KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Drivers on I-94 and the interchanges at Portage Road and Sprinkle Road have been dealing with construction since late 2020. Scheduled to be finished by now, drivers are wondering why they are still driving through a construction zone between Sprinkle Road and Lovers Lane.
The project is now about four months behind schedule, says Nick Schirripa, spokesperson for the Southwest Region of the Michigan Department of Transportation.
“We understand people's frustration with the delays. We do. We're just as frustrated; we're just as disappointed. We don't ever want to be behind on a project.”
"There have been a number of things that have beset this project,” Schirripa continues. “We lost time right up front because we had to redesign some bridge beams. That cost us, actually, a couple of months.” The beams are going into the bridges at the Portage Road interchange.
And then, “everything kind of got behind during COVID ... whether it was work hours, work time lost because of illness, or supply chain delays.”
There’s more.
“There's now a cement shortage, an industry-wide cement shortage.”
So the $88 million project is quiet for the winter. There are still two lanes in each direction, which keeps traffic flowing when everything is normal. But one mishap – a breakdown or a crash – and traffic comes to a standstill, because there’s not much room to maneuver.
Disruptions continue on Portage Road in the interchange, which is being completely rebuilt, including four bridges.
Still to be accomplished: Rebuilding the westbound lanes from Sprinkle Road, reopening the ramp from northbound Sprinkle to westbound 94, finishing the Portage Road interchange and reopening the ramps.
The completion date is a little squishy: “We're telling people, don't get your hopes up,” Schirripa says. “Think, early summer is kind of when this whole project will be done.”
