Travelers in Kalamazoo will need to navigate road closures and detours starting next week as the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) resumes the $24 million construction project to rebuild US-131 bridges. WZZM 13 reports that beginning Monday, March 10, KL Avenue will be blocked off for construction, with a detour route that includes Drake Road, West Michigan Avenue, and 11th Street. This year's work will stretch into November, pausing over winter, and then picking back up to complete by June 2026.
Recent announcements from MDOT detailed that alongside KL Avenue, the northbound ramp to US-131 at Stadium Drive will shut down through June 26. While necessary for the bridge’s reconstruction, this has initiated traffic detours on Stadium Drive, Drake Road, and West Main Street, WWMT reports. Despite the disruptions, MDOT has promised that two lanes in both directions on US-131 will remain open via a lane shift and temporary bridge setup.
Alongside traffic revisions, the construction will involve substantial infrastructure improvements. In a statement provided by WKZO, the project includes "sanitary sewer, culverts, hot-mix asphalt rebuilding, a nonmotorized path along KL Avenue, approach work, and pavement markings on US-131." All efforts, according to state officials, culminate in not just the heightened efficiency and safety of the roadway, but in the fostering of employment, with the project expected to support 341 jobs.
MDOT has taken measures to reduce the disruption with traffic being shifted, once the Stadium Drive ramp reopens at the end of June, to accommodate the rebuild of the southbound bridge. Although navigating the construction may prove trying for local commuters, the updates are crucial for the long-term infrastructure resilience of Kalamazoo's road networks and are geared towards minimizing inconveniences as much as possible.
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