One of four remaining stretches of Isabella County road closed since historic flooding last June opened this week, eliminating a major detour for area drivers.

Blanchard Road between Crawford and Lincoln reopened Wednesday afternoon, ending a detour that took some residents miles off of their normal routes.

“From 130 miles of road closed at one point from the flood, we’re down to three,” said Isabella County Road Commissioner Tony Casali.

Right now newly-reopened Blanchard is limestone but will be paved when the asphalt plants open up in the spring, Casali said.

That project had been partially completed last fall but was paused when the contractor discovered the project would require the stability of additional support, increasing the cost of the job.

Related: $14 million in repairs planned for Isabella roads in 2018

Once additional funding was secured, crews got back to work and the Isabella County Road Commission shared progress on the organization’s Facebook page.

As soon as Blanchard reopened Wednesday, an announcement was made and was immediate viral in the county; by Thursday, the post had been shared nearly 500 times and many comments from residents expressed gratitude and excitement.

“Yay! I no longer have to drive 30 extra miles to take my husband to work,” Amanda Lynne Edgecombe-mccall wrote on Facebook, while Debra Stauffer wrote, “Yippee! Thanks so much! Going home that way tonight!”

Other social media comments asked about the three stretches of road that remain closed since last summer’s flood: two miles of Loomis along with Wise road at Remus.

Map: these three roads still closed from last summer’s flood

“I do know we are looking at this year’s construction season, we want to get it all completed in 2018,” Casali said. Both sections of Loomis require similar construction to that on Blanchard, while Wise road will have a new 42-foot bridge when the work is complete.

Engineers are currently finishing plans for the three roads and bid packages and permit requests will be completed next, with the two Loomis stretches likely packaged together, Casali said.

“We’re in a good position. We just need to finish getting them designed, get the proper permits and get them moving,” Casali said. “We’re optimistic the work will be completed by the end of 2018. That’s out goal.”