Skip to main content

M-119 detour in Harbor Springs expected through October due to roadside washout

GAYLORD, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will make temporary, emergency repairs to stabilize the slope beneath a section of M-119 in Harbor Springs this week, but a permanent fix will require a through-traffic detour until late October.

Following heavy rains early Saturday morning, including a 15-minute peak burst of rain equivalent to 5 inches per hour, the shoulder of M-119 near Harrison Street in Harbor Springs washed away. The washout also undermined a portion of the highway pavement and guardrail supports in the area.

This week, MDOT maintenance crews will place stone in the washout area to stabilize the bluff beneath the roadway, ahead of anticipated rain later this week. MDOT is continuing evaluation of the soils condition in the vicinity and will design a permanent repair likely involving a retaining wall. That work is tentatively expected to be completed in October.

Until those permanent repairs can be made, M-119 will be closed to through-traffic between Harrison Street and State Street. Through-traffic will be detoured on State Street and Lake Street; local traffic can still access residences within the closure. 

Media Contact: