I-94 In Detroit Still Closed But Looking Better After Flood
DETROIT (AP) — Most water from a weekend storm finally disappeared Tuesday on Interstate 94 in Detroit, a critical step to reopening a 4-mile stretch of the major urban highway.
Street sweepers and trucks with plow-style blades moved in to get the pavement ready for east-west traffic again in the city. The highway closure resulted from a fast, intense storm that dumped more than 6 inches of rain Friday and Saturday.
It wasn't immediately known when I-94 would reopen.
Crews "still have clean up to do, then inspection to see what areas were damaged by four days of water," said Diane Cross, a spokeswoman at the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Pumps couldn't keep up with the water due to power failures and other challenges with an interstate that is below ground level. Meanwhile, basements in Detroit and border suburbs were flooded when a pump station shut down.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and others blamed the storm on the consequences of climate change. She said the state's aging infrastructure also needs an overhaul.
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