Two Grand Rapids Area Interstate Projects Begin on Monday

The ice cream shops are opening. Robins are returning. Plants are starting to poke out of the ground. And orange construction barrels are showing up on area roadways now that construction season is underway.

Two Grand Rapids area construction projects will begin on Monday, April 18th on sections of local interstates.

The I-96 Road and Bridge Improvement Project

This construction project will resurface 4.5 miles of I-96 from just east of Bristol Avenue to West City Drive in the city of Walker. Also part of the project are improvements on the ramp from eastbound I-96 to southbound US-131 over West River Drive and the Marquette Railroad line. This $6 million project will run through mid-September 2022.

The I-196 Interchange Project

This project will construct a connection lane on westbound I-196 from the I-196 Business Spur (the Chicago Drive Exit #72) to state highway M-11 (28th Street/Wilson Avenue). During the project, I-196 will be resurfaced from M-11 east to Market Avenue. There will also be bridge improvements made at the Chicago Drive Interchange and over Kent Trails. This project has a price tag of $8.5 million and will run throughout the summer and early fall. The completion date is scheduled for mid-October 2022.

Projects Already in Progress

Area Interstate construction projects already underway include the resurfacing of M-11 (28th Street) from I-196 in Grandville to US-131 in Wyoming. They will also be resurfacing 1 mile of the I-196 Business Spur (Chicago Drive) from Burlingame Avenue to Clyde Park Avenue.

The I-196 Rebuilding in Ottawa County is also in progress. Seven miles of the Interstate are being rebuilt from Byron Road in Zeeland to 32nd Avenue in Hudsonville. This $66 million project will run through November of NEXT year (2023).

On the east side of Grand Rapids, they are rebuilding I-96. This $15 million project is rebuilding more than 2 miles of eastbound and westbound I-96 between Thornapple River Drive and Whitneyville Avenue in Cascade Township.