WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
A major construction project involving U.S. 131 in St. Joseph and Kalamazoo counties will be the focus of two open houses this week.
Michigan Department of Transportation officials said an open house Wednesday in Schoolcraft and Thursday in Three Rivers will educate the public on an upcoming plan to repave U.S. 131 from Shaver Road in Kalamazoo County to the Rocky River in St. Joseph County.
MDOT’s Nick Schirripa said in addition, U.S. 131 will be rebuilt in Schoolcraft. Work outside the village will include resurfacing, intersection and drainage improvements, signal work and guardrail replacement.
Also, the traffic signal at Lyons Street in Schoolcraft will be upgraded with a left-turn phase and a pedestrian crossing will be added to the Eliza Street signal. In addition, intersections at Wilbur Road and M-216 in St. Joseph County, and XY Avenue and Shaver Road in Kalamazoo County will be replaced by indirect left turns, also known as Michigan Lefts.
Schirripa said work is expected to take place over the course of a two-year period, starting in 2023.
The first meeting is 4 to 6 p.m. at Schoolcraft Municipal Complex, 442 N. Grand St.
The second will take place 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce, 1116 N. Main St.
“Michigan lefts” are known as money sucking, time wasting, worthless crap curves where they are not needed. When will MDOT stop making driving more difficult and roadways more dangerous?
Many MDOT “safety improvements” have resulted in more, not fewer accidents.