Lansing, MI – A series of highway closures have impacted morning traffic across Michigan as downed power lines prompted safety concerns in at least five counties.
According to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the closures began early Friday and include both directions of M-29 in St. Clair County, M-15 in Bay County, M-89 in Barry County, M-43 in Ingham County, and significant portions of I-496 in Ingham County as well. All affected routes are blocked in both directions, and crews are working to assess and clear the hazards.
MDOT reported the earliest incidents were logged around 1:30 a.m. on eastbound and westbound I-496 near Exit 7 and Exit 77 in Ingham County. These closures were resolved by 6:35 a.m. but created significant detours for early commuters. Meanwhile, closures remain active on westbound M-43 at Fairview Avenue in Ingham County, where traffic is diverted due to low-hanging or fallen lines as of 2:32 a.m.
In Bay County, both northbound and southbound lanes of M-15 between Brown and Webber roads were shut down by 5:32 a.m. as downed lines posed ongoing risks. Shortly after, a similar issue was reported on M-29 in St. Clair County near Davis and Neuman roads. MDOT confirmed that all lanes are blocked in both directions as of 5:48 a.m.
The final active closure reported was on M-89 between Doster and Kane roads in Barry County, beginning around 4:26 a.m.
Drivers are urged to seek alternate routes and follow MDOT’s MiDrive traffic map for real-time updates.
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