Eastbound Interstate 96 Local lanes near the Southfield Freeway (M-39) are expected to stay closed throughout the summer as the Michigan Department of Transportation continues to address sinkholes in the area.
Lanes and ramps closed include: northbound and southbound M-39 to eastbound I-96 Local, eastbound I-96 Local at M-39, and eastbound I-96 express ramp to eastbound I-96 Local at M-39, according to an April 29 news release from MDOT. The northbound M-39 to eastbound I-96 express ramp is reopened as of April 29.
The lanes and ramps first closed in late November when a dip in the road was noticed, Metro Detroit MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross said. Since then, crews have found and begun repairs on a collapsed sewer main 50 feet below the road.
The project was expected to be completed late spring or early summer. That was before MDOT found another issue with the sewer main about 300 feet west of the first one. Now, the project aims to be completed by August, Cross said.
The sewer line is 8 feet around and runs from Telegraph Road to the Davison Freeway, sending water to the Rouge River, Cross said.
Crews put metal sheeting into the ground around the perimeter of the hole, found the sewer line, and took equipment into the hole to remove soil, grass and debris stuck in the sewer before repairing the sewer itself, Cross said.
Cross, who serves as the MDOT spokesperson for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, said there have been a number of metro Detroit state roads with voids or work needed under the road in recent years. The I-96 near M-39 project is the deepest she’s seen crews have to dig to fix such a big pipe under the road in her years at MDOT, she said.
Cross encouraged drivers to be patient when they see orange barrels and closed roads. Even if drivers can’t see crews working or physical changes to the road over time, roads sometimes close if they can’t hold weight or crews are digging underneath them, she said.
“Know that if we close a road, there is a reason for it,” Cross said. “You may not see where you can’t use that lane, but we’re doing work on the road.”
Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Local I-96 east near M-39 closed as MDOT addresses sinkholes
Reporting by Natalie Davies, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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