Snow, wind snarl traffic in West Michigan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) – High winds and snow caused hazardous driving conditions Monday morning, with crashes and slides reported in West Michigan.

Windy winter storm hits West Michigan on Monday

Multiple crashes were reported in Allegan County in the morning. A semi-truck traveling north in the town of Saugatuck I-196 breaks through guardrail and onto Old Allegan RoadFire Chief Greg Janik told News 8. The crash closed the northbound lanes of the highway, and those lanes are expected to remain closed overnight as state highway inspectors must assess whether the bridge suffered structural damage.

traffic conditions

Allegan County Emergency Management said a jackknifed semi-truck was closed on southbound Interstate 196 west of 60th Street near Holland

In Allendale, News 8 crews saw a rollover crash on 68th Avenue between Lincoln and Warner streets. The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene around 9:40 a.m. The driver said the accident occurred after he hit a patch of ice and lost control. Neither the driver nor the passenger in the vehicle were injured.

“The roads were very slippery and the visibility was very poor,” said Lt. Scott Harkes of the Allendale Fire/Rescue Department, who said the department had responded to multiple slips and property damage incidents but no injuries.

“Stay home if you can. Take your time and give yourself extra time,” Hakes said.

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In Kalamazoo County, snow on the Interstate 96 business loop leading into the city of Kalamazoo also caused traction challenges, as did downtown roads.

Alvan Allison and friends traveled from Jackson to Grand Rapids to cheer on the Michigan State University hockey team. He said some locations were unsettled in the morning, but conditions became clearer by early afternoon.

“The last 3 or 4 miles it was kind of clear, but before that it was pretty intense,” Allison said. “In windy conditions, it’s hard to tell because you’re going on and the next thing you know, you’re going this way or this way and you’re not sure if it’s the wind or the road – but I think it’s a little bit of both.”

exist Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International AirportThe air traffic control tower was barely visible Monday morning amid the wind and snow. Some flights were delayed, including one to Chicago that was canceled before evening.

Further north, the Kent County Road Commission said they were working to clear roads, focusing first on major state and county roads, as snow continued to fall throughout the day. The Roads Commission warned that high winds could reduce visibility, blow down trees and cause snow, causing roads to quickly recover.

KCRC Director of Maintenance and Local Road Construction Steve Roon told News 8 that while crews are making progress clearing the road, drivers must be aware of rapidly changing conditions.

“(The road) has improved a lot from earlier this morning to what we’re seeing now. The efforts of our crews are really starting to pay off,” Ruhn said. “We still want to remind motorists that we still have strong winds, so you may be driving on some bare pavement for a long time and then hit an area that’s drifted through, which could cause some slippery roads for short distances.”

Muskegon County highway crews say the biggest obstacle plow drivers face is the snow.

“A lot of the drift areas, especially to the north and east, are a little complicated to deal with,” said Drew Nichols, Muskegon County Road Commission maintenance supervisor.

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He said overnight crews will be keeping a close eye on re-icing and drifting – although drifting was not as severe as earlier in the day as the snow and wind eased in the evening. With more snow and cold temperatures expected in the coming days, crews may rely more on sand rather than simple salt to treat roads, he said.

“We can handle the snow. What’s really interesting is the ice,” Nichols said.

—News 8’s Susan Samples, Josh Sanchez, Rachel Van Gilder and Katherine Wilkison contributed to this report.

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