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I-75 In Detroit Reopens After Flooding, Multiple Crashes; Drivers Stranded For Hours

DETROIT (WWJ) - A section of I-75 in Detroit was shut down for hours Thursday due to a combination of flooding and multiple crashes.

Just after 8 a.m., police closed southbound I-75 at Clay Street. Traffic on the freeway was backed up all they way to 14 Mile Road in Troy, more than 10 miles away.

All lanes were blocked due to flooding, forcing traffic along the shoulder in some areas. Police say several accidents were also reported along the stretch of freeway. Motorists were strongly encouraged to avoid the area with traffic reporters estimating delays of up to two hours.

The freeway reopened to traffic shortly after noon.

[VIDEO: Flooding On Lodge Freeway Leaves Cars Completely Under Water; Several Drivers Rescued]

MDOT's Diane Cross said pumps along the freeway can only work so fast to clear the water.

"People need to realize, we've had so much rain that the ground has absorbed all it can," she said. "There's nowhere for this water to go, and then it goes to the lowest spot -- and a number of our freeways are below ground, so it goes down onto our roadways."

Flooding 8 mile EB past Woodward

Posted by Laura Bonnell on Thursday, September 29, 2016

Meantime, a flash flood warning remains in effect for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties until 2:15 p.m. Thursday.

For the latest from the roads, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 during Traffic and Weather on the 8s, 24-hours a day. Check for recent incidents now on the CBS Detroit Traffic Page.

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