Since August, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) closed the Chelsea Rest Area on I-94 because its septic field (the underground sanitary drainage system serving the rest area) had failed.
Since that time, MDOT has been working to secure the necessary funding and approvals, as well as develop the required design details, to construct its replacement, said Mark A. Sweeney, P.E. in an email.
“At present, the design work is proceeding and is expected to be completed before the end of winter. With construction starting up early spring and lasting through later in the summer,” he said.
In addition, MDOT did investigate ways to reopen the rest area, until the replacement field had been constructed.
However, the options available all proved to be either impractical or cost prohibitive.
Thanks for this information. I wondered why a relatively new rest stop had been closed.
Do drain fields have a warranty? I’d love to know who the contractor was and if MDOT going after them for doing a shoddy job.
Maybe they could hook those solar panels into composting toilets to help the cause?
Site failed once.
I have wondered why it was closed. Would be nice to get semi’s off the side of the road there. Dangerous when they try to merge out in to traffic in the morning.
Washtenaw County should mandate MDOT connects to Sylvan Township water and sewer.
It would help with the 20 year, 4.4 millage we are paying for a little used water and sewer system.