KENTWOOD, Mich. — Neighbors near the intersection of 36th Street and Shaffer Avenue in Kentwood are navigating detours and frustration as re-pavement and construction on a new roundabout gets underway — and many say they were caught off guard by the project.
The road has been closed since June 1 for repaving and roundabout construction. The city approved the project in January after 36th Street and Shaffer Avenue were rated among the worst roads in Kentwood, according to a PASER test done back in 2024.
Neighbors Isaiah McCray and Jerry Bongphasouk both say the intersection sees heavy use.
"Sometimes it's chill, but most of the time it's real busy," McCray said.
"We have a lot of community, I mean, huge subdivisions all around here, so this road gets used a lot," Bongphasouk said.
Bongphasouk lives near the intersection and had been cutting through one of the entrances to Covenant Park to avoid traffic — until the closure stopped that option.
"A few days ago this was open, so I cut through here a couple of times already, so I thought it was going to be open again," Bongphasouk said.
WATCH: Kentwood neighbors react to 36th and Shaffer roundabout construction, road closure
While Bongphasouk says he doesn't oppose the roundabout itself, he has concerns about how drivers will use it.
"I don't mind the roundabout, but there's a lot of people that don't know how to use the roundabout, they come to a complete stop, when you're not supposed to," Bongphasouk said.
McCray, who frequently visits his mother in the area, says he doesn't want a roundabout at all.
"To me, that's inconvenient. Its already busy enough to add a roundabout," McCray said.
Many neighbors say they weren't even aware the project was happening. I spent the day at the site and observed roughly 20 to 30 drivers having to make U-turns after encountering the closure.
"Just some days on a busy day is bad, so like, yeah, this is really inconvenient for everybody," McCray said.
The disruption isn't limited to drivers. Andy Doubard, who bikes through the area from Caledonia, has also run into obstacles.
"So on a bike, you sometimes get around things that are closed on the road, you know. So I went on the sidewalk, but then sidewalks under construction too, so this bike doesn't do very good on the dirt," Doubard said.
For neighbors, the priority is simple — getting the roads back open.
"The faster they get it done, the faster you know, no traffic," McCray said.
The city says the project is expected to continue through September.
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