Macomb County is about to pour $11.5 million into a major underground fix along 15 Mile Road, lining roughly 1.5 miles of the 15 Mile interceptor in a bid to head off future sinkholes and stretch the pipe’s lifespan well into the next generation. The work zeroes in on a deep, five-foot-diameter concrete interceptor under Clinton Township that quietly carries sewage for multiple communities across the county.
Scope, method and schedule
Crews will install a steel-ribbed PVC spiral-wound liner inside the existing 5-foot pipe, from two blocks east of Gratiot Avenue to just west of Groesbeck Highway in Clinton Township. According to ClickOnDetroit, the job carries an $11.5 million price tag, is slated to finish by January 2027, and uses a lining product expected to last at least 50 years. County staff says the spiral-wound method cuts down on excavation and bypass pumping compared with the deeper shaft work that defined earlier repair phases.
Why this stretch matters
The 15 Mile interceptor is part of the Macomb Interceptor Drainage District and handles sanitary flow for about 600,000 residents across 11 communities. Macomb County Public Works reports that recent inspections uncovered corrosion and structural defects tied to sewer gas, pushing this segment to the top of the priority list to avoid a potentially catastrophic failure.
Budget and customer impact
Officials told reporters the county expects to pay for the work without raising sewer rates for customers. That assurance, along with an explainer video from Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller, was highlighted by ClickOnDetroit.
Where the work fits into a longer rehab campaign
This lining job is the latest chapter in a multi-year rehabilitation program launched after a 2016 sinkhole on 15 Mile exposed just how fragile the deep interceptor could be. County project updates say crews have already pulled thousands of tons of sand and grit out of the pipe and installed odor and corrosion controls to slow hydrogen sulfide damage, groundwork that set up the current lining phase. Officials describe the effort as preventive, an upfront investment aimed at avoiding the massive disruption and cost of another collapse.
What residents should expect
Drivers along 15 Mile can expect daytime work zones, occasional lane closures, and equipment staging areas while the lining is installed, though county staff says they will try to keep disruptions in check. The project is one piece of a broader slate of infrastructure work, including storage and pump upgrades paid for in part with federal ARPA money, as reported by WXYZ, all aimed at cutting basement flooding and combined sewer overflows.
County officials say the new liner should keep this portion of the interceptor stable for decades, and they plan to post project updates and maps for neighbors while construction is underway. For questions about the work, Macomb County Public Works has contact information and project materials available on its website.
