KALAMAZOO (WKZO) — Despite all the talk about the state not having enough road repair money to fix everything that needed fixing, it does have some in its budget and a small portion of it will be spent in Kalamazoo this summer.
Some of it finishing the intersection of U.S. 131 and Stadium which was partially done last year.
The bigger of the two projects this year will be the $15.5-milllion replacement of the Sprinkle Road overpass and rebuilding the ramps and roads that lead up to it.
MDOT Spokesman Nick Schrippa says the project has been in the state’s priority list for sometime, and this year its number finally came up.
The plan they came up may be controversial with some because it makes use of roundabouts at either end of the overpass.
Here is a complete list of closings:
EB I-94 ramp to NB Sprinkle Road
EB I-94 ramp to Southbound Sprinkle Road
WB I-94 ramp to Cork Street/Sprinkle Road
NB Sprinkle Road ramp to EB I-94
NB Sprinkle Road ramp to WB I-94
SB Sprinkle Road ramp to WB I-94
Cork Street bridge over I-94
Sprinkle Road lane closures between Cork Street and Midlink Drive. One lane will remain open in each direction.
He says it’s like any other kind of decision making process…you look at what you have, and what you need to do and make it work, within a budget.
He says roundabouts are the best way to deal with the biggest problem the current intersection has, and that’s traffic congestion at peak periods.
Schrippa says the project gets going this week and folks who need to find alternatives should start using them.
The project is expected to take until well into this fall to complete, perhaps as late as November.
