GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. —
The intersection of 28th Street and Division is no stranger to floods, but Sunday night into early Monday morning, heavy rain left some unlucky cars stuck in rainwater that nearly covered their cars.
It’s an issue the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is all too familiar with.
“This is an ongoing issue that we've been dealing with the last couple of years during significant rain events,” John Richard with MDOT said.
Richard said flooding in the area is due to underfunding in road and bridge investment, which is something a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation is fixing.
Last spring, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the grant to prevent future flooding on the street.
Richard said it’s enough to stop the flooding and improve a major Grand Rapids intersection.
“It's not just the pumps, but the facility, the building itself, and part of that $12 million grant is to fully reconstruct that intersection of, you know, 28th Street,” he said. “So, it's that's a big part of the funding as well is that full reconstruction of the roadway, not just the pump station.”
The grant doesn’t go into effect until 2025-2026, but MDOT is trying to prevent the flooding from getting out of hand.
“The Kent County Road Commission, the City of Grand Rapids, and MDOT were out there today, clearing out the catch basins, and making sure the drainage is as clear as possible,” Richard said. “Because there's another rain event scheduled but forecasted for tonight, so we want to make sure the drainage is in the best condition possible before tonight's marine event.”
The underpass reopened after a few hours, but with threats of more rain coming tonight, Richard advises drivers to use caution.
“As a warning to motorists, especially when it's raining outside, you got to slow it down. But if there's a flood, don't go through water,” he said. “Of course, if it looks like it has any depth to it whatsoever because just a little bit of water can wreak havoc on a vehicle.”
With questions about the project, Richard says to contact MDOT, but in an emergency, first responders will know how to best handle it.