EAST LANSING, Mich. — Yesterday afternoon, emergency road and sidewalk closures were put into place in the immediate area of the Park District construction site in downtown East Lansing due to a concrete form that had become dislodged from an elevator shaft.
Upon becoming aware of the issue, City of East Lansing officials, first responders and East Lansing Department of Public Works crews were immediately on scene to secure the area, evacuate nearby businesses and monitor the situation. By approximately 11:30 p.m. yesterday, the form was safely relocated to the ground with assistance from a support crane out of Detroit, Mich. and all roads and sidewalks were re-opened to the public. There were no injuries and there appears to be no damage to the structure.
While crews are continuing to work at the site, work that involves the elevator shaft and the tower crane that was involved in the incident has been temporarily suspended until proper inspections by a structural engineer and crane inspector are completed and received by the City’s building officials indicating that it is safe to continue these operations. City officials are also working closely with the construction team to investigate the incident and ensure appropriate measures are taken to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future. The exact cause of the incident is unknown at this time.
“Public safety has and always will be our top priority,” said East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas. “We appreciate the diligence of our first responders and the construction crews to ensure the safety of the public and the structure.”
As additional information about this incident becomes available, it will be shared with the community and media.