Interstate 696

Interstate 696
Interstate 696
Walter P. Reuther Freeway
	I-696 highlighted in red
Route information
	Auxiliary route of I-96
	Maintained by MDOT
Length	28.368 mi (45.654 km)
Existed	1963–present
History	Construction started in 1961 and completed December 15, 1989
NHS	Entire route
Restrictions	No flammable or explosive cargo between M-10 and I-75
Major junctions
West end	I-96 / I-275 / M-5 in Farmington Hills
	US 24 / M-10 in Southfield; M-1 in Royal Oak; I-75 near Royal Oak; M-53 in Center Line; M-97 in Warren; M-3 in Roseville;
East end	I-94 in St. Clair Shores
Location
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Counties	Oakland, Macomb
Highway system
	Interstate Highway System; Main; Auxiliary; Suffixed; Business; Future; Michigan State Trunkline Highway System; Interstate; US; State; Byways;

Interstate 696 (I-696) is an east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway in the Metro Detroit region of the US state of Michigan. The state trunkline highway is also known as the Walter P. Reuther Freeway, named for the prominent auto industry union head by the Michigan Legislature in 1971. I-696 is a bypass route, detouring around the city of Detroit through the city's northern suburbs in Oakland and Macomb counties. It starts by branching off I-96 and I-275 at its western terminus in Farmington Hills, and runs through suburbs including Southfield, Royal Oak and Warren before merging into I-94 at St. Clair Shores on the east end. It has eight lanes for most of its length and is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of downtown Detroit. I-696 connects to other freeways such as I-75 (Chrysler Freeway) and M-10 (Lodge Freeway). Local residents sometimes refer to I-696 as "The Autobahn of Detroit".

Planning for the freeway started in the 1950s. Michigan state officials proposed the designation I-98, but this was not approved. Construction started on the first segment in 1961, and the Lodge Freeway was designated Business Spur Interstate 696 (BS I-696) the following year. The western third of the freeway opened in 1963, and the eastern third was completed in January 1979. The central segment was the subject of much controversy during the 1960s and 1970s. Various municipalities along this stretch argued over the routing of the freeway such that the governor locked several officials into a room overnight until they would agree to a routing. Later, various groups used federal environmental regulations to force changes to the freeway. The Orthodox Jewish community in Oak Park was concerned about pedestrian access across the freeway; I-696 was built with a set of parks on overpasses to accommodate their needs. The Detroit Zoo and the City of Detroit also fought components of the freeway design. These concessions delayed the completion of I-696 until December 15, 1989. Since completion, the speed limit was raised from 55 to 70 miles per hour (89 to 113 km/h). In addition, some interchanges were reconfigured in 2006.

^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference brown was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (n.d.). "Truck Driver's Guidebook: Hazardous Materials". The Border Center's WasteWatcher. National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
^ Michigan Department of Transportation (2021). Next Generation PR Finder (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 11, 2021.

[brown-1] Cite error: The named reference brown was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[cargo-2] National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (n.d.). "Truck Driver's Guidebook: Hazardous Materials". The Border Center's WasteWatcher. National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2012.

[PRFA-3] Michigan Department of Transportation (2021). Next Generation PR Finder (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 11, 2021.

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