More Road Construction on the Way in West Michigan
There is a lot of road construction going on in West Michigan but get ready, because there new projects set to start next week all around the region.
Road construction is something we all hate and love. What I mean is, no one likes their commute to work, school, church or wherever to be altered in anyway, especially if it means its going to take longer. Now once the construction is done and the bumps in the road are gone, another lane has been added or its just new pavement, these kinds of things make your commute much better and you might even feel better on the way to and from your destination.
According to FOX 17, the 2021 construction season is a big one that will end with three lanes on I-196 on both east and westbound sections between Fuller Avenue and I-96. This improvement will not happen without lane closures on I-196 east of downtown Grand Rapids, and we all know this is gonna cause some backups.
Since I have moved to Grand Rapids, it's starting to remind me of the roads near Chicago, where there has been construction going on for my entire lifetime. It seems it never ends. I hope there is an end in sight so we can all enjoy these new upgrades for a few years before they break out the orange barrels again.
We are not out of the woods yet on new road projects and below are a list you want to prepare for if these effect your commute:
I-196 in Kent County:
- I-196 eastbound lane will be down to one lane from Ionia Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids to Maryland Avenue through the end of October.
- I-196 westbound land will have two lanes during this time period but often it will have traffic going both ways.
I-196 in Berrien County:
- Now through May 28 the ramp from I-196 to I-94 westbound is closed. To get around this take exit 1, leave 196, east on Red Arrow Highway to Watervliet, south on Church Street/M-140 to I-94 westbound.
US-131 in Allegan County:
- April 19 through May 1 the ramp will be close at M-179 to US-131.
- To avoid this closure, get on US-131 southbound at 135th Avenue in Wayland.
Market Avenue in Grand Rapids:
- April 19 through June 18 several blocks of Market Avenue will be closed south of US-131
- The detour is Grandville Avenue between Wealthy and Oakes Streets.
- April 19 through June 18 the ramp from US-131 southbound to Market Avenue will be closed.
- The detour is to exit early at Pearl Street.
The good news is, our tax dollars are hard at work to make the roads in the area better and if we do get stuck in traffic, at least soon the weather will be nice.