More Lane Closures and Pain Coming on 131 Expressway

Just when you thought our 131 travel pain was over, more is popping up.

MDOT finished work over Plaster Creek, closing north and southbound lanes for a month each direction. Meanwhile, they finished joint repairs from Burton to Ann Street, both directions, during the Plaster Creek work.

There certainly were major backups, but now it all open, or, so we thought. The good news is all lanes will be open in the immediate metro area but a bit south is different.

In a Fox17 story, a new project is beginning and will continue on US-131 south of M-6. They are going to have to re-route traffic so that one side of the freeway can be torn up and rebuilt this year.

The opposite side of the highway will be rebuilt in the second year of this two-year project.

So right now if you drive that area you know lanes have already been closed from 68th Street to prepare for the big improvement project.

Here is how Southbound US-131 looks:

Left lane closed from 68th Street to the Allegan County line, now – June 11.
Left lane closed from 68th Street to 76th Street, June 11 – November 15.
Traffic shifted at 76th Street to the Allegan County line, June 11 – November 15.

As for Northbound US-131, here is how that looks for now:

Lane closure from the Allegan County line to 76th Street tomorrow, Friday, June 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Lane closure round the clock from the Allegan County line to 76th Street from Friday, June 7, 8 p.m. to Sunday, June 9, 6 p.m.
Lane closure daily 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from the Allegan County line to 76th Street, June 10-17.

There is no doubt that the roads are in a huge need of repair so MDOT is trying to do it in stages to eliminate as much travel pain as possible.