Traveling on US-131 is about to get a little more complicated as ramps at 14 Mile and 10 Mile close for construction.

The following two ramps will soon close for construction through mid-July. Motorists will be detoured to Algoma Avenue:

• The on ramp from 14 Mile Road to southbound US-131 is scheduled to close today, Thursday, April 26.
• The off ramp from southbound US-131 to 10 Mile Road will close on Tuesday, May 1.

The closures have been delayed a couple of times due to weather.

The closure is part of the US-131 reconstruction project between 10 and 14 Mile Roads this spring/summer.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) started repairs Monday, March 12, on the US-131 bridges over Cedar Springs Avenue in Cedar Springs.

Construction will include repaving, joint replacement, painting, substructure repairs, and approach work. The $1.9 million investment is scheduled for completion by Friday, June 29.

During construction, at least one lane of US-131 will remain open in each direction. Cedar Springs Avenue traffic will be maintained with a temporary traffic signal.

This work will extend the life of the bridges and improve motorist safety with an increase in surface friction.

To download a Michigan road construction map for 2018, go to http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/MDOT_C_MapWeb-2011_350547_7.pdf.

John Andrew Londo

A man died in a single car-crash on US-131 in Montcalm County last weekend.

According to the Michigan State Police Lakeview Post, the crash occurred on Saturday, July 8, about 7:30 p.m. on US-131, in Reynolds Township. The driver, John Andrew Londo, 32, of Evart, Mich., was southbound on US-131 when he lost control of his vehicle near Cutler Rd. The vehicle left the freeway and rolled over, causing Londo, who was not wearing his seatbelt, to be ejected. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A passenger in the vehicle was transported to Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids with serious injuries. The passenger was not identified.

Assisting at the scene was the Howard City Fire Department and Montcalm County EMS.

According to his obituary, John Londo worked as a truck driver and would give a hand to help anyone who needed it. He enjoyed country and campfires and being on the water. Among those surviving him is a daughter who lives here in Cedar Springs.

If you use US-131 to travel to Cedar Springs from the north, you will need to get off at an alternate exit beginning Thursday, June 1. That’s when the southbound off ramp to 17 Mile closes for two weeks, until June 15. You can either get off at 22 Mile Rd in Sand Lake or 14 Mile Rd.

However, also on Thursday, June 1, ONLY—the local lane of southbound US131 will be closed from White Creek Avenue to 14 Mile from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. while crews realign traffic control devices and place temporary pavement markings for a stage change. The ramps at 17 Mile Road (Exit 104) and 14 Mile Road (Exit 101) will also be closed during this time. The last exit before this closure will be Exit 110 for Sand Lake/22 Mile Road. The first exit after the closure will be Exit 97 for Rockford/10 Mile Road. The southbound US-131 express lane will remain open on the northbound side.

The work is weather dependent.

MDOT plans to reconstruct the stretch of US131 from south of 14 Mile to two miles north of where it crosses over White Creek Ave.

The road project many residents have hoped for finally begins this Thursday, April 13.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will invest $22 million to reconstruct northbound and southbound US-131 between 14 Mile Road and White Creek Avenue (just north of 17 Mile Road). Work also includes repairing three bridges, culvert and drainage improvements, new signs, and ramp reconstruction at 14 Mile Road and 17 Mile Road.

Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction with the use of temporary crossovers and a split-merge traffic shift. This configuration is scheduled to go into effect April 21. Intermittent ramp and lane closures will be used throughout the project.

Ramp closures for ramp reconstruction will be allowed for a maximum of 14 calendar days per ramp. Ramps to be reconstructed include all 17 Mile Rd ramps, northbound 14 Mile Rd on ramp, and southbound 14 Mile Rd off ramp.

Visit www.Michigan.gov/drive for updates and sign up to receive Kent County traffic notices via text or email.

Travelers should be aware that road construction started on Monday, August 8, on M-46 near Howard City.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will invest $2 million to resurface 2.4 miles of M-46 from west of US-131 to east of Federal Road, and add a center left-turn lane between US-131 and Edgar Road.

Lane closures under flag control will be in effect throughout the project.

The project is expected to be completed by Saturday, October 15.

Residents traveling south on US-131 this week have likely been in the middle of a traffic jam due to road construction in the Grand Rapids area. According to the Michigan Department of Transportation’s website, the construction isn’t going away any time soon.

According to their website: “Lane closures for road work will remain in place through early July on southbound US-131 between West River Drive and Pearl Street.  Double-lane closures will be in effect on some weekends.

The on ramp from Turner Avenue (just north of Ann Street) to southbound  US-131 remains closed through July 7.

The off ramp from southbound US-131 to Leonard Street remains closed through July 7.”

Details on construction on southbound US-131 from Ann St. to Pearl St. are below.

What is being done?

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will resurface and make concrete joint repairs on southbound US-131 from Ann Street to Pearl Street in Grand Rapids.

This project will include:

*Constructing a connector lane to join the interchanges of Ann Street and Leonard Street on southbound US-131.This will mirror what was constructed in 2013 on northbound US-131 connecting Leonard Street to Ann Street; and Bridge improvements on southbound US-131 over Richmond Street and Indian Mill Creek/Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad will include widening, deck replacement, and substructure work.

How will traffic be affected?

Lane closures will be used throughout the project on US-131. Some local roads will be closed and detoured.

The following ramps will be closed during different stages of the project:

• The Turner Avenue (just north of Ann Street) ramp to southbound US-131;
• The southbound US-131 ramp to Leonard Street;
• The eastbound I-196 ramp to southbound US-131; and
• The southbound US-131 ramp to Pearl Street.

Throughout the duration of the project, a double lane closure will be in place on the weekends from W. River Dr. to Pearl Street, and a single lane closure will be in place weekdays from W. River Dr. to Leonard Street.

The Turner Ave on-ramp (just north of Ann Street) will be closed until mid-July.  The southbound US-131 off-ramp to Leonard Street will be closed until mid-July.

Commuters traveling US131 north of Sand Lake need to be prepared—reconstruction starts Monday on a 12-mile stretch that won’t be completed until next fall.

According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, the work will be done from Cannonsville Road north to M-46. Bridges over Tamarack Creek and Kendaville Road will be improved and widened, as will the freeway access ramps there.

Northbound traffic will be down to one lane, and will use crossovers. Ramp closures with posted detours will be used at M-82 and M-46.

The work is not expected to be completed until November 3.