Traverse City man crashes into former Beitner Bridge site, daughter unhurt

A 74-year-old Traverse City man drove around barricades and into the former Beitner Bridge site Monday night, a reminder that the flood-damaged Beitner corridor remains hazardous long after the water dropped. His 15-year-old daughter was riding with him and was not injured.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office deputies said the man was driving a 2021 Volkswagen from Chums Corner when he went down the hill toward the closed crossing, passed around two barricades and then drove through a third before crashing. The driver suffered a broken foot. Deputies also ticketed him for disobeying a traffic control device.

The man called the sheriff’s office after the crash. Deputies said they do not believe alcohol was involved, and investigators think a possible medical episode may have played a role. The case remains under investigation.

The crash happened at one of Grand Traverse County’s most visible flood failures. The Beitner Park bridge failed during the April flooding, making Beitner Road impassable and forcing barricades into place as a warning to drivers. County officials declared a local state of emergency on April 14 because of ongoing and anticipated flooding impacts, and Traverse City officials said the Boardman/Ottaway River system reached levels rarely seen in recorded history.

At the height of the flooding, the City of Traverse City said the U.S. Geological Survey gage at Beitner Road was washed out before it could capture the river’s peak. At the next upstream station, the Boardman River reached 1,120 cubic feet per second on April 14, exceeding the previous record of 583 cubic feet per second set April 14, 2014 by 92 percent.

The Grand Traverse County Road Commission has said replacement of the Beitner crossing has been expedited and is expected to take at least six months. One update said the crossing had already been slated for replacement in early 2027 before the flood damage accelerated the work. County officials have said Beitner Road remains closed while recovery continues, and road commission crews have identified more than 100 damage locations across the broader flooding area.

For now, Cass Road is expected to serve as the default bypass for the Beitner closure over the summer, with possible temporary traffic signals at Hartman Road. Barricades remain in place at key approaches, including Chums Corner and the River Road and Keystone Road area, as officials warn drivers to treat the closed corridor as part of the county’s ongoing recovery zone, not an open route.