GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The first of several closures for construction on US-131 began in the afternoon on Easter Sunday, March 31.
The freeway closures, between 28th Street and Burton Street, will allow for repairs and maintenance to the two bridges that carry traffic on West Michigan’s busiest highway over Plaster Creek. The most recent data from 2022 shows that more than 124,000 vehicles travel on that part of 131.
The Michigan Department of Transportation estimates the total closures will last eight weeks: four weeks for northbound, then four weeks for southbound. For now, MDOT expects the northbound lanes will be back open on April 21. That is subject to change.
Note that the northbound lanes will be closed first, beginning March 31, and the southbound lanes will only be closed once the northbound lanes are reopened.
The closures are necessary because the substructure work cannot be done with the weight of passing traffic on the bridges. The deck surfaces will also get repairs.
Lengthy lane closures are also planned, both approaching the northbound closure and north of the closure itself, and on the southbound lanes after the northbound side reopens:
- US-131 northbound lane closures begin at 44th Street, gradually getting to the point where one lane routes traffic off to 28th Street.
- US-131 northbound will only have one lane open north of Burton Street to Wealthy Street for concrete joint repairs.
- When the southbound bridge is closed, lane closures will begin at Ann Street, with only one lane open for concrete repairs from Wealthy Street to the complete closure at Burton Street.
Ramps will be closed within the closure on 131, but ramps will also be closed south and north of the closure (subject to change):
- Entrance ramps to US-131 northbound closed at 44th Street, 36th Street, and 28th Street.Hall Street, and Market Avenue from 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 20.
- The entrance ramp to US-131 northbound will be open from Burton Street.
- The exit and entrance ramps at Hall Street will be closed from 6 a.m. April 2 until 9 p.m. April 4.
- The exit ramp and entrance ramps at Martin Luther King Jr Street will be closed from 6 a.m. April 5 until 9 p.m. April 8.
- The entrance ramp from Wealthy Street will be closed from 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on March 31.
- The entrance ramp from Market Avenue will be closed from 3:30 p.m. March 31 until 9 p.m. April 27.
- The exit ramp from US-131 northbound to Pearl Street will be closed from 5 p.m. March 31 to 9 p.m. April 10.
Drivers will have a number of options for detours. Local streets are likely to take the longest time:
- All freeway northbound: Use M-6 for access east to I-96 or west to I-196 to downtown Grand Rapids.
- By our estimation, driving from the interchange at M-6 and US-131 on M-6 to the west and taking I-196 east to 131 in downtown Grand Rapids will take 17 minutes, barring backups.
- Taking M-6 to the east to I-96, then 96 and I-196 to 131 in downtown GR, 20 minutes, barring backups.
- Freeway and state route northbound: Use M-6 east to M-37 Broadmoor Avenue, then north to I-96.
- Local northbound: Use Division Avenue from US-131 via 54th, 44th, 36th, or 28th streets. Clyde Park Avenue will not be usable, because it feeds into Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, which is closed at Clyde Park Avenue.
- All freeway southbound: From US-131, I-96 east to M-6, then west to US-131. I-196 east also connects to I-96 east.
- Freeway, state route, and local southbound: From US-131, I-96 or I-196 east to the East Beltline, then south, using any number of crosstown streets to return to US-131 south of 28th Street.
Another major closure is planned once US-131 is reopened in both directions over Plaster Creek: the ramp from US-131 northbound to I-96 and Alpine Avenue will close for bridge repairs until fall.
(This article has been updated March 29 to reflect more details in closure dates.)
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