SAUGATUCK TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, July 19, 2023) – An issue along the Lakeshore that became overshadowed three years ago by the COVID 19 outbreak was erosion damage.
One of the hardest-hit areas of high water levels in 2019 was Lakeshore Drive near Saugatuck. For the second time in three decades, those levels, driven by gale-force winds coming off of Lake Michigan, caused washouts that led to a permanent cut of the road in 1988 and a temporary fix four years ago.
Now that the water levels have receded, now is a good time to address a permanent solution, as Allegan County Board Chairman Jim Storey toured the scene last week with Saugatuck Fire District Chief Greg Janik, Allegan County Road Commission Superintendent Craig Atwood, and Trevor Ten Brink, a district director in the office of US House Representative Bill Huizenga.
According to Janik, it takes 14 minutes to respond to an emergency south of the washout of 35 years ago, while elsewhere in his district, the response time averages nearly six minutes.
It remains to be seen if such funding from Washington and/or Lansing may be forthcoming for re-routing Lakeshore Drive further inland.
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