KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – A major multi-year roadway project in Kalamazoo County resumes next Monday.
Work on the second year of the two-year, $51 million project to rebuild and repave 13.4 miles of US-131 from the Rocky River in Three Rivers, St. Joseph County, to Shaver Road in Schoolcraft, Kalamazoo County begins April 15.
Work this year will pick up at XY Avenue and continue north to Shaver Road.
Work in 2024 includes rebuilding US-131 outside of the village of Schoolcraft and converting the Shaver Road intersection to a Michigan Left for southbound US-131 traffic. The anticipated completion date is Friday, November 8.
The Michigan Department of Transportation says work within the village includes rebuilding the road and sidewalks, curb ramps, and curb and gutter. A left-turn phase will be added to an upgraded traffic signal at Lyons Street, and new pedestrian crossing signals will be installed at Eliza Street.
While traffic will be maintained in each direction throughout the project, there will be directional closures and detours throughout the construction season. While southbound US-131 is being rebuilt, southbound traffic will be detoured on U Avenue, 8th Street, and XY Avenue.
During northbound US-131 rebuilding, northbound traffic will be detoured on XY Avenue, Portage Road, and U Avenue.
US-131 will be closed for two weeks while the railroad crossing south of Schoolcraft is rebuilt. During that closure, those same detours will be used for all US-131 traffic.
$35.3 million of the project’s funding is coming from the state’s Rebuilding Michigan program, designed to rebuild the state highways and bridges that are critical to the state’s economy and carry the most traffic.
Work will also begin to rebuild the northbound and southbound US-131 bridges over KL Avenue and the Amtrak rail in Kalamazoo. The three-year, $24 million project is expected to be completed in June 2026, with work pausing for each winter.
In addition to rebuilding the two bridges, work will include sanitary sewer, culverts, hot-mix asphalt rebuilding, a nonmotorized path along KL Avenue, approach work, and pavement markings on US-131.
Work in 2024 will require only shoulder closures on US-131 while a temporary bridge is built for use in 2025 during bridge rebuilding. Work in early 2026 includes bridge coating and final paving on KL Avenue.
KL Avenue will be closed throughout construction, with traffic detoured on Drake Road, West Michigan Avenue, and 11th Street.
The Stadium Drive ramp to northbound US-131 also will be closed, with traffic detoured via Stadium Drive, Drake Road, and West Main Street.
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