GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Of the three major highway projects in the Grand Rapids area, the reconstruction of M-6 west of Wilson Avenue will prove to the be most disruptive. That highway will be completely closed during the project, which begins sometime after July 4th, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
While eastbound traffic will simply stay on I-196 as a detour, the westbound detour will be more complicated -- and inconvenient. Traffic will be required to take northbound US-131 to downtown Grand Rapids to catch westbound I-196. Access on westbound M-6 will go as far as Wilson Avenue, but then all vehicles will need to take local streets to keep going west, something local residents are sure to dislike.
A lane closure may be placed on westbound M-6 between US-131 and Wilson Avenue to give access to local traffic but discourage through traffic, said MDOT spokesman John Richard.
The reconstruction of M-6 was scheduled for 2020 after the concrete pavement west of Wilson Avenue prematurely deteriorated. The problem prompted MDOT to schedule the rebuild sooner, but MDOT decided the roadway won't last another winter, and the reconstruction was moved to this year.
There are two other major projects in the works for 2017:
US-131 between 14 Mile and 17 Mile
- The entire structure of the roadbed will be rebuilt to new standards as a 30-year test project to see how new processes hold up. Work should begin in April and continue into November. Expect lane closures.
M-44 Belding Road between Wolverine Boulevard and Myers Lake Avenue
- This project will have two parts. M-44 will be rebuilt between Wolverine Boulevard and Blakely Avenue and will be completely closed. M-44 will get more cosmetic changes between Blakely Avenue and Myers Lake Avenue, so expect lane closures. Work should begin in March and be done in September.
