Construction will affect US-131 drives for weeks
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — If you are traveling north on US-131 near Grand Rapids, a new detour starting this week will add time to your journey.
Northbound lanes have been shut down entirely between 28th Street and Burton Street. To detour, traffic is merging starting around 44th Street before drivers are rerouted off the interstate at 28th Street SW. They are directed to Clyde Park Avenue SW and then back onto US-131 at Burton.
One northbound lane is remaining open between Burton and Pearl Street NW to facilitate downtown traffic.
Dana Battle said the northbound work is affecting his drive home and upcoming southbound closures will affect his drive in to work, making for a longer commute.
“Working inside of the Rogers Plaza, 28th Street is going to be hard to get to,” Battle said.
US-131 detour could add 15 minutes to your commute
John Richard, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Transportation, said crews will be working as quickly as possible. The northbound work should be completed in about four weeks, after which construction will shift to the southbound lanes.
“We’re fixing the bridges over Plaster Creek, northbound and southbound 131 over Plaster Creek,” Richard said.
Crews are repairing joints that allow the roadway to shift with changing temperatures.
“Where those two slabs meet, sometimes those joints get kind of bumpy, so this will smooth the ride and extend the life of the whole stretch of 131,” Richard said.
In addition to giving yourself extra time, MDOT is reminding drivers to be especially careful in any construction zone.
“When those cones are out, you’ve got to be careful because you’ve got to slow down. You’ve got to protect those workers to keep everyone safe,” Richard said.
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While the work will improve the ride, the department says more funding is needed to improve the interstate.
“This is a short-term fix. It’s not a long-term fix by any means, but it will extend the service life of those bridges by a good 15, 20, 25 years. But make no mistake, we need to rip out that whole section from 28th Street to Pearl,” Richard said.
MDOT says work will also begin on April 13 to rebuild I-196 Business Loop from Holland to Zeeland. You can check MDOT’s Mi Drive Map to stay up to date with any work that’s going on.
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