Highways closed throughout northern Michigan due to extensive flooding

Max Bryan and Chad Livengood, The Detroit News on Apr 16, 2026

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DETROIT — Widespread flooding across Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula has washed out numerous roads, wreaking havoc on county road commissions and local motorists trying to navigate around floodwaters.

South of Traverse City, floodwaters washed away the Beitner Road bridge over the swollen Boardman River. Grand Traverse Road Commission Managing Director Dan Watkins said it will take six months to reopen the bridge.

In Presque Isle County, entire sections of M-451 and West Heythaler Highway were washed away west of Rogers City and U.S.-23.

Alpena County's road commission reported a collapsed roadway on Grenschaw Road between Princeton and Long Rapids due to floodwaters.

"We continue to encourage individuals to stay away from flooded areas and to not drive through roads that are covered with water," the Alpena County Road Commission said in a statement.

In Alpena and Grand Traverse counties, the ongoing floods kept officials from estimating a full cost of the damage. Alpena Road Commission Managing Director Ryan Brege said he might have to wait until late next week to estimate the repair costs because of forecast rain over the weekend.

Grand Traverse's Watkins said it will likely take the road commission months to address all of the impacted areas.

“There’s nowhere in the county that there isn’t some sort of damage," he said.

Multiple state highways are closed throughout northern Michigan

As of around 2 p.m. Thursday, the Michigan Department of Transportation had closed sections of highways in four counties.

MDOT had closed a section of M-65 in Iosco County due to water over the freeway; a section on M-68 in Presque Isle County due to a collapsed culvert; multiple sections of M-119 in Emmett County, including one due to a slope failure; and a U.S.-23 bridge downstream from the Cheboygan Dam, according to MDOT spokesman James Lake.

"We have other locations where we have water, perhaps along lakes or ponds, where the water has risen to the point where it’s on the road shoulder or close to the roadway," Lake said, adding that there's "a long list" of places where MDOT's staff is either stationed or moving between locations.

Roads closed, emergency shelter open in Presque Isle

In Presque Isle County, 10 roads were closed around 1:30 p.m., according to County Road Commission Superintendent David Kowalski.

Like in other counties, Kowalski is waiting for the water to recede before trying to fix any roads or give a damage cost estimate.

“I would have no idea to put even a close ballpark to that," Kowalski said of the damage estimate. "We’re still losing materials, so we can’t measure that."

Presque Isle County officials at noon Thursday opened an overnight emergency shelter at Belknap Township Hall, 1720 West 638 Highway, in response to the floodwaters.

"This shelter is being established to provide a safe, warm environment for residents who have been displaced or are facing unsafe locations in their homes," a Wednesday night statement from Presque Isle Emergency Management reads.

Emergency Management encouraged residents to bring clothes, medication, pillows and blankets, hygiene items, personal identification and items for children like diapers and formula. The American Red Cross will provide meals and cots, according to the county's statement.

Cheboygan dam floodwater at its highest level yet

At 12:30 p.m. Thursday, the water levels at the troubled Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex stood at 5.28 inches below the crest of the dam, the highest level recorded this week.

In Cheboygan, state officials spent Monday and Tuesday reinforcing the Cheboygan dam.

The once privately owned century-old dam in downtown Cheboygan has a long and complicated ownership history that has left part of it in the hands of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

State officials have taken a number of measures to prevent the dam from being breached, adding numerous pumps to divert water, giant sandbags, an aqua dam and removing floodgates with a crane.

Some businesses in downtown Cheboygan have barricaded their entrances with sandbags in anticipation of flood waters rushing into the city's central business district.