.jpg)
UPDATE: Pentwater Schools Superintendent Dr. Scott Karaptian said students impacted by the Longbridge Road closure will now be dropped off/picked up at the Pentwater Convenience Center.
Rising waters on Pentwater Lake force road closure.
By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.
PENTWATER TOWNSHIP – The old saying, “it’s just water under the bridge” has a whole new meaning in Pentwater as rising waters from rain-swelled Pentwater Lake have forced Longbridge to close.
Longbridge Road from West Monroe Road/Business Route 31 near the Boathouse Bar & Grille is closed to Wayne Road, said Oceana County Road Commission Managing Director Mark Timmer.
A five-ton weight limit was placed on the road Tuesday, April 30, and additional rain on Wednesday, May 1, forced it to close.
The weight limit caused bussing issues for Pentwater students. Pentwater Public School Superintendent/Principal Dr. Scott Karaptian said the eight to 10 students impacted have been getting picked up and dropped off by the bus at the Boathouse Bar & Grille. All parents were notified. Now that the road is closed, the school may have to re-examine the issue, Karaptian said.
The road commission closed the road not only for safety reasons but also to protect the integrity of the road, Timmer said. When water gets underneath the road, it can cause damage. “If the subgrade gets saturated, it damages the road,” he said. When there is water over road, that can happen. And when it’s saturated beneath the road, the road becomes unstable, he explained.
Timmer expects the road to be reopened a couple days after the water recedes, although weight restrictions could continue longer. Rain is in the forecast for Thursday, May 2.
The road commission has a project planned for this summer to do crack paving and chip sealing on Longbridge Road for preventative maintenance, he said.
- Photos contributed by Mark Timmer
This story is copyrighted © 2019, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.
