OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. - Several crashes in white-out conditions caused several problems along I-196 Tuesday. Eastbound I-196 was closed from Adams Street to Byron Road due to a crash, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The closure caused heavy traffic and slowdowns as the winter blast took aim on Ottawa County. The stretch of highway reopened around 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Veronica Pettigrew was traveling home to Kentwood from work in Benton Harbor when she hit the heavy traffic on eastbound I-196.
"I just thank God I wasn’t in a ditch and I was moving....it was so icy," said Pettigrew.
It was a very slow commute as it took her around an hour to travel 3 miles.
"My biggest concern was when they had me get off the exit, how am I going to get home," Pettigrew said.
Eastbound I-196 wasn't the only spot with pileups and delays. Parts of westbound I-196 in Ottawa County were closed for a couple of hours as well.
The Holland Department of Public Safety said that there was a multi-vehicle crash on westbound I-196 at the M-40 exit. Westbound I-196 was closed between Adams Street and M-40 until a little before 6 p.m.
According to Holland Department of Public Safety, no injuries were reported.
Both eastbound and westbound I-196 near Adams Street in Ottawa county have since re-opened.
