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Northbound I-75 reopens one lane after sinkhole forms under freeway in Madison Heights

By Jack Nissen
Published  August 3, 2021 12:43pm EDT
Traffic
FOX 2 Detroit

Sinkhole prompts freeway closure in Oakland County

Northbound I-75 is closed due to a 4-foot deep sinkhole. It is unknown how long the freeway will be closed.

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. - Construction crews have reopened a northbound lane on I-75 after a sinkhole made the freeway dangerous to drive on.

A single lane between I-696 and Twelve Mile Road in Madison Heights will remain open as crews continue repairing damaged sections of the highway.

Officials with the Michigan Department of Transportation say the center lane of the freeway should be reopened by the end of the week.

I-75 has been a poster child of problems for MDOT in recent weeks. Crews initially had to shut down new stretches of the highway after a tanker fire burned through the cement. That was an estimated $1.5 million fix. 

Then last Friday, a sinkhole opened up near the northbound lanes by the I-75 service drive as road crews were digging a hole for a new pipe. 

Construction to repair the section started Friday. There is no estimate for when the service drive will reopen.

RELATED: Another I-75 closure? Blame a machine digging a tunnel

Both the center lane and left lane of I-75 near Eleven Mile Road have been repaired, an MDOT release said Tuesday. However, they'll remain closed as crews continue fixing the surrounding infrastructure. 

Footage shows tanker tipping over, bursting into flames on I-75

A camera following a tanker on I-75 Monday caught the moments leading up to when it struck a barrier on the highway, tipped over, and fuel ignited, sending smoke and flames into the sky. Video Courtesy of the Troy Police Department

Crews had been digging a drainage tunnel under the service drive when they came into contact with some unexpected groundwater. The operation caused water to spill out onto the roadway, creating a hazard for drivers.