Road commissions and Mother Nature close roads
by Peter Jakey-Managing Editor
Spring finally got a foothold on the area with warm air that melted a majority of the snow; however, old man winter stomped out the enthusiasm with another dose of April snow.
This one brought as much as 4 inches to northeast Michigan. A storm April 4 also covered Presque Isle and Cheboygan counties and made driving hazardous.
Road commissions in both counties already had their hands full with major drainage issues following massive weekend rainstorms, but had to get back out and plow county roads.
Providing a challenge to crews was the water on the roads that turned to ice and made it difficult to clear them.
Road commissions were dealing with several road closures.
In the case of Walker Highway near Afton, Mother Nature decided to close that one on her own.
An entire section one-quarter mile west of Osmun Road was washed out when the culvert there could not handle all the water and the dirt and stone around it was swept away.
According to Presque Isle County road Commission superintendent/manager Jerry Smigelski Balch Road in the Onaway area, between Town Hall Highway and Beehm, was closed earlier in the week.
“Once the water recedes we will be doing repairs on all of them,” said Smigelski.
The Cheboygan County Road Commission did not immediately return the Outlook’s call to provide a list of road closures.
Mother Nature has caused her share of natural problems this crazy spring, but humans are complicating matters, said Smigelski.
<If that was not enough, “unknown parties” took “water over the road” metal signs and placed them over the culverts to restrict water flow. Smigelski said it happened Sunday night.
“The following night they stole the signs,” said Smigelski. “Any information regarding that would be wonderful.”
Or call the Presque Isle County Sheriff’s Department at 989-734-2156.