Eric D. Lawrence

Detroit Free Press

Monday is the day commuters who use southbound I-275 in western Wayne and southern Oakland counties have been dreading.

That's the start of the planned closure of those lanes as part of a $75-million reconstruction project from north of 5 Mile Road to the I-96/I-696/M-5 interchange. After work is completed on the southbound lanes, probably in July, the northbound lanes will close, likely until September.

The Michigan Department of Transportation has set 9 a.m. Monday as the scheduled closure time for southbound I-275, according to a news release.

The most immediately affected cities are Livonia, Farmington Hills and Novi, but the months-long closure will have a much wider impact on the region's commuters.

The detour will send eastbound I-96 traffic onto I-696 to southbound Lodge Freeway to southbound Southfield Freeway on to westbound I-96 and finally back to southbound I-275.

MDOT lists detour and other project information at www.revive275.com and general closure and traffic information is at www.michigan.gov/drive.

Big Michigan road construction holdups on tap for 2016

The project will replace "88 lane miles of concrete pavement on I-275 from north of Five Mile Road to the I-96/I-696/M-5 interchange, including all the ramps on 'Mile' roads and at the I-96/I-696/M-5 interchange. The project also includes shoulder work on I-275, concrete repairs on I-696, repairs on 16 bridges, drainage improvements, and intelligent transportation systems work," the release said.

Here are some other traffic impacts, according to MDOT:

Westbound 7 Mile Road is closed over I-275, with traffic detoured northbound to 8 Mile Road. It should reopen before this weekend.

Two lanes of northbound I-275 will be closed during weeknight and weekend work, including the shoulders, to allow crews to prepare the road surface for upcoming work and later lane closures.

Haggerty Road will be closed over I-96/I-696/I-275 (three bridges) from today through Monday, with posted detours, but it is expected to reopen before the southbound I-275 closure.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence.