Commuters on M-89 to See Construction Near Richland

A project that was completed last fall is getting another makeover that will take a better part of September to complete in Kalamazoo County.

The Michigan Department of Transportation will return to M-89 just east of Richland beginning Tuesday, September 8^th to re-do the asphalt decking that covers the bridge over Gull Creek. MDOT will be using hot-mix asphalt for this project will cold milling and overlay. The concrete decking below will also receive patching before the new milling and overlay is put in place.

The project is a $138,000 investment by the department. The new pavement will improve the ride quality for motorists and extend the roadway's lifetime.

Pending weather delays, the project is expected to be completed on Wednesday, September 30^th. To avoid congestion in the area for traffic, there will be a temporary traffic signal that will allow for single-lane traffic over the bridge.

There is not a detour in place, but in order to smooth out some of the larger traffic slow downs that would take place, here's a pleasant drive around the area. (Note - the detour below will progress if travelling west. If travelling east, read and do the actions of the detour in reverse.)

- Take a right on North 38^st Street and head north. At the four-way stop, take a left onto East D Avenue.
- Follow East D Avenue to North 34^th Street and take a left back onto M-89.
- As an option, you can also take East D Avenue all the way to the end where it meets M-89 in front of Gull Lake Middle School.

The map below will show the area of the construction and the detour around the area.