ROYAL OAK, Mich. – A big mess ensues in Royal Oak alongside the construction project on I-75 as a stretch of Stephenson Highway between 11 Mile Road, and Lincoln is open, but residents wonder if it’s safe to drive.
Local 4 took a bumpy ride on the southbound Stevenson Highway south of 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak. It is undergoing a massive reconstruction for water lines and drainage pipes, which must remain open for homeowners living along the stretch.
The crews were working hard, and neighbors said they were doing their best and looked forward to when it was done.
Tyler Ketelhut got stuck as he was trying to get home as the crews left craters in the roadway some 17 inches deep.
“I turned, and I tried to keep going because I had no other choice, and as soon as I stopped, I just sank in the mud,” said Tyler Ketelhut. “The mud was all puddled up inside, so as soon as you go into it, you’re just sinking down. You don’t realize how deep it is until you’re actually in it, and by that time, it was just too late.”
MDOT was not pleased with how crews left the roads for homeowners when they were done for the day.
MDOT said the weather added to the road being in such horrible shape, and on Wednesday (March 8), they told the contractor to grade out the road so people could get home and so police, fire ambulances, and even Amazon could get to the homes in the area.