Grand Rapids motorists, prepare to adjust your commute. Major roadwork on Plainfield Avenue is set to disrupt traffic patterns for the next several months. Starting today, the stretch of Plainfield Avenue from just south of I-96 to just north of Airway Street will be cloaked in orange cones and signage as construction crews commence a sizable resurfacing project. WOOD TV8 reported that this endeavor is part of a $4.6 million investment by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and includes upgrades beyond the asphalt, such as sidewalk improvements and median island construction.
Drivers should begin to expect lane closures, as well as intermittent ramp shutdowns. Certain segments of the road will be closed entirely during nighttime hours, specifically from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., a schedule designed to minimally interrupt the daily hustle. Despite the disruptions, the goal, as detailed by MLive, is to improve the thoroughfare's safety and to gently coax traffic into a calmer flow without reducing lane numbers. Plainfield's lanes, however, are expected to be narrowed from 12 feet to 11, a change surely to be noticed by vehicles accustomed to wider berths.
The overall project is a collective push, involving Plainfield Township and the Kent County Road Commission, and is projected to support 44 jobs based on economic modeling. This effort is also aesthetically minded. The Michigan Department of Transportation's announcement echoes Governor Gretchen Whitmer's sentiment about the state's commitment to transport infrastructure and safety, "fixing the damn roads to grow our economy, helping Michiganders go to work, drop their kids off at school and run errands safely."
