By Jef Rietsma
The first of a two-year $51 million rehabilitation project involving U.S. 131 in St. Joseph and Kalamazoo counties has concluded for the season.
With the southern end of the 13.4-mile project completed, Michigan Department of Transportation will turn its attention in 2024 to a stretch that includes the village of Schoolcraft and a section north to the Shaver Road intersection.
MDOT’s Nick Schirripa said work in 2024 will pick up at XY Avenue and continue north to Shaver Road. In comparison to what was done in 2023 – almost exclusively in St. Joseph County – work in 2024 will be much more of an inconvenience for U.S. 131 motorists, Schirripa cautioned.
There will be a two-week, full closure of the highway at the Grand Trunk Western Railroad crossing at the south end of Schoolcraft. Meanwhile, repaving will continue from XY Avenue to Schoolcraft village limits, then resume north of the village limits up to Shaver Road.
“There are three significant pieces to next year’s work … closure of the railroad crossing in Schoolcraft; a closure of about two weeks on Shaver Road at U.S. 131 where we’ll rebuild that intersection; and we’ll be rebuilding U.S. 131 curb to curb inside (Schoolcraft),” Schirripa said. “It’s worth noting that inside the village we’ll be upgrading the traffic signals at Lyons and Eliza streets where they intersect with 131.”
He said U.S. 131 in Schoolcraft will be shifted to one lane in each direction while the rebuild takes place. Schirripa stated access to all businesses in Schoolcraft will remain available from rear entrances.
“I’m fully aware of the jinx I’m about to put on us but I’ll say this year was the easy part … it really was. We didn’t have to shut anything down completely for anything we did,” he said. “I think 2024 is going to be a little bit more inconvenient and present a couple more headaches because we’re going to have a few different phases we’re going to have to work through.”
Schirripa said the 2024 work will likely begin in late April or early May.
This year’s work started May 1 from the Rocky River in Three Rivers north to XY Avenue.
The general contractor is Michigan Paving and Materials in Kalamazoo.