A couple of roads in the northern Lower Peninsula have washed away due to heavy rains in their area, according to officials and residents.
On Monday, the Emmett County Sheriff’s Office in Petoskey warned motorists to avoid traveling on M-119 between Island View and Division roads because the roadway has been washed out, presumably due to flooding.
“Please seek an alternative route,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook. “Updates about the roads will continue as more information becomes available. Stay safe and remain vigilant.”
It also posted a photo of the washed-out road.
The more than a mile-long affected area is part of Michigan’s famous Tunnel of Trees, a 20-mile stretch of scenic highway, hugging the Lake Michigan coastline.
Michigan Department of Transportation officials said on Monday that a culvert beneath the highway between Good Hart and Cross Village failed overnight.
“MDOT personnel are evaluating the washout and will develop a repair plan, though no timeline for repairs is yet known,” they said in a statement. “MDOT has partnered with the Emmet County Road Commission to establish a detour route on Island View Road and North State Road.”
State officials also said that M-119 is closed near Stutsmanville Road south of Good Hart.
“While the roadway at that location has not yet been damaged, a washout on the side slope is very close to the roadway edge, and the road has been closed out of caution,” they said. “MDOT is still evaluating that location to determine the options to stabilize the slope.”
Meanwhile, traffic is being detoured on West Stutsmanville Road and Terpening Road.
Elsewhere, the Kalkaska County Road Commission said on Monday that it has closed Gregg Road near Loon Lake Road.
Kalkaska resident Ethan Scott posted a photo of the roadway in a Facebook group called Overheard in kalkaska #2.
“Huge washout on Gregg road off of Croften if anyone is going down it,” he said. “It’s right by the s curve.”
cramirez@detroitnews.com
X: @CharlesERamirez
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Stretch of Michigan’s famed Tunnel of Trees washed away
Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
