WKZO Traffic Blog

Current Conditions:  Dry Conditions

Tipsters can report road problems to WKZO by calling 877-382-4280.

Upcoming overnight

There will be single-lane closures on Eastbound I-94 from Oakland Drive to Lovers Lane in Portage, from 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2, through 6 a.m. Friday, Sept. 3, to place temporary concrete barriers.
Construction will take place at night. Motorists are advised to seek an alternate route during closures.

NEW TODAY

Single-lane closures on I-194/M-66 from Dickman Road to Hamblin Street in Battle Creek, through Monday, Nov. 11, as part of the city's gateway project.

Other Updates:

(UPDATE 08-30-10) Single-lane closures on Eastbound I-94 from the Park Road overpass to Hennessy Road (mile markers 37 to 39) in Berrien County through Thursday, Sept. 2, for joint and crack filling and guardrail repair.

(UPDATE 08-30-10) South Street from S. Kalamazoo Mall to Farmers Alley - Closed.

(UPDATE 08-23-10) Intermittent lane closures on M-37 from M-79 to Dowling Road in Barry County thru Friday, Sept. 10, for shoulder maintenance

(UPDATE 08-23-10) Single-lane closures on northbound US-131 over the railroad a half-mile north of Plainwell, Allegan County, for bridge deck repairs now through 4 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 23.

(UPDATE 08-23-10) Moving lane closures on M-40 from Depot Street in Gobles to 46th Avenue in Van Buren County through 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, for crack sealing.

(UPDATE 08-20-10) Westbound I-94 (in Calhoun County) Daytime Shoulder Closures and Nighttime Lane Closures from M-66 (exit 98) to 11 Miles Rd. (exit 104), now thru Monday Sept. 27.

(UPDATE 08-20-10) Stadium Dr. from 4th Street to 6th Street
Asphalt overlay and intersection improvement to extend the left turn lane at 4th Street. Now thru Late Sept.

(UPDATE 08-12-10) Westnedge, north of Osterhout - One lane in each direction for Repaving.

(UPDATE 08-11-10) Davis from Vine to Lovell - Gutter and Curb Replacement.

(UPDATE 08-11-10) North Street from Douglas to N. Westendge ( near completion ) - Gutter and Curb Replacement.

(UPDATE 7-26-10) Beadle Lake Road AT I-94 (CALHOUN COUNTY) - Lane closures for bridge work.  End Date: September 27, 2010.

(UPDATE 7-26-10) H AVENUE Between 9th Street and 10th Street (OSHTEMO) - Sewer installation.  No through traffic.  End Date:  December, 2010. 

(UPDATE 7-16-10) I-94 IN CALHOUN COUNTY - Bridge work begins Friday, July 30 (new date) at the Kalamazoo River Bridge, 6 1/2 Mile Road, Beadle Lake Road and 9 Mile Road for the next several weeks.  Expect daily shoulder closures and weekend lane closures until September 27.

(UPDATE 7-16-10) Bridge Reconstruction in Augusta
The Michigan Department of Transportation is replacing the M-96 bridge over the Kalamazoo River mill race in the village of Augusta. TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS: A temporary traffic signal will regulate one lane of alternating traffic over the bridge during construction. END DATE: Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010

City of Kalamazoo....

For a complete construction list for the City of Kalamazoo visit http://www.ci.kalamazoo.mi.us/docs/LocalStreetList05-07-08.pdf

City of Portage

For a complete construction list for the City of Portage visit
http://www.portagemi.gov/government/road_construction.asp

Larger/Long Term Projects:

Eastbound I-94 traffic has shifted to the westbound side of I-94.

  *Ramp closures at Westnedge Ave. (Kalamazoo) 

o Eastbound I-94 to southbound Westnedge Avenue will be closed until November 2010.
 o Eastbound I-94 to northbound Westnedge Avenue will be closed until November 2011.
 o Northbound Westnedge Avenue to eastbound I-94 will be closed until November 2010.
 o Southbound Westnedge Avenue to eastbound I-94 will be closed until November 2010.

The following ramps will be remaining open for the construction season.

o Northbound Westnedge Avenue to westbound I-94.
o Southbound Westnedge Avenue to westbound I-94.
o Westbound I-94 to northbound Westnedge Avenue.

The Michigan Department of Transportation will suspend work and reopen lanes on several major state highways, including U.S. 127 north of Jackson and U.S. 127 in Hillsdale County, for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

Work on most state roads in counties surrounding MIS will be suspended at 7 a.m. Thursday until 7 a.m. Tuesday. However, several MDOT projects still will have restrictions in place over race weekend and MDOT officials urge motorists to drive with caution in work zones.

On I-94 in Jackson County, two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction with a traffic shift between Sargent Road and the Washtenaw County line.

To assist motorists and race fans, MDOT is posting MIS raceday travel information on the Web, including maps and information about statewide construction projects, and information about the inbound and outbound traffic patterns. Motorists can find information online at www.michigan.gov/mdot or www.michigan.gov/drive.

KALAMAZOO--With White House advance teams now working on campus, plans have been finalized for parking for President Barack Obama's Monday, June 7, visit to the community for Kalamazoo Central High School's commencement.

Obama will speak during a 7 p.m. ceremony in University Arena at Western Michigan University. Doors will open for those holding tickets at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are being distributed by Kalamazoo Public Schools, and no tickets are available for the general public.

Parking lots surrounding WMU's Lawson Arena and Miller Auditorium will be used for event parking, and shuttle transportation to University Arena will be provided to and from those lots. Event parking lots will include Lots No. 33, 34, 35, 63 and 64. Students and employees may continue to use the event parking lots, as usual.

Parking lots closed

Beginning at 6 a.m. Monday, June 7, the following parking lots will be closed, and any cars in these lots will be towed.

Lots No. 13 and 29 near the Student Recreation Center
Lots No. 14, 16, 18 and 94 surrounding University Arena
The top level of Parking Ramp No. 1 (Lot No. 80) near Ellsworth Hall
Those lots will not be available for either WMU employee or student parking throughout the day or for guest parking for the event.

A detailed map showing all designated parking locations can be found at maps.pp.wmich.edu/obamavisit.

University Arena and Rec Center closed Monday

Read Fieldhouse/University Arena and the Student Recreation Center will be closed all day Monday. A small number of classes in those two buildings will be canceled. Students and faculty affected will be contacted by University officials. No other classes or activities at the University have been canceled.

Road closures

Some Monday road closures in the vicinity of University Arena are expected and will be announced when that information is available.

Additional details about logistics for the Obama visit will be announced through WMU News and area media, as they become available.

M-43 closure schedule announced for pump station reconstruction in Kalamazoo

May 21, 2010 -- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has started work to rebuild the pump station along M-43 near the Kalamazoo River in downtown Kalamazoo. This work will require closing M-43 completely to remove and reconstruct the drainage pipes under the roadway.

A detour will be in place Tuesday, July 6, to Friday, Aug. 6, while M-43 is closed from the I-94 Business Loop (Kings Highway) to East Michigan Avenue for storm sewer and road construction. All work on the $1.7 million project is expected to be completed in August.

MDOT also has partnered with Kalamazoo on streetscape enhancements in the city's Northside Neighborhood. MDOT will be upgrading six intersections along North Park Street and North Westnedge Avenue. Improvements include bricked crosswalks, increased green space, pedestrian sheltering, pedestrian-level lighting and enhanced scenery.

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Both lanes of traffic in each direction on M-43 from East Michigan Avenue to King Highway will be closed from mid-June through mid-July during a three-stage project to replace a storm drain and pump station and resurface the road (MDOT).

Two detour routes will be posted.

Eastbound traffic on M-43 will be routed onto North Pitcher Street, then to Ransom Street, which turns into Gull Road. Westbound traffic will be detoured onto these same streets.

A secondary detour sends motorists who might normally take the U.S. 131 Business Loop (North Westnedge Avenue) south to M-43 then east to Gull instead onto East Paterson Street, Riverview Drive then Gull

There will be lane closures on Westnedge Avenue at I-94 from Monday, May 10, through Friday, May 28, to perform a significant amount of earth work.

THESE DATES WERE CHANGED: Previously, the closures were scheduled for Monday, May 3, through Friday, May 14 & May 17 through Friday June 4.

The lane closures will be in place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and traffic will be regulated by a flagging operation. One lane of Westnedge Avenue will be open in each direction during the closures. Engineers will be evaluating the traffic flow on Westnedge during closures for possible schedule adjustments.

I-94 will not be affected by these closures.

Starting June 1, 2010
There will be single-lane closures on I-94 between Exit 88 near Galesburg, Kalamazoo County, and Exit 110 in Marshall, Calhoun County, for median cable guardrail installation from Tuesday, June 1, through Friday, Oct. 1.
The median lane (left lane) will be closed for short stretches as the installation is a moving operation. The work will take place at night.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be installing median cable guardrail along more than 21 miles of I-94, continuing a safety program that is preventing cross-median crashes and saving lives.

Installation starts east of 40th Street in eastern Kalamazoo County and extend to Old 27/17 Mile Road in Battle Creek, Calhoun County.
The project is scheduled for completion in October. Motorists will see some daytime shoulder closures and nighttime lane closures in the project area.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will install...

Median cable guardrail will be installed on US-131 from B Avenue in Kalamazoo County to M-222 (Martin Exit 55) in Allegan County from April 19 to May 3.

May 3-21, cable guardrail will be installed on I-94 from the Kalamazoo/Van Buren county line to the US-131 interchange in Kalamazoo County.

Motorists will see some daytime shoulder closures, and alternate routes are advised

Starting Monday, April 19th, Kalamazoo County Road Commission...Road Closurer for Street Realignment at Texas Drive and 8th Street. The project will realign Texas Drive at 8th Street. Work will also include drain improvements, curb, gutter and sidewalk placement. DETOUR: Texas Drive and 8th Street will be detoured west to 5th St., north to PQ Ave., east to 6th St., and north to O Ave.

Starting Monday, April 19, There will be a lane shift on M-89 in Richland, Kalamazoo County, for tar-and-chip operations.
One lane of traffic will be shifted as crew work on M-89 from the M-89/M-43 junction to downtown Richland.

Starting Monday, April 19th, The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be repaving about 6 miles of M-43 north of Hastings in Barry County, from the north city limits to Usborne Road. Also included in the project are guardrail and intersection improvements, permanent signing and pavement markings.
Work is scheduled for completion in mid-August.

Starting Monday, April 19, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be repaving more than a half-mile of US-12 Business Route (BR) in Niles, Berrien County, from the Grant Street/Lincoln Avenue intersection to the St. Joseph River. The project also includes sidewalk ramp upgrades.
US-12 BR traffic will be detoured during paving operations. While Main Street and Lincoln Avenue are being repaved, the detour route will be St. Joseph Avenue and Grant Street. When St. Joseph Avenue and Grant Street are being repaved, Main Street and Lincoln Avenue will be the detour route.

Starting Monday, April 19, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be resurfacing 1.5 miles of M-40 in Paw Paw, Van Buren County.
This $2.75 project includes resurfacing M-40 from Joseph Avenue to Power Plant Road, curb and gutter replacement, storm sewer replacement, sidewalk construction, and guardrail, traffic signal, and non-freeway sign upgrades.
Work is scheduled for completion by Oct. 30, and one lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction during most of the construction. A minimum of one lane in each direction will be maintained for the majority of the work. When lane closures are required, flagging crews will help direct traffic.

I-94/Westnedge Avenue April 9, 2010 construction update

What work has been taking place

• Westbound I-94 has been shifted to accommodate the work along the project.

• One of the Southbound Portage Road ramps to Westbound I-94 was closed and detoured the week of April 5th.

• The city of Portage's nonmotorized path under I-94 will remain closed for bridge work for the entire construction season. The detour is posted.

• Work will continue on the screening walls in all areas near I-94 and Westnedge Avenue.

Lane/Ramp Closures, that began this week (April 12th)

• Eastbound I-94: Nightly lane closures to prepare for the I-94 traffic shift atWestnedge Ave and the railroad bridge. Temporary concrete barrier wall will be placed.

• Westbound I-94: Nightly lane closures to set up the traffic shift at the railroad bridge. Temporary concrete barrier wall will be placed.

At 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 13...all eastbound I-94 traffic shifted to the westbound side of I-94.

• Westnedge Avenue will have off-peak lane closures to perform prep work for the demolition of the I-94/Westnedge Bridge.

• There is a full closure of Westnedge Avenue scheduled for 10 p.m. Saturday, April 24, to 11 a.m. Sunday, April 25, for the demolition of the eastbound I-94 bridge over Westnedge Avenue.

• The following ramps will be closed starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 13.

o Eastbound I-94 to southbound Westnedge Avenue will be closed until November 2010.

o Eastbound I-94 to northbound Westnedge Avenue will be closed until November 2011.

o Northbound Westnedge Avenue to eastbound I-94 will be closed until November 2010.

o Southbound Westnedge Avenue to eastbound I-94 will be closed until November 2010.

• The following ramps will remain open for the construction season. o Northbound Westnedge Avenue to westbound I-94.

o Southbound Westnedge Avenue to westbound I-94.

o Westbound I-94 to northbound Westnedge Avenue.

For those traveling to Western Michigan University - Grand Rapids downtown campus.

Beginning April 12, The Fix on I-196 will shut down that stretch of highway between Fuller and the Grand River, forcing commuters to exit the freeway.

MDOT strongly encourages drivers to take the suggested detours: I-96 and US-131, or US-131 and M-6.

What MDOT is doing:   
This project will consist of the reconstruction of the existing concrete pavement in both the eastbound and westbound directions and adding a concrete median barrier between the bounds.

Also included is the addition of a third through-lane and weave/merge lanes between the interchanges of Ottawa Avenue/Ionia Avenue, College Avenue and Fuller Avenue.
 
Along with the roadway work, five bridges will be completely replaced during this project.
(These are the Coit Avenue, Eastern Avenue, AND Diamond Avenue bridges over I-196 and the two bridges that carry I-196 over Lafayette Avenue.)
 
Other planned improvements include, but are not limited to: corridor safety geometric upgrades, corridor aesthetics (through partnering with the city of Grand Rapids and stakeholders/foundations), freeway lighting upgrades, drainage upgrades, freeway signing and pavement marking upgrades.

1. South Westnedge Avenue Enhancement Projects (SWEPS)
 
In March 2006, engineers contracted by the city began the process of designing the improvements associated with SWEPs. The city hosted an Open House on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at Portage City Hall. The Open House allowed the public to view the preliminary design, ask questions and provide input that will ultimately lead to the best design product. Conceptual plans for areas north of I-94 have been updated to reflect revisions and refinements to the original plan. The final construction plans have been completed and forwarded to the Michigan Department of Transportation for Bidding.

Construction in 2008 focused on widening South Westnedge Avenue to three travel lanes northbound from Amos Avenue to Old Kilgore Road. Southbound, the roadway was widened to three travel lanes from north of Market Place to the westbound  I-94 on-ramp. The project included new sidewalk on both sides of the street, new concrete driveway approaches, center median construction, and landscaping.  Currently the Michigan Department of transportation has begun the constructo ofI-94 widenng ffrom east of Oakland Drive to west of Portage Road. 

The current project includes the replacement of the South Westnedge Avenue bridge and the reconstuction of the I-94/South Westnedge Avenue intersection.
 
The next construction phase of SWEPs is the scheduled widening of an additional northbound through lane from Milham Avenue to Dawnlee Avenue. The current estimated construction date for this phase is 2015-16. The final phase of SWEPs will include the widening of southbound South Westnedge Avenue from Kilgore Road to Trade Centre Way with a 3rd through lane. This phase is currently scheduled to be built in 2016-17.

2. West Milham Avenue Improvements - Angling Road to 12th Street
 
The reconstruction of West Milham Avenue from Angling Road to 12th Street is included in the City of Portage 2009-10 Capital Improvement Program Budget. For many years, the Portage City Council has established the improvement of West Milham Avenue from 12th Street to Oakland Drive as a major infrastructure improvement priority. The section of West Milham Avenue from Angling Road to 12th Street is the second phase of this roadway improvement following the completion of the section from Angling Road to Oakland Drive in 2009.
 
West Milham Avenue from Angling Road to 12th Street is currently a two-lane section of roadway which does not have adequate capacity to handle current traffic volumes. Additionally, the existing pavement is deteriorated and in need of reconstruction. This project will include complete street reconstruction of West Milham Avenue from Angling Road to 12th Street. Features of the roadway improvements include:
 - Sanitary sewer installation(Baywood Avenue to Mcgillicuddy Lane)
 - Storm sewer and drainage structures
 - Concrete curb and gutter
 - Replacement of deteriorated concrete sidewalks
 - Bike lanesConcrete driveway approaches

West Milham Avenue from Angling Road to 12th Street has been designated a Residential Conservation Corridor and the proposed improvements are intended to preserve and protect the residential character of the neighborhood. The new roadway section will generally consist of the following features:

 - One westbound through lane
 - One eastbound through lane
 - A center optional left-turn lane, bicycle lanes on both sides of the street
 - Concrete sidewalks on both sides of the street
 - Various landscaping improvements
 
During construction two-way traffic will be maintained on temporary lanes. Driveway access will be restricted during concrete curb and driveway installation.

The project will be bid in early 2010 and a contractor will be awarded a contract by the Michigan Department of Transportation to construct the project.  Construction typically begins in May with private utility relocations occurring in March or April as weather permits.  The project should be substantially complete (open to traffic) by October, 2010 with final completion scheduled for late fall 2010.
 
3. I-94 Widening and Reconstruction Project
 
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is widening I-94 from west of US-131 to east of Oakland Drive. Work includes the reconstruction of the I-94/US-131 and I-94/Oakland Drive interchanges, as well as widening 2.6 miles of I-94 to add one through lane in each direction.
 
For project details including road closure information, please visit the Michigan Department of Transportation website. You will need to select Kalamazoo County from the drop down box. You may also contact the City of Portage Department of Transportation and Utilities at 329-4422.