Gather ‘round, kiddos and let’s celebrate Walter P. Reuther’s birthday and have a little history lesson

“Welcome to September, comrades! Today we’re celebrating the birthday of union organizer Walter Philip Reuther. Reuther was born on Sept 1, 1907, in West Virginia. At 19, he moved to Detroit and worked at Ford Motor Company, and got involved in socialist organizing. In 1932, he embarked on a 3 year trip around the world with his brother Victor. They returned to Detroit to join their other brother Roy in auto factory organizing. In 1936, the United Automobile Workers formed a local on Detroit’s west side, and Reuther was elected local president. He led a successful 10 day strike against a Ford factory. Walter and Roy then led coordinated strikes in General Motors factories in Flint and Detroit, and other locals called strikes in Oakland, Pontiac, and St. Louis. After 44 days, GM signed an agreement. In 1937, they went after Chrysler. 60000 workers went on strike, and when police were called they were met by 150000 protesters. It took 4 weeks, but Chrysler signed an agreement too. Ford was notoriously anti-union, and employed a “security team” to enforce that view. Reuther and other union leaders were attacked while passing out flyers. Photos made it to the press, and public opinion turned against Ford. It took 4 years of effort, but Ford eventually signed an agreement. During WWII, Reuther successfully converted auto factories into plane factories, a vital contribution to the struggle against fascism. After the war, Reuther was elected national president of the UAW. He went after the Big Three auto companies in calculated patterns to ensure wins for workers. During the Civil Rights Movement, Reuther worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. to organize the Walk to Freedom in Detroit and the March on Washington in DC. In 1965, Reuther met with Cesar Chavez, and pledged financial support from UAW to the striking United Farm Workers. In 1970, Reuther, his wife, and 4 others were killed in a suspicious plane crash. He is remembered as a powerful force for workers rights and the rights of all humans.”

Pavement repair requires closing I-696 ramps to northbound I-75 this weekend

Pavement repair requires closing I-696 ramps to northbound I-75 this weekend in Oakland County DETROIT, MI – Pavement and barrier wall repair will begin this weekend on the eastbound and westbound I-696 ramps to northbound I-75. Weather permitting, this work will be completed by Labor Day weekend.     The eastbound I-696 ramp to northbound I-75 will close beginning at 5 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21.…

Man Shot at on I-75 near 8 Mile Rd

DETROIT, MI – On Wednesday February 6th, 2019, at approximately 9:15PM, MSP 911 received a report of a possible shooting on I-696 between Greenfield Rd and Southfield Rd according to a 3rd party caller with no additional information.

Southfield PD also received calls on the reported shooting as well.

At approximately 9:20 p.m. MSP 911 received information that the victim of the shooting was at…

Man Changing Tire on I-686 Struck by Drunk Driver

WARREN, MI – On Sunday January 20th, 2019, at approximately 4:25AM, hours a pedestrian was changing a tire on Eastbound I 696 and Dequindre when he was struck by another vehicle.

The victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition requiring surgery. The at fault driver had a strong odor of alcohol on his person and was arrested.

He was transported to the Oakland County Jail where…

I-696 Project Work will Continue as Winter is Approaching

DETROIT, MI – As the winter months are fast approaching, much work still needs to be accomplished on the I-696 Restore the Reuther Project that spans from Macomb County into Oakland County.

Work can and will continue even with the arrival of snow. Here’s how:

In Macomb County for now and the foreseeable future, temperatures will still allow concrete to safely be placed within our standard…

Weekend construction on WB I-696 from M-10 to I-275.

Did you know… This project utilizes 35 local construction companies and up to 500 employees are working on it, from laborers, operators and truckers to MDOT inspection and administrative staff.

MACOMB COUNTY, MI – This coming week we will see the first indication that a major stage change in the rebuild of I-696 is approaching in Macomb County.

Crews will begin preparations to construct the median crossovers needed to place EB I-696 traffic on the newly constructed WB side of the freeway. Additional details will be provided as they become available as they don’t expect this stage change to be executed until early August. More to come on when this stage change occurs, as they are still a few weeks out, but a very good sign nonetheless.

In the meantime, crews continue to place base course, concrete pavement, valley gutter and freeway shoulders in preparation for the stage change.

Oakland County Progress

All planned concrete pavement repairs on WB I-696 from Dequindre Road to the I-275/M-5 Interchange have now been successfully completed as of this past weekend. This means there will be no more full freeway closure weekends on WB I-696, though, if you are traveling along WB I-696 in the overnight hours you may still see crews finishing up the remaining balance of pavement joint repair work.

Efforts have now been redirected to EB I-696 from US-24 (Telegraph Road) to Dequindre Road. If weather allows, the first full freeway closure on EB I-696 will be this coming weekend, July 20th-23rd. Crews will likely be working in this segment until Labor Day before circling back to the final segment of work in Oakland County on EB I-696 from the I-275/M-5 Interchange to Telegraph Road.

I-696 Shutdown To Begin April 27th for Major Reconstruction Project

DETROIT, MI – Get ready metro Detroit because the much needed $90 million dollar I-696 reconstruction project gets underway on April 27th, 2018.

Crews will begin implementing westbound I-696 closures at 9 p.m. Friday, April 27, starting with closing the eastbound and westbound I-94 ramps to westbound I-696

The closure of all access points/ramps is expected to be completed by 5 a.m. Saturday,…