Temporary light planned at Hartman Road and U.S. 31 in Grand Traverse County

Grand Traverse County road officials began installing a temporary traffic light at Hartman Road and U.S. 31 on May 19 as more drivers funneled through the intersection after the Beitner Bridge failed in April flooding.

The signal is meant to calm a traffic pattern that changed sharply after the bridge at Beitner Park was lost overnight on April 15, making Beitner Road impassable and forcing commuters, school traffic and shoppers in Traverse City and Garfield Township onto other routes. County officials still want drivers to follow the official detour, which sends traffic along Cass Road and then South Airport Road, but they have acknowledged that many motorists have been cutting through Hartman and U.S. 31 in search of a shorter or more familiar path.

That extra volume is the safety problem the temporary light is intended to address. The intersection has become a pressure point as drivers unfamiliar with the detour mix with local traffic and turn movements across U.S. 31, creating the kind of confusion that can slow traffic and raise crash risk. County road officials had already been watching congestion on the corridor and had said a light would eventually be needed at Hartman and U.S. 31, after first planning one at Cass Road and Hartman.

The Hartman signal is a stopgap, not a permanent answer. Earlier reporting said the Beitner crossing would likely stay closed for six months or more, and the Grand Traverse County Road Commission has said the bridge had already been slated for replacement in early 2027 before the flood failure pushed the project ahead. That means the county is now juggling short-term traffic control, design work and a longer rebuild timeline at the same time.

The broader recovery has shown how far the flood damage reached beyond one bridge. Grand Traverse County declared a local state of emergency on April 14 because of ongoing and anticipated flooding impacts, and preliminary flood damage has been estimated at more than $15 million. The temporary light at Hartman and U.S. 31 is one more sign that officials are still working through the immediate aftermath while residents continue to deal with detours, delays and a county road network under strain.