Road News: Peninsula Drive Washes Out, Bluff Road Gets a New Sign

Today in Old Mission Peninsula road news, we have a washout, a new sign and some water in the road. Which is not surprising considering the amount of rain we’ve had during the past week. First, let’s take a look at the washout.

Several sections of Peninsula Drive were affected by the torrential downpour last week. The washouts seem to be a combination of wave action from West Bay and rainfall from the sky. The major issue occurred just north of Gray Road, where the road washed out so badly that the Grand Traverse County Road Commission shut it down and detoured drivers over to Center Road.

Here are a few photos of the washout north of Gray Road and the repair. Remember that a similar situation happened on Peninsula Drive last year – in fact, almost exactly one year ago – just down the road.

Farther north on Peninsula Drive – south of Island View Road – another washout occurred that didn’t go quite as far into the roadbed as the other one.

Meanwhile, over on Bluff Road, it appears that the Grand Traverse County Road Commission’s comments about shutting down the section that was washed out last fall might be coming to fruition.

While we still haven’t heard an official word on whether that section on the north end of Bluff Road will be permanently closed, these “No Outlet” signs that popped up over the past few days seem to say that might indeed be the case.

Here’s a photo of the sign at the intersection of Bluff Road and Blue Water Road.

And here are a few photos of the “No Outlet” sign at the corner of Boursaw Road and Smokey Hollow Road. Note that the “Road Closed” sign is still down on the corner by the Boursaw farmhouse.

And last but not least, here’s a photo of some water on the “S Curve” of Swaney Road on Saturday. When I went back by there on Sunday, the water had dissipated. But let’s be honest – it’s always been a swampy section of road.

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