GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Transportation has completed a comprehensive study examining potential improvements to one of the state's busiest highway corridors in Grand Rapids.
US-131 ranks as the busiest road in Michigan outside of metro Detroit, with the stretch between Cherry and 28th streets handling up to 140,000 vehicles daily. The corridor was originally designed and built three-quarters of a century ago.
The Planning and Environmental Linkages Study analyzed safety, operational and congestion issues throughout the corridor. Potential improvements could include adding shoulders, modifying lanes and reconfiguring interchanges to enhance safety, operations and access for pedestrians and cyclists.
MDOT has already hosted public input meetings about the proposed changes, but construction remains years away. Future steps include design work, additional community engagement and exploring funding options and grant opportunities for the improvements.
The department will next focus on the Wealthy Street interchange area near downtown Grand Rapids using a $10 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and state legislature. That study is scheduled to begin in 2026.
SEE MORE: Three years later: GR and state lay out plan on how to use $10M grant for Wealthy St. and US-131
MDOT previously estimated that rebuilding the entire Wealthy Street section would cost the state $600 to $700 million.
The Wealthy Street area has a documented history of safety concerns. In 2020, Michigan Auto Law listed US-131 at Wealthy Street as the most dangerous intersection in Kent County, with 114 crashes and 23 injuries. The intersection remained in the top 20 most dangerous locations last year with 73 total crashes and 12 injuries.
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