DETROIT – As of Wednesday afternoon, the eastbound lanes of I-94 from Detroit to Dearborn were still closed.
UPDATE July 9, 2021: Stretch of eastbound I-94 reopens in Detroit, Dearborn after nearly 2-week closure due to flooding
I-94 was one of multiple freeways in Metro Detroit that were closed due to damage caused by flooding over the weekend.
Emmett Johnson is one of the heavy equipment operators who are ripping out and rebuilding the eastbound lanes of I-94.
The first step is putting back what mother nature washed away.
“We’re going to prevent it from happening again,” Johnson said.
Most of the soil underneath parts of the freeway eroded, causing parts of I-94 to collapse.
Thousands of vehicles use I-94 every day and crews said the current state of the freeway wouldn’t be able to sustain the weight. Crews said it will be a complete rebuild.
With more rain around the corner and Independence Day Weekend, it’s unclear when the repair work will be completed. The repair is expected to take a week or two, but it’s possible that more underlying issues could be found during the course of the rebuild, extending the closure.