Three days into the eastbound Interstate 696 closure in Oakland County, Michigan, it's already creating a travel headache for drivers, especially on the mile roads.

Parents say traffic on 13 Mile Road near Bingham Farms Elementary has always been bad, but when you factor in how drivers are using the road as a detour for the I-696 eastbound closure, parents say congestion is even worse now.

"Almost impossible to turn left. It's also challenging to turn right," said parent Josondra Horvath.

"It was already bad getting in and out of that parking lot, and this has definitely exacerbated the situation," said parent Kate Buck.

A bumper-to-bumper hold-up that even Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Chief Curt Lawson wasn't expecting.

"It caught us a little off guard on how much more traffic we were seeing on 13 Mile," said Lawson.

Lawson addressed parents' concerns on social media. He recommends an alternative route towards Telegraph, then traveling to 14 Mile or 15 Mile to drive eastbound. Lawson also says due to limited staffing, the police department may not be able to direct traffic on a daily basis. He's now getting pushback.

"The parents are frustrated and understandably so. You really need a minimum of two officers to effectively and safely direct traffic, and we just don't have the staffing levels to be able to do that both day and night, five days a week," Lawson said.

For parents like Horvath and Buck, these traffic jams are hazardous. With their neighborhood so close to the school, buses are not an option. They can only walk, bike, or drive. Because of that, they feel a police presence is even more necessary.

"To be told that we can't have assistance when it's for kids as young as three because there's a preschool at Bingham Farms, just doesn't seem like a viable, long-term answer," Horvath said.

"There needs to be some sort of intervention on the days where there's so much traffic that no one can get out of the parking lot. They should have had a plan with how to deal with the additional traffic that was inevitably going to happen outside of the school. It already is challenging before the closure," said Buck.

So, what is the solution? These parents say either a crossing guard or police officer to direct traffic, more signage, or even a temporary streetlight at the school to help move traffic.

The police chief and school district tell CBS News Detroit they're working together to figure out a long-term solution.

"Patience is the key. And I understand you're trying to drop off your child or your children to school and maybe try to get another child to a different school, and you're trying to get yourself to work on time, and it can be very frustrating, but patience is the key. Where we can find a solution to the issues that develop, we will do that," Lawson said.

Birmingham Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Embekka Roberson sent CBS News Detroit the following statement:

"Birmingham Public Schools is actively collaborating with the Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Department to explore both short-term and long-term solutions aimed at managing road congestion due to the I-696 construction project. The safety of our students and faculty is our highest priority."