FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) - A serious crash along the eastbound lanes of I-696 in Oakland County have further reduced a congested construction zone to one lane during Friday's busy morning commute.
WWJ's Mike Campbell reported live from the scene at 7 a.m. where it is taking over 40 minutes for drivers to get through the area between Drake Road and the Orchard Lake Road exit in Farmington Hills after a semi truck and passenger vehicle crashed around 4 a.m. on February 23.
"So it's after you come over the Drake [Road] hill and before you get to Orchard Lake, there's a semi on the right shoulder and you have first responders in the right shoulder and right lane," Campbell explained.
The crash occurred in a construction zone as part of the Restore the Reuther project. Crews are currently preparing to shift both directions of traffic to the eastbound I-696 side between I-275 and M-10 while crews rebuild the westbound side from M-10 to I-275.
"This... has been reduced to two lanes," Campbell added. "So you effectively have one lane of travel and obviously that's going to cause a backup."
Campbell noticed the semi truck and the vehicle involved in the crash on his way into Southfield at around 4:30 a.m., stating that semi truck appeared to have its front wheels splayed and its bumper on the ground.
"The skid marks were from the left lane, so I don't know if the truck was trying to avoid rear ending the car or if the car moved in front of the truck, but either way it's caused this backup," he said.
At this time, there is no word on any injuries or possible causalities. First Lt. Mike Shaw with the Michigan State Police said they are still working on gathering more information.
Drivers are being urged to avoid the area as crews continue to work the scene. No time frame for clean up was provided.
WWJ traffic reporter Michelle Peña said drivers were backed up all the way to the I-96/M-5/I-275/I-696 interchange with wait times varying between 40 and 60 minutes.
Additional updates are expected to be released when it becomes available.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest updates as they become available. >>> LISTEN LIVE!