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The local lanes of Interstate 96 at the Southfield Freeway on Detroit’s west side remain closed months after sinkhole repairs began, Detroit station WXYZ reported on September 16, 2026. Michigan Department of Transportation manager Adam Penzenstadler told the station that crews are working 50 feet below the freeway surface on a leaking storm pipe, which is why passing drivers see little activity. MDOT said it hopes to reopen the lanes by the end of the year but cannot guarantee that date.
Drivers who rely on the I-96 local lanes should keep using the express lanes or nearby surface exits and keep budgeting extra travel time through December, because the closure has already outlasted its original March target by months. Visitors driving into the city can pair that extra buffer with our ranked guide to things to do in Detroit so a delayed arrival does not spoil dinner, show or museum reservations.
- Status: The eastbound I-96 local lanes at M-39, the Southfield Freeway, in Detroit remain closed as of September 16, 2026.
- Cause: A leaking 7-foot-diameter storm pipe about 50 feet below the roadway undermined the pavement, MDOT manager Adam Penzenstadler told WXYZ.
- History: MDOT closed the local lanes in February 2026 after sinkholes first appeared on nearby M-39 ramps in November 2025.
- Reopening target: MDOT hopes to finish repairs by the end of 2026 but says it cannot promise that date.
- Detour: Through traffic can use the I-96 express lanes while local drivers exit at Evergreen and cut over to Grand River.
Sinkhole Damage Forced the February Closure
MDOT closed the I-96 local lanes in February 2026 and originally expected to finish the work in March, but the project has slipped repeatedly as crews found more damage underground. The agency discovered two sinkholes in the two right local lanes near M-39 last fall, and Penzenstadler told WXYZ the pavement had dropped about 2 and 1 half feet across a 125-foot stretch. That scale of settlement meant a simple patch could not carry freeway traffic safely.
The earlier trouble started on the ramps: in a November 12, 2025 notice, MDOT said the beginnings of two sinkholes were found November 10 in the two right lanes of the local entrance ramps from M-39 to eastbound I-96. That notice closed the northbound and southbound M-39 ramps to the eastbound local lanes while keeping the express lane ramps open. The agency said a broken drainage pipe deep below the road was carrying water away to a pump station before it failed.
What West Side Drivers Should Do Now
West side residents told WXYZ the closure has upended daily commutes, with one driver saying missing the Evergreen exit means being carried past home on the express lanes to Grand River, then doubling back on surface streets toward Schaefer. Drivers making that trip should treat Evergreen as the last useful off ramp and decide before it whether they need a local exit. Through travelers who do not need a west side exit can simply stay in the express lanes past the work zone.
MDOT confirmed the closure was still in place earlier this month: its September 2, 2026 holiday travel notice lists the eastbound I-96 local lanes as closed at M-39 even while other restrictions were lifted statewide. That makes the express lanes the only reliable I-96 path through the interchange for now. Allow extra minutes on every trip that touches the local exits, especially at morning and evening peaks when neighborhood detours fill.
MDOT Drone Survey Guides the Repair Plan
The repair keeps growing because the pipe keeps leaking in new spots, Penzenstadler told WXYZ. He said crews believed they had fixed the original sinkholes and started rebuilding the roadway when pavement a couple hundred feet farther along began leaking and sinking again. To stop that cycle, MDOT hired a contractor to fly a drone through 7 miles of the pipe searching for additional leaks that could cause further delays.
Much of the active work is invisible from the road because crews dug a pit and are working 50 feet below the freeway surface, Penzenstadler said. Drone footage shared with the station showed workers busy inside the deep excavation even as residents described the site as idle from behind the wheel. Drivers should not read a quiet surface as a sign the lanes are about to reopen.
End of Year Reopening Target
Asked for a reopening date, Penzenstadler told WXYZ the department hopes to have everything open by the end of this year while cautioning that he cannot say so for certain until the current pipe repair is complete. That hope is not a promise, so travelers should plan fall and early winter Detroit driving as if the local lanes stay shut. Anyone booking tight connections around holiday travel should build the detour into the schedule now rather than waiting for a firmer date.
The long timeline fits the pattern MDOT has described since last year, when it said the repair schedule was unknown because it depended on what crews found inside the drainage pipe and on weather. Each newly found leak has effectively restarted part of that clock. Until MDOT announces a fixed opening day, consider the end of year target the earliest plausible relief, not the likely one.
How Detroit Visitors Can Plan Around the Work Zone
Travelers flying into Detroit or crossing the border and then driving into the city face the same work zone as commuters, so rental car itineraries should include the same buffer. The closure sits on the west side at M-39, which feeds downtown and the Ambassador Bridge corridor, so airport runs and cross border trips can both slow at peaks. Our Detroit coverage includes the July 2026 opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, another reason more drivers are routing through the west side this year.
Hotel and restaurant reservations need no change, but departure alarms might: leave 15 to 20 minutes earlier than navigation apps suggest for any trip using the I-96 local exits, and recheck conditions on MDOT channels before setting out. Evening interstate closures for unrelated bridge demolition work have also touched this stretch, so confirm the day’s configuration rather than assuming yesterday’s route still works.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Need a west side local exit off I-96 | Exit at Evergreen or earlier and use Grand River and Schaefer, allowing extra time. |
| Are passing through Detroit on I-96 | Stay in the express lanes past M-39 and skip the closed local lanes entirely. |
| Have a timed reservation downtown | Leave 15 to 20 minutes early and recheck MDOT conditions before departing. |
| Drive the route daily through December | Keep the detour in your routine until MDOT names a firm reopening date. |
September 16, 2026 is the confirmation gate. WXYZ reports the local lanes remain closed and MDOT targets the end of the year, so keep detours in every plan made from today forward.
End of December 2026 is the hope gate, not a promise. Do not book tight connections that require the local lanes until MDOT announces a fixed opening day.
Every travel day is a recheck gate. Weekend demolition work has closed even the express lanes on this stretch, so verify the current configuration before each trip.
Are the I-96 local lanes in Detroit open right now?
No. WXYZ reported on September 16, 2026 that the local lanes at the Southfield Freeway remain closed, and MDOT listed them as closed in its September 2, 2026 notice.
Why is the I-96 closure taking so long?
MDOT says a leaking storm pipe about 50 feet below the road keeps undermining repaired sections, and crews found a new leak a couple hundred feet from the original fix. A drone survey of 7 miles of pipe is hunting for more leaks.
When will the I-96 local lanes reopen?
MDOT manager Adam Penzenstadler told WXYZ the agency hopes to reopen the lanes by the end of 2026 but cannot guarantee that date until the current pipe repair is complete.
Which detour should drivers use?
Stay in the I-96 express lanes for through trips, or exit at Evergreen and use Grand River toward Schaefer for local destinations. Allow extra time at peak hours.
