A section of the road through Michigan's famously scenic Tunnel of Trees is under repair after collapsing this week amid a series of spring storms that hit the state with heavy rains just as melting snow was saturating the ground and swelling rivers.
James Lake, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Transportation, said between 50 and 100 feet of the M-119 highway eroded and washed away.
Lake said the department has traffic detours set up around local routes, but workers are still in “emergency response mode.” He said water is still flowing heavily in the area, and crews can’t survey the damage until the water returns to lower, more normal levels.
“We would like to get these sections repaired and back in use as soon as possible, but we don't yet have an estimate for that timeline,” he said.
“It's still a spectacular stretch, still a spectacular drive,” Lake continued. “But right now, none of the leaves are out yet, so we're not quite to the time when the Tunnel of Trees is most popular.”
Lake said the other area they’re monitoring for flood risk during this cycle of rain is the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex. MDOT recently made the decision to raise a drawbridge downstream from the dam as a precaution.
“If the dam were to give way, and we're all hoping that it doesn't, if there were pedestrians or drivers, vehicle occupants on the bridge when that were to happen, we wouldn't want to put them in harm's way,” Lake said.
Lake said MDOT is also looking at roads close to lakes and ponds where the water is high and reaching closer to the roadway.
Construction projects are continuing to move forward, but have the potential for some delays, Lake said. “So far, the biggest impediment to our construction is heavy rains. If we can't do the work safely, we don't do it at all.”
For more information about closures and construction notices, Lake said to visit the department’s MiDrive website.
Lake was a guest on Stateside Thursday.
