GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Transportation has been renovating the bridges that carry I-196 over the Grand River at Market Avenue for several weeks now, but progress in the project means slow traffic for drivers.
Eastbound traffic on I-196 is now reduced to one lane about a half mile before the bridges and will remain so through about July 1. Previously, all lane closures were restricted to nighttime hours and weekends.
The first weekday morning of the new lane closure didn’t see the expected traffic jam, though speeds were under 50 miles per hour between 28th Street through the construction zone.
To avoid the possibility of getting stuck in a backup, there isn’t a good detour to recommend. If you exit at mile market 72 and take Chicago Drive into downtown Grand Rapids, you will experience a very long drive through urban intersections with traffic lights. If you take M-6 east to US-131, then north on US-131, the trip will take about 15 minutes, assuming no jamups occur on US-131.
