I-96 Flex Route flex lanes will be available Wednesday, March 19, in Oakland County

Fast facts:

• The flex lanes along I-96 between Kent Lake Road and the I-275/I-696/M-5 interchange will be available for use as part of the Flex Route beginning Wednesday, March 19.
• Green arrows on electronic signs over the left shoulders will indicate when the flex lanes are open for use. A red X indicates the flex lane is not open and driving in it would be illegal.
• Speeds posted on the electronic signs are suggested speeds to help reduce crashes and slow traffic prior to a congested area.
• Ramp meters will be activated soon, helping to manage traffic entering the freeway.

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. - The I-96 Flex Route along I-96 in Oakland County from Kent Lake Road to the I-275/I-696/M-5 interchange will be available starting Wednesday, March 19, increasing road safety and efficiency. The left shoulders will be used as flex lanes during typical congestion in the morning and evening (and as needed during traffic incidents or other events that cause congestion):

• Eastbound I-96: 6 - 9 a.m.
• Westbound I-96: 3:30 - 6 p.m.

A green arrow shown on the electronic signs above will indicate when the shoulder flex lanes are open. A red X means the flex lane is closed and driving on the shoulder is illegal at that time. The flex lanes will be opened only when it is safe to do so.

MDOT's Flex Routes are monitored by the department's transportation operations centers (TOCs), 24/7/365 operations that house dispatchers from MDOT and Michigan State Police. The agencies share resources and information by monitoring traffic sensors, distress calls and video feeds from closed-circuit TV cameras.

Not only do overhead signs indicate when the flex lanes are open, but they also allow TOC operators to direct traffic around incidents that block a lane. The signs can also display suggested speeds ahead of slowdowns or traffic incidents, improving safety.

Ramp meters will be activated soon, which are traffic signals placed on entrance ramps to manage the flow of traffic entering the freeway during periods of heavy congestion. When activated, drivers will stop at the red signal, then enter the freeway when the green signal is shown. This helps reduce stop-and-go traffic as well as crashes, improving traffic flow.

The first Flex Route in Michigan was built along US-23 between M-14 and M-36 (9 Mile Road) in Livingston and Washtenaw counties. A project is currently underway to extend that Flex Route north all the way to I-96.

Flex routes make use of the current road infrastructure to address directional congestion (heavy commuter traffic in one direction in the morning, then the other direction in the evening) at a much lower cost than building new lanes and shoulders, as well as widening bridges/overpasses and purchasing all the needed right of way to make room for such expansion.