Planning and initial construction I-696 is part of the original
Interstate Highway System as outlined in 1956–58. As originally proposed by the
Michigan State Highway Department, the freeway would have been numbered I-98. Construction started in 1961. The Lodge Freeway, the first segment of which opened in 1957, was given the Business Spur I-696 designation in 1962. The first segment of I-696 built was the western third of the completed freeway which opened in 1963–1964 at a cost of $16.6 million (equivalent to $ in ). This section ran from I-96 in Novi east to the Lodge Freeway in Southfield. The then-unfinished freeway was named for Walter P. Reuther, former leader of the
United Auto Workers labor union after he and his wife died in a plane crash on May 9, 1970. The next year the
Michigan Legislature approved the naming by passing Senate Concurrent Resolution 57. In the late 1970s, during the second phase of construction, lobbying efforts and lawsuits attempted to block construction of the central section. If successful, the efforts would have left the freeway with a gap in the middle between the first (western) and second (eastern) phases of construction. By the time the eastern freeway segment was initially opened in January 1979 between I-94 and I-75, the signage for M-6 was removed and replaced with I-696 signage; it cost $200 million (equivalent to $ in ) to complete. Arguments between local officials were so intense that during the 1960s, then-Governor
George W. Romney once locked fighting bureaucrats in a community center until they would agree on a path for the freeway. During the 1970s, local groups used then-new environmental regulations to oppose the Interstate. Lathrup Village later withdrew from a planning agreement in 1971; had that agreement been implemented, construction on the central section was scheduled to commence in 1974 and finish in 1976. The community of
Orthodox Jews in Oak Park wanted the freeway to pass to the north of their suburb. When this was deemed to be futile, the community asked for changes to the design that would mitigate the impact of the freeway to the pedestrian-dependent community. Final approval in 1981 of the freeway's alignment was contingent on these mitigation measures. To address the community's unique needs, the state hired a rabbi to serve as a consultant on the project. They allow members of the Jewish community to walk to synagogues on the Sabbath and other holidays when Jewish law prohibits driving. The Detroit Zoo was concerned that noise and air pollution from the Interstate would disturb the animals. They were satisfied by $12 million (equivalent to $ in ) spent on a new parking ramp and other improvements. The City of Detroit tried to stop I-696 as well, but in the end the city was forced to redesign its golf course. A refusal to grant an additional of
right-of-way by Detroit forced additional design and construction delays during the 1980s. The final section of the eight-lane freeway opened at a cost of $436 million An exit ramp from I-696 eastbound to American Drive opened in April 2006. An entrance ramp from Franklin Road to I-696 westbound opened in July 2006. The Franklin Road overpass, which had been closed during this time, re-opened in October 2006. On November 9, 2006, the speed limit was increased from along the length of I-696. During speed enforcement patrols in August 2022, the Michigan State Police gave out 77 citations during one 4-hour period including six arrests. One motorist was driving at , while others were cited at .
Restore the Reuther After many years of patch work and small repairs, it was clear that greater action was needed. As a result, MDOT started "Restore the Reuther" to repair the freeway in Oakland County and reconstruct the section between Dequindre Road and I-94 in Macomb County. This project also involved some pavement repairs and minor structure repairs on the section from I-275/M-5 to Dequindre. In 2019, reconstruction started on the section between Dequindre Road and I-94. This involved two phases. In phase 1, the westbound lanes were closed and detoured. In phase 2, the westbound lanes remained closed, but eastbound lanes were shifted on the westbound lanes. No entrance ramps were open, however there were limited exit ramps open. These ramps were Dequindre, Mound, and Groesbeck Highway. In 2023, MDOT started a complete reconstruction of I-696 from I-275 in Farmington Hills to US 24 (Telegraph Road) in Southfield. The eastbound lanes were reconstructed in 2023, and the westbound lanes were reconstructed the following year. During the reconstruction of the westbound lanes in 2024, I-696 had two lanes shifted onto the
John C Lodge Freeway resulting in a temporary concurrency. This is the first time in the history of I-696 that a concurrency with the Lodge freeway had been in-place. In 2025, MDOT began a two-year project to completely rebuild the middle section of I-696. It involves a complete two-year closure of the eastbound lanes starting from Exit 8 until the I-696/I-75 interchange. The westbound lanes would remain open with minor lane reductions. It was decided to close the eastbound lanes because the exit ramp to M-10 has two lanes of road capacity so it can more easily handle the load than if the westbound lanes were closed (as traffic would need to be routed onto the single lane ramp on the I-696/I-75 interchange). During an open house in Oak Park, residents shared concerns about traffic cutting through local neighbors and asked why they couldn't keep both directions of travel open like MDOT did with the project in Farmington Hills. They said it would be difficult for emergency crews to get to the scene of an accident when one occurs if both sides of the freeway were to remain open. Brian Travis, an MDOT construction engineer, said "It's really a safety concern for us, this is the safest and most efficient way to build the project." As part of the project, 60 bridges will be repaired, including the rebuilding of the Church Street Plaza bridge that contains Victoria Park. During that rebuilding, a walkway detour will be in place. The project will also include pavement upgrades and updates to 1,100 drainage structures, according to MDOT. Once the eastbound lanes are reconstructed, westbound traffic will be shifted onto the eastbound lanes. It is unknown if any exit ramps during this shift will be open as the service drives in both directions are expected to remain open. The eastbound lanes are not expected to reopen until Fall 2026. The closures were initially scheduled to begin on March 1st, but were rescheduled to March 3rd due to the weather. In 2027, MDOT plans to finish the project by reconstructing I-696 from the I-75 interchange to Dequindre Road. The project will then be completed. ==Exit list==