WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Drivers headed north along the lakeshore may have to plan an alternate route for the next few weeks after a freeway off-ramp was closed late Tuesday night.
The ramp from northbound US-31 to White Lake Drive in Whitehall Township was shut down just before 10 p.m. on January 6. The closure came as a result of what the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) first reported as a crash, but later re-titled to an "incident" in a series of social media posts.
NB US-31 Exit Ramp to West White Lake Dr (Exit #126)
— MDOT - West Michigan (@MDOT_West) January 7, 2026
Exit Ramp Closed
Correction: Due to an Incident
Muskegon County
Sosimo Cardoso
MDOT West Michigan TOC
01/06/2026
22:10
MDOT crews discovered a hole in the bridge deck on the overpass that carries White Lake Drive above US-31, a spokesperson told FOX 17. While the bridge's beams and piers remains structurally sound, the deck is in rough shape, per MDOT. The state has patched the deck numerous times, said the spokesperson.
A full deck replacement is on the schedule for 2028.
Along with the ramp, the right lane of US-31 North is closed at the exit and White Lake Drive has been blocked off to traffic, per the White Lake Fire Authority.
White Lake Drive is expected to remain closed for at least two to three weeks, per the fire authority.
