On Monday morning, an unforeseen road closure in Huron Township caught drivers off guard, leading to significant delays and confusion.
Will Carleton Road near South Huron Road was closed, causing drivers like Alex Navarre to be late to work.
Navarre says he checked the route in his GPS before leaving home.
“It said that there was no traffic or construction on Will Carleton, but when I got there, I saw everyone turning around, and I thought, ‘That’s weird,’” said Navarre.
The road was closed at the railroad tracks operated by the Canadian National Railway.
Some drivers expressed frustration to Huron Township police Chief Everette Robbins, who said he was unaware of the closure.
In an alert that went out to residents, the chief said the morning commute wasn’t the only thing affected.
“Unfortunately, we were given no prior notice regarding this closure, which not only affects the residents’ morning commute but also affects the way we are able to deliver time-critical emergency services to the community,” Robbins said.
Robbins went on to say he visited to the closure site himself to speak with rail workers, who explained that CN Railway deemed the project an emergency without permits and that Wayne County was responsible for not approving the permits in a timely manner.
Local 4 contacted Canadian National Railway but hasn’t heard back. The closure is expected to last through May 4 or longer.