KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Road construction plans this year in Southwest Michigan include finishing up multi-year projects already underway on I-94 and US-131, rebuilding some bridges that have been waiting for years to be replaced, and using an unusual system to get the job done.
The projects previewed here are all in the Southwest Region of the Michigan Department of Transportation, which includes Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Berrien, Branch, Cass, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties.
I-94
The continuing project on 11 miles of I-94 in Calhoun County between Helmer Road and Marshall will be finished, with work planned for the westbound payment of I-94 and rebuilding the bridges over 6-1/2 Mile Road, Beadle Lake Road, and the Kalamazoo River. A couple of other bridges will be repaired.
An unusual process is being used in those bridge projects in Calhoun County to keep two lanes open in both directions. A temporary bridge is placed between the old bridges. In 2023, eastbound traffic used the temporary bridges while the eastbound bridges were rebuilt. This year, westbound traffic will use the temporary bridges while work is done on the westbound bridges.
Another project on I-94 shifts focus of construction. In Berrien County, previous years have seen construction between I-196 and Britain Avenue, to connect the US-31 freeway to I-94 and rebuild the freeway and some bridges.
The new project will take three years, with work concentrated in 8.5 miles of I-94 between Britain Avenue and Puetz Road. More bridge work is planned: rebuilding four bridges, rebuilding an interchange, and repairing nine other bridges.
US-131
Three major projects are planned for US-131 in Kalamazoo County.
The long-awaited rebuilding of the bridges that carry US-131 over KL Avenue and an active Amtrak rail line in Kalamazoo gets done this year.
The process using a temporary bridge, described above as used in the Calhoun County project on I-94, will be used in this project, with a temporary bridge between the northbound and southbound 131 bridges.
Meanwhile, work is finished on US-131 south of Schoolcraft to Three Rivers, but 131 will be redone within the village of Schoolcraft and north to the intersection of US-131 and U Avenue/Shaver Road. The Schoolcraft section of the project will be curb to curb, from repaving to signal upgrades, so there will be detours.
The highway will be rebuilt north of Schoolcraft. And the intersection at 131 and U Avenue/Shaver Road will be reworked.
Other major work is planned on M-40 between Paw Paw and Lawton.
Follow state construction on Michigan’s highways using the MIDrive web site.
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