Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor remains closed following embankment failure; midday reopening expected
Work crews clear out the remaining debris and mud off of Plymouth Road from the railroad embankment collapse yesterday.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
(Update: City officials announced that Plymouth Road is open again as of early Friday afternoon. See the story here.)
Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor remains closed this morning following an embankment failure Wednesday night that sent about 2,000 cubic yards of mud and trees across it.
A notice posted on the City of Ann Arbor website said the road will remain closed during rush hour this morning but crews working to clear the debris expect to have it reopened by midday.
The road is closed between Barton Drive and Broadway Street. Police closed it at 9:23 p.m. Wednesday following a mudslide that occurred after 3 inches of rain had fallen in 24 hours.
A 45-foot long section of the foundation of the railroad tracks east of the intersection of Traver Road and Bowen Street was swept away. Ann Arbor Railroad officials told police Wednesday night that it would take two to three weeks to repair the tracks.
No one was injured in the mudslide.
Traffic is being detoured from Huron Parkway to Glazier Way; Glazier to Fuller Road; Fuller Road to Glen Avenue and Glenn to Huron Street.
Work crews pour gravel to fill the pit beneath the railroad tracks after the embankment collapsed yesterday by Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Much of the debris had been cleared out from the embankment collapse by Plymouth Road this morning.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
View Plymouth Road closed in a larger map
Comments
perfectly lubricated weather vane
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 3:53 p.m.
I can see that the affected railroad track is not the track Amtrak uses, but I'm curious what railroad traffic is affected. Do any commenters know?
the leprachaun
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
The tracks are used by Ann arbor railroad they also interchange car with Great Lakes Central Railroad North of Ann Arbor.
Silly Sally
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 1:10 p.m.
This train usually runs late at night to avoid traffic. It supplies businesses such as a plastics company, Rhetech on North Territorial Road in Whitmore Lake and others further north. If you drive by on North Terr, you will see stopped boxcars.
Dale
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 6:07 p.m.
That is the Ann Arbor Railroad that runs from Toledo to Ann Arbor. As far as I know, they run a freight train daily or less.
loves_fall
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 1:23 p.m.
Hey, maybe with no embankment there anymore, they could think about building a bike lane or sidewalk?
Silly Sally
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 1:13 p.m.
Sure, a sidewalk for 50 feet. The rest of the embankment is still there, and the missing section is being filled up with gravel. Do we really want the additional truck traffic in our local area if the Ann Arbor Railroad did not exist? It would kill off the mayor's dream of Wally, the commuter train from Brighton to downtown Ann Arbor.