Sterling Heights get green light to fix Mound Road

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WJBK) - Potholes are a problem everywhere in Michigan with the constant freeze and thaw of the past few weeks - but perhaps few roads are as bad as Mound Road - which has a reputation for being the worst of the worst.

County officials are launching a major project to fix the stretch of Mound Road in Sterling Heights after state lawmakers approved more than $4 million in funding. 

Mound Road is pockmarked with dangers craters and pitfalls between 14 1/2 Mile and 8 Mile. The six and a half mile long stretch is treacherous, to say the least.

"The Detroit region put the entire world on wheels and now we're embarrassed by our roads and people can't even put their wheels on our roads anymore," Macomb County Executive Mark Hackle said.

Hackle and Sterling Heights mayor Michael Taylor on Wednesday said more than half of its 1,500 miles of roadway are in dire shape. Hackle and Taylor announced a major mound road project costing about $10.2 million dollars that's being made possible with 80% federal and 10% county and city money.

"The state legislature says they're going to pump almost $175 million into this problem this year. We need $117 million for this road alone," Taylor said.

Worst road in Detroit area? Try Mound Road

Mound Road is expected to be resurfaced by the end of the year with the new asphalt expected to last fie to six years. 

"We need a real fix because of the residents and the citizens of Sterling Heights - they're sick of this."

The county said it gets about 200 calls per day from people blowing out their tires. John Marquardt is one of those unlucky ones.

"Absurd. Right now we have two cars that are in the parking lot with flat tires," he said. "Loud bang. Sounded like my car was falling apart."

Marquardt says he's blown out two tires in 3 weeks. 

Hackle and Taylor say the total project would be around $217 million and, if it continues to get worse before this short-term fix is finished, the possibility of shutting down Mound Road in the meantime still stands.

Warmer weather should help - but until then, patching crews will be out daily.