Western Wayne Today

After a two-month mandated closure for COVID-19 quarantine, work has resumed on the new Wayne County Jail and Justice Center.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer halted construction industry work in Michigan, anything considered nonessential, in mid-March. For the jail construction project to reopen, workers are required to follow a 24-page guide for safety on construction sites compiled by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. 

Supervisors have been trained to be proactive and follow screening protocols as workers arrive at the job site. Anyone who appears ill is to be sent home immediately. Employees are encouraged to take their temperatures every morning before reporting to work. 

"Everyone is getting a feel for what the post-COVID-19 workplace will look like," said Joe Guziewicz, vice president for construction for Bedrock, the company that is managing the site for the county, according to The Detroit News.

Other safety guidelines include social distancing of 6 feet between workers, or the wearing of personal protective equipment when that's not possible. Multiple hand-washing stations have been set up. There is signage reminding workers to wash their hands and access to soap and water or hand sanitizer. Tools and frequently touched surfaces, including bathrooms, will be cleaned several times a day. If a worker becomes ill, the worker is to be sent home immediately. Everyone on the site must be informed when someone is found to be ill. Deep-cleaning of areas of the job site where people have been known to test positive will be automatic. 

One estimate for completion of the project is $573 million, according to The Detroit News. The completion date had been mid-2022, when the Wayne County Circuit Court and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office will move to the new facility. Both are now housed at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.

"Shutting the site down doesn't do anything positive for the schedule or the budget," Guziewicz told the Detroit News. Rick Kaufman, deputy Wayne County Executive, said it's a "good rule of thumb" that each workday lost will mean an additional day added to the schedule, Kaufman told The Detroit News. 

The project includes a significant number of subcontractors, all of whom have their own policies regarding safety on the job. Subcontractors include electrical and mechanical workers, plumbers and steel workers.