Why is 8 Mile still white(ish)? Why were I-696 in Oakland County and Southfield and the Lodge in Wayne snow- and ice-packed during Friday morning's commute?
WXYZ reported on the Friday freeway conditions in each county and gave a thumbs down to Wayne and Oakland, where up to seven inches of snow stopped falling around 1 a.m.
Unfortunately, their segment provided little insight as to why we can't expect clear arteries eight hours and even a full day after heavy snowfall for which we had advanced warning. The two counties both say they had up to 80 trucks working overnight.
A bright spot however — or dark spot, because, well, pavement — was the metro region's least-favorite county. Yes, Macomb's freeways were free of mush by Friday morning, reportedly "from county line to county line." However, it did have the advantage of less snowfall.
At any rate, the TV station's Jim Kiertzner awards the county a tiny gold trophy dubbed "The Jimmy" for its good performance. We hope it incentivizes continued protection.
No trophy for MDOT — we blame you for 8 Mile.
