Like every county in Michigan, Wayne County is struggling with insufficient resources to repair increasingly damaged roads.

Kevin Gunn, a veteran bridge manager in Wayne County's Department of Public Services, noticed the approach to the Jefferson Ave bridge deck over the Ecorse River was in such bad shape that motorists were avoiding the bridge altogether. What had been planned for that area was cold patching the potholes. Of course, this was a temporary seasonal fix that would eventually need to be revisited.

Kevin mentioned and explained his observations of the motorists and residents to DPS leadership with the hopes that they would understand that this temporary fix was not what was needed. DPS leadership agreed and went into action to do a full repair.

"Kevin Gunn took the initiative to solve a problem that affects our residents every day," said Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans. "It was his observation that helped the Ecorse and Wyandotte area see a 10 year life span for the road versus a seasonal temporary fix. I am proud that our leadership has the collaborative spirit to listen and hear from all team members and know when to take action to ultimately please our most important clients--Wayne County citizens."

With construction nearly finished on this now-repaired section of Jefferson, the bridge over the Ecorse River is expected to reopen to traffic today."Like everyone else, I feel the frustration over road conditions every time my car hits a pothole," said Evans. "Unfortunately, counties and local communities aren't getting the resources we need from Lansing to properly address the problem. Until that changes, dedicated County employees like Kevin will keep looking for ways to do more with less on roads. Just imagine what they could accomplish if they were allowed to do more with more?"

Jefferson Avenue before the repair