck, said drivers on 696 were doing whatever they could to try to get to up to the surface streets.
"People are actually lined up the wrong way to get off the Evergreen Road exit for easily a mile," Strawser said. "I mean, I can't even see the end of the line of cars going the wrong way; it just stretches so far."
Flooding was also reported elsewhere in metro Detroit, including:
- M-59 in both directions between Mound Rd. and Van Dyke
- Northbound I-75 after 9 Mile Rd. (this has since cleared)
- M-39 ramp to eastbound I-96
- Northbound M-39 under Joy Road
- Woodward Ave. and 14 Mile Rd. in Royal Oak
- Orchard Lake Road and Powers in West Bloomfield.
A Flash Flood Warning was issued until 9:45 p.m. for north central Wayne County, southeastern Oakland County and southwestern Macomb County.
As the rain continues, more flooding is possible. Keep it tuned to WWJ for the very latest during traffic and weather on the 8s. [CLICK HERE to visit our real-time traffic page].
