Grand Traverse County approves flood repair steps after resident frustration

A packed Grand Traverse County Road Commission meeting turned resident frustration into action Tuesday night, as commissioners approved repair steps for Beitner Bridge, Brown Bridge Road and South Airport Road after a stream of complaints about detours, emergency access and the pace of recovery.

Residents described the gathering as one of the largest they had ever seen. Several said the detours were more than an inconvenience, warning that the current setup could delay emergency vehicles and make winter travel even harder. One Boardman River area resident said there was not an efficient way for fire trucks, ambulances or other emergency vehicles to reach the neighborhood. Another said the detours add about 20 minutes to a trip into Traverse City.

The board responded by approving a $100,000 contract with Molon Excavating, Inc. to remove failed concrete culvert structures at the Beitner Bridge collapse site on the Boardman River. The work is intended to clear the way for a new bridge and move a project that had been tied to a 2027 timeline. Officials said the culvert removal should take two to three weeks once the contractor mobilizes, though Molon may need up to a week to prepare before work begins. The larger bridge replacement could still take at least six months after contractors are in place.

Commissioners also approved Molon Excavating for Brown Bridge culvert repairs at $109,400, part of a broader stabilization effort on Brown Bridge Road. They further approved creation of a steering committee for South Airport Road, another flood-damaged corridor that has drawn pressure from residents looking for faster, more visible recovery work.

Road Commission Director Dan Watkins said the countywide flood response has identified more than 200 damaged locations and about $9.3 million in road commission damage alone, separate from the broader county estimate that includes homes and parks. The damage followed heavy rain and snowmelt in late April 2026, which washed out the Beitner Bridge and left critical routes across Grand Traverse County in triage mode.

For commuters, neighborhood access and summer travel, the meeting marked a shift from frustration to concrete work. But it also underscored the larger question facing Grand Traverse County: whether officials are repairing only the worst breakpoints or using the flood recovery to solve long-running drainage and infrastructure problems before the next storm hits.