US-131 Closed Again After Semi Slams Into Bridge For the Second Time This Year

You know that feeling when you’re finally ready to enjoy a peaceful fall weekend drive with your coffee in hand, playlist queued up, and then boom! Your route is shut down because someone once again thought their semi could clear a bridge?

Yeah, welcome to my week.

The 146th Avenue bridge over US-131 got smacked again on Monday evening just before 6 pm. This time by a semi carrying some sort of heavy machinery.

The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office says the truck was headed southbound when it hit the bridge, and thankfully, no one was hurt when it happened. But for the rest of us? It’s déjà vu and not in the good way.

Now, US-131 is closed from 100th Street to 142nd Avenue “until further notice,” which is basically MDOT-speak for: don’t count on taking your usual route this week. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is. The same bridge was hit back in August, and that mess shut down the freeway for nearly a week.

I’m all for progress and hauling big machinery (Because, hey someone’s got to do it) but maybe we start double-checking those height limits, yeah? Because while MDOT assesses the latest round of damage, the rest of us are left recalculating our routes (and patience) for the second time this year.

So, if you’re heading south anytime this week, plan ahead, pack some extra snacks, and maybe a stress ball just in case you’re an impatient person like me. Because thanks to yet another overconfident truck driver, our drives are once again anything but smooth sailing.