A section of M-119 between Good Hart and Cross Village along the popular Tunnel of Trees route washed out overnight.
According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, a culvert beneath M-119 south of Division Road failed. MDOT personnel are evaluating the washout and will develop a repair plan, although no timeline is yet known.
Ami Woods, owner of the Good Hart General Store, said this is not the first time that water has cut through that area of the road and there was a similar washout in the 1940s. Long-time locals even refer to the area as the “island view washout.”
Woods also noted that M-119 remains open between Stutsmanville Road and Island View Road, and the store is open with regular hours.
MDOT officials said M-119 is also closed near Stutsmanville Road south of Good Hart. Traffic will be detoured on West Stutsmanville Road and Terpening Road. While the roadway at that location has not yet been damaged, MDOT said a washout on the side slope is very close to the roadway edge and the road has been closed out of an abundance of caution.
MDOT is evaluating that location and will determine the options to stabilize the slope.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: MDOT: Tunnel of Trees road section washed out, repair timeline unknown
Reporting by Jillian Fellows, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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