Crash on US-23 Closes Freeway: Fog, Ice & Detours Trigger Chaos Across Flint Commute

It was a rough commute for drivers in the Flint area this morning when a crash on US-23 eventually closed the freeway. Then the situation got worse as the main surface roads became congested, triggering even more accidents.

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It started with a crash on northbound US-23 about a quarter mile south of Hill Road in Mundy Township just before 7:00 this morning. When emergency responders arrived on scene they were forced to close the left lane and shoulder, but shortly after 8:00 a listener reported that they had closed the freeway at Grand Blanc Road near Rankin and were directing traffic off the freeway.

Mid-Michigan Surface Roads Jammed With Detour Traffic

Traffic began to flood not only Grand Blanc Road and Thompson Road three-and-a-half miles south, but northbound Torrey, Linden, Jennings and Fenton Roads all became congested. That was on top of the dense fog and surprisingly slick road conditions across Mid-Michigan.

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Detours, fog and ice created the trifecta of circumstances that delayed people, in many cases for more than an hour during the commute.

Secondary Crashes Along Detour Routes Made Flint's Morning Commute Worse

There were several additional crashes and fender benders scattered along the various detour routes, including several accidents along Hill Road. To make matters worse, another crash happened at 9:20 A.M. at Grand Blanc Road where traffic was already being forced off of US-23.

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Shortly after 9:00, the right lane reopened to northbound traffic which slowly began to move. As of 10:30 this morning, GeneseeCounty911.org was reporting both accidents were still active, but speed sensors showed that traffic was now moving at posted speeds through that stretch of northbound US-23.

Current US-23 Traffic Status and Emergency Response

Several emergency response agencies were on hand including Mundy Township Fire Department, the Metro Police Authority and the Michigan State Police. You can get the current rundown of Genesee County traffic problems by clicking here.