ROSEVILLE, Mich. – Every time we get a big rainfall, multiple feet of a drain bank in Roseville fall off - inching closer and closer to I-94 near 13 Mile Road.
It’s all hands on deck as emergency construction gets underway to stabilize, restore and protect the banks of an open channel drain from continuing severe erosion.
“The severity of what we’re looking at,” said Macomb County Commissioner Harold Haugh. “You got I-94 involved it could be catastrophic.”
Macomb County Commissioner commended Candice Miller and the Macomb County Public Works Office for their quick action as they noticed the erosion was happening too fast to not take immediate action.
We’re taking emergency action to stop severe #erosion near I-94 in #Roseville from getting perilously closer to the freeway. In the steep banks in the Rohrbeck Extension Drain – near 13 Mile Rd & Little Mack, it’s the worst we have ever seen in any drain under our jurisdiction. pic.twitter.com/MXNE6KUy9w
— Candice Miller MCPW (@MillerMCPW) August 8, 2022
“We’re very concerned that higher and stronger flows would accelerate the washing away of that backfill sand and that large sections could come sliding down,” Miller said.
To fix it they’ll need to straighten the drain and redirect the flow - then make it a permanent fix with large rocks.
“What we’re going to do is put up what we call rip rap and make a wall of rock, puzzle it together. We put it all together. This we believe will last for many, many, many years,” said Miller.
According to the county’s commissioner officer, there are about 43,700 who use I-94 westbound daily.
The emergency repairs are expected to be completed in the next couple of weeks and thankfully those repairs won’t include any lane closures on I-94 in Roseville.
“This is not just a temporary fix. It is something that will last for a long time. We find ‘em, we fix ‘em,” said Miller.