LANSING — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order Thursday night declaring an energy emergency in the Upper Peninsula after severe ice storms closed the Mackinac Bridge multiple times.

This week’s closures, including one lasting a record 30 hours, prevented commercial fuel trucks from crossing the Straits of Mackinac.

“With this executive action, Michigan will allow expanded flexibility for truck drivers to ensure the supply of fuel can be delivered to communities in the Upper Peninsula that need it the most right now,” Whitmer said in a statement.

The order suspends hours-of-service and all state and local seasonal load, size and weight restrictions for commercial trucks transporting gasoline, distillate, propane, and other necessary equipment in the Upper Peninsula. These actions will help expedite delivery of fuel and other critical supplies to affected areas after widespread damage from historic ice storms over the weekend, Whitmer said.

The state of energy emergency applies to 14 of the 15 counties in the Upper Peninsula. Mackinac County was included under a previous executive order. The order remains in effect through Thursday.

This comes after activation of the State Emergency Operations Center on Sunday, which authorized the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division to coordinate state efforts above and beyond what MSP/EMHSD had already been doing in conjunction with local agencies.