GR city leaders approve plan to redesign interchange on US-131

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Just before tonight’s Metropolis Fee assembly was adjourned, a movement was permitted to commence the method to redesign the most harmful intersection in Kent County. 

The job will reconfigure the Wealthy Avenue interchange at US-131. It’s a multi-million dollar venture that’ll get about five several years of setting up. According to town documents, Wealthy Road could operate underneath US-131. 

“This would specifically go towards seeking at bringing Rich to at grade with 131 going more than [it,] so flipping the two,” a spokesperson for the prepare stated at a Tuesday early morning fiscal committee assembly. “The redesign is envisioned to boost website traffic functions and basic safety, cut down delays and congestion and also increase pedestrian circulation by way of this region.”

At the commission conference, the proposal was authorized inside the consent agenda. Now, the town is getting a $10 million grant from the condition to fund an environmental assessment and preliminary engineering and style of the project. The grant will also fund highly developed correct-of-way acquisition and utilities relocation. The City will deal with the job.

The Metropolis will then function with the County, MDOT and other groups to consider different layout selections for the project just before a ultimate strategy is permitted, funded and finalized.

“I’m not positive if it is really a excellent issue or a undesirable detail,” Property Principles Board Video game Lounge proprietor Brian Beacher suggests.

His company is correct next door to the proposed challenge. Beaucher claims he has blended feelings about it all.

“What I’d enjoy to see is the south of downtown linked to East Side [and] West Facet, devoid of obtaining a highway in the middle,” he claims.

Beaucher suggests yrs of development could harm his business enterprise.

“I imagine parking would be an difficulty. And I know a good deal of persons just get scared. They are like, ‘Oh, which is fantastic. It really is beneath development, I just wait until finally it truly is performed,'” he suggests. “And that would seriously hurt us, we opened throughout the pandemic. Company for us has been awesome the earlier a few months. But obtaining a construction venture here for a few years isn’t gonna be excellent. And we are 20 toes from the overpass. So, it is literally ideal future door.”

At the finish of the working day, even though, he is aware of his consumers want more walkability from his bar to other enterprises on the West Aspect.

“I’d appreciate to see the job just done and finished. I never want to deal with design,” Beaucher states. 

In accordance to a 2020 report from Michigan Vehicle Law, the intersection at US-131 and Wealthy Road was the most perilous 1 in Kent County and the third most hazardous statewide. 

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