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Grand Rapids Central

UPDATE: Power restored to traffic signals knocked out by squirrel in downtown Grand Rapids

About 100 traffic signals were impacted, as well as several city buildings.

Credit: Brett Farmer

On the first day of Michigan's stay at home order, the streets in downtown Grand Rapids were quiet. Photographer Brett Farmer captured some scenes of the empty city as residents have been mandated to avoid all non-essential travel. Farmer said some of the busiest intersections in Grand Rapids were empty.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Power has been restored to more than 100 traffic signals after a squirrel caused the outages in downtown Grand Rapids.

The outages also impacted several city buildings as well.

According to city spokesperson Steve Guitar, the Energy, Lighting and Communications team was called in to restore the primary feed from Consumers Energy to the city's Coldbrook substation.

Restoration was originally expected around noon, but was actually restored around 11:30 a.m.

If drivers experience dark intersections, they should treat them as four-way stops.

*Correction: The original version of this story sourced Steve Kelso in error.

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