March 2010 Archives

I-196 and M-6, Ottawa County:

Road commission crews will be working on the bridges on I-196 and M-6 in Ottawa County from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. There will be lane reductions on the bridges as they work on them.

I-196 Lane Closures in Jenison/Grandville continue until April 10

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I-96 in Ottawa County:

One lane will be closed on I-96 EASTBOUND on Thursday (4/1) between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. to allow the placement of a traffic shift that will allow for work on median cable barriers. The shift will remain in place with two lanes open until October.

 

I-196 will be reduced to one lane beginning March 29 in the Glenn area of Allegan County.

Guard rail repairs will cause lane closures between 118TH AVE and 71ST ST until May 28.



View I-196 Lane Closure Allegan County in a larger map

From March 23 through April 10, crews will be removing the cross-over lanes used during last year's big project.

The left lane westbound will be closed weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The right lane eastbound will be closed weekdays between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.




View 1-196 Lane Closure 3/23-4/10 in a larger map

Sewer main repairs require a double lane closure in downtown Kalamazoo for the rest of the month.

The two left southbound lanes of WESTNEDGE AVE will be closed today through March 31 from WILLARD ST to W KALAMAZOO AVE/M-43.






View Westnedge Ave/Business US-131 Lane Closures in a larger map

 

The first major construction closure in the Muskegon area begins today (3/22).

SKYLINE DR (BUSINESS US-31) southbound (inbound to downtown Muskegon) is closed for replacement of the bridge over the south branch of the Muskegon River until May 24.

Traffic from US-31 SOUTHBOUND can exit at Business US-31 but will be detoured onto GETTY ST. Traffic from US-31 NORTHBOUND will not be able to exit, as that ramp is closed.




View Business US-31/Skyline Dr SB Closed in a larger map

Prep work for the "Fix on I-196," which will close the freeway east of downtown Grand Rapids in mid-April, has closed the right EASTBOUND lane.

The closure will stay in place until March 24.

I expect huge delays every day each weekday morning, but I expect the backups experienced today to dissipate as workday drivers learn of the lane closure.

For now, expect backups from US-131 to DIAMOND AVE.

Melting snow means rising waters every year, and the Kent County Road Commission says these roads are closed due to water over the road:

Konkle Dr east off of Jupiter Ave
Forest Ridge Ave north off of Coit Ave
Willow Dr at Bailey Park Dr
Willow Dr at Canright St
River Point Dr at Indian Dr off of W River Dr

All of these streets are along the Grand River as it runs through Plainfield Township, and flooding of these streets is not uncommon.

 

A large construction crane will block Michigan Street in downtown Grand Rapids this weekend so that Wolverine Construction crews can place the main frame of a pedestrian bridge overhead between parking on the north side of the street and the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital on the south side.

MICHIGAN ST will be closed between COIT AVE and BOSTWICK AVE from 6 p.m. Friday (3/12) until 6 p.m. Sunday (3/14).

(Pictured: hospital construction in an earlier stage.)

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US-31 in Muskegon will be briefly closed twice in the next few days for utility work.

NORTHBOUND US-31 between the TRI-LEVEL/BUSINESS US-31 and HOLTON RD/M-120 will be closed for 15 minutes sometime between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Saturday (3/13).

SOUTHBOUND US-31 south of HOLTON RD/M-120 will be closed for 15 minutes on Monday (3/15) between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.

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In Lowell, prep work will begin on Monday (3/15) on the M-21 bridge over the Flat River.

Lanes will remain open in both directions during the entire project, which will concentrate on cosmetic improvements.

While fog barely affected drivers in West Michigan this morning, something was affecting drivers in Zeeland.

At one point, I-196 Business Loop, eastbound lanes of the four-lane highway the runs east-west between I-196 and Holland, were blocked by accidents at two different locations: State Street (five cars!) and 100th Avenue.

To make matters worse, a nearly simultaneous rollover east of the Zeeland rest area block part of eastbound I-196 at Mile Marker 59.

Was it the sun in everyone's eyes?

Elsewhere, fog got a little thick in scattered areas of the region, but the only crash of note was at Belding Road and Wabasis Avenue.

Two mornings out of three this week, the commute began with car fires. No injuries, and nothing that holds up traffic, since they were both at 5 a.m.

But car fires?

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The barrels go out and eventually eastbound traffic will be shifted to share the westbound pavement with oncoming traffic so that one of the roughest sections of I-96 can be replaced.

Re-construction of eastbound I-96 from the Wacousta Road overpass to the M-43/Saginaw Highway Exit 93 will last through July, with the westbound lanes done by November.

MDOT says two lanes will be open in both direction throughout the project and all ramps will remain open, but I expect lane closures occasionally, especially at night.



View I-96 Construction West of Lansing in a larger map

 

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