(WXYZ) — For years, Huron Township and Romulus first responders have been stopped in their tracks by the ongoing train delays in Huron township.
"These trains blocking these tracks for unknown amounts of time become an operational challenge for us," a local firefighter said.
According to Huron Township data, these delays increase the average response times by 7 minutes.
In May, State Rep. Darrin Camilleri said an overpass was needed to address the issue but there was no money to do it.
But now, "we were able to secure $12 million, right here on the border of Romulus & Huron Township on Pennsylvania Road. It's not enough to finish out the project but it's a major down payment."
Rep. Camilleri is hoping this downpayment will pave the way for more federal dollars to funnel through.
"We're talking about building an overpass right here that will take a lot of time, effort, and planning but we haven't been able to make progress on this issue until now," Camilleri said.
According to Camilleri, there are already talks underway with members of congress and the senate to get more dollars into this project.
