TAYLOR, Mich. — A sinkhole has forced the Michigan Department of Transportation to close northbound Telegraph in Taylor between Eureka and Pennsylvania. The connector ramp from northbound I-75 to Telegraph is also shut down.
The closures, which went into place Friday evening, could last days, weeks or potentially even more than a month.
You can watch 7 News Detroit's Ruta Ulcinaite's full report below:
Crews discovered the roadway had dropped three to four feet underneath the pavement, with a void extending underneath all four lanes of traffic.
"It's considered an emergency because it is something that ultimately could impact driver safety. But at the moment, we're okay," Diane Cross with MDOT said.
Preliminary findings show a drainage pipe disintegrated beneath the roadway, causing the road base to wash away. A worker discovered the problem while working on a separate project. A timeline for repairs remains unclear.
Adrian Louden, who works near Racho Road and Pennsylvania Road in Taylor and drives northbound Telegraph every day, reacted with shock when he learned of the closure.
"Monday is going to be horrible," Louden said.
Meanwhile Taylor police say service times should not be affected due to available alternate routes, which officials are encouraging the community to become familiar with while MDOT works on a fix.
"I actually got caught in the traffic myself and I seeked (sic) an alternate route, so you can either use Racho Road or you can go down to Beach Daily Road, both the north-south roads, Pennsylvania Road is still open and unobstructed so you could go either one of those routes," Taylor Police Road Control Supervisor Officer Chad Vines said.
MDOT suggests these detours: Northbound I-75 traffic can detour to Eureka Road. Northbound US-24/Telegraph traffic can use other local E/W roads for a detour.
Transportation officials are reminding drivers to pack their patience as crews work to get the road repaired as quickly as possible.
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