Work completed on "severely" eroded drain bank along I-94 in Macomb County
ROSEVILLE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Macomb County officials say an emergency construction project to repair a severely eroded portion of a drain bank along Interstate 94 is complete.
Work on the Rohrbeck Extension Drain, south of 13 Mile Road, began on Aug, 22.
"There's no telling when the recent rapid erosion south of 13 Mile Road that got to within about 25 yards from I-94 would have reached the westbound lanes and resulted in a huge traffic disruption and several million dollars in construction costs. That's a scenario we're working to avoid," Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller said in a statement.
Officials say work continues on the west bank of the drain. There will also be repairs north of 13 Mile Road, east of Little Mack, where erosion impacted 25 yards from I-94.
The final portion to complete will be minor bank stabilization and drain maintenance in a curved section of the drain.
"We're very pleased with the progress thus far," Miller said. "With as much as 6 feet of erosion in some locations along the steep east banks this summer, our concern was that higher and stronger flow in the channel following a heavy rain event would easily wash away a lot more of the sand used as backfill when the freeway was built in the 1960s. So it was time to act, working closely with our partners at the City of Roseville and MDOT."
County officials say the project will cost several hundred thousand dollars and will be paid using drain district funds in Roseville.
