Traverse City Flooding Forces Road Closures, Sinkhole, and Long Repairs
Traverse City Flooding is driving major disruptions across Grand Traverse County, with officials warning that some damage will take months to fix. At Wednesday’s press conference, Grand Traverse County Road Commission Manager Dan Watkins said Beitner Road is likely to stay closed for six or more months after its bridge over the Boardman River collapsed Tuesday. South Airport Road, which Watkins said came close to a similar collapse near Logan’s Landing, could reopen within a week if the structure remains stable.
Beitner Road could stay closed through summer
The Beitner bridge failure immediately shut down the corridor, though no one was hurt when the structure gave way. Watkins said he was at the scene examining a sinkhole when the guardrails started making odd noises, then the bridge suddenly failed. The road commission had already planned to replace the bridge, but work was not scheduled to begin until 2027.
Now, officials are trying to move up final design work so repair efforts can start sooner. Watkins said Cass Road will serve as the default bypass for the summer, and temporary traffic signals may be installed at both ends of Hartman Road on US-31 and Cass Road to help manage traffic.
Michigan Department of Transportation North Region Communications Specialist James Lake said the state is talking with the road commission but will need to review a design before giving final approval. He also said MDOT is still moving ahead with its Interlochen/US-31 project as planned.
Traverse City Flooding strains South Airport and nearby roads
South Airport Road was another major concern after Watkins said there was a real chance it could also have been lost at its Boardman crossing by Logan’s Landing on Tuesday night. Crews used sandbags to protect the road, and Watkins said the effort helped save it. Roughly 40, 000 cars use that stretch each day, making its condition one of the most immediate concerns in the county.
Several engineers are now evaluating the ground under South Airport, which remains highly saturated and could still shift. Watkins said the road appears to be holding together for now, but the situation remains under close review. Other closures include Sawyer Road, Marsh Road, Bush Road, Rahe Road, and Hannah Road, with additional pockets of flooding scattered across the county.
Downtown sinkhole raises fresh concern
Downtown Traverse City also took a hit when Boardman flooding affected the 100 block alley of Front Street. A large sinkhole opened near the river retaining wall, swallowing part of a sidewalk and a light pole. City Streets Division Superintendent Chris Weber said crews worked with Traverse City Light & Power to disconnect services at the site.
FishPass continued to take on more water, but City Manager Benjamin Marentette said the engineering and design team had inspected the site and found that everything is intact. He said those experts also believed that if the city had not replaced the deteriorating Union Street Dam with FishPass, downtown Traverse City would likely have faced catastrophic circumstances during this week’s flooding.
Emergency response and what comes next
Grand Traverse County Emergency Management issued a State of Emergency declaration in response to rising water levels around Northern Michigan, especially near the Boardman River. Assistant emergency management coordinator Brandon Perry urged residents not to drive or walk through sinkholes or floodwater, saying the priority is life safety and coordination with local, county, private, and state partners.
The next developments in Traverse City Flooding will likely hinge on whether South Airport Road holds, how quickly Beitner repair work can advance, and whether more saturated ground gives way elsewhere. For now, officials are focused on keeping traffic moving, protecting public safety, and assessing how long Traverse City Flooding will continue to reshape daily travel.
