WIN 98.5 Traffic Blog

Current Road Conditions:  Wet pavement with standing water after overnight rain.

Have WKZO traffic accident/delay alerts sent right to your phone: Text the word "TRAFFIC" to 80373.  Sponsored by CD Lawn Maintenance and Snow Removal 381-​3000.

Tipsters can report road problems to WKZO by calling 877-382-4280.

HAPPENING NOW:

No reported tie-ups at this time.

Snapshot of Road Projects

EB I-94 AT EXIT 66, MATTAWAN: Offramp closes at 6am Thursday, April 21 until late May for roundabout construction.

SPRINKLE ROAD BETWEEN S AVENUE AND ZYLMAN: Reconstruction/widening until August, 2011.

WESTNEDGE BETWEEN KILGORE AND MICHIGAN: Repaving. Lane restrictions until late June.

H AVENUE BETWEEN DRAKE AND 10TH STREET: CLOSED. Part 2 of the sewer project that started last season. Completion: mid-May. Detour is Posted.  

US-131 AT DORR EXIT: 142nd Avenue bridge reconstruction. Detour posted; occasional nighttime freeway closures.  

I-94 AT WESTNEDGE: Season-long construction for phase two of I-94 widening and Westnedge ramp reconstruction. Traffic shift in place.  More information:

Eastbound I-94 traffic has been shifted, signs are being places, utility work is underway, and westbound traffic is being prepared for the shift to eastbound lanes after 8 p.m. Thursday, April 14. Once all traffic is off the westbound I-94 lanes, reconstruction can begin.

Demolition of the westbound I-94 bridges over Westnedge Avenue is tentatively scheduled from 10 p.m. Friday, April 29, through 1 p.m. Saturday, April 30. The demolition will require a total closure of Westnedge Avenue at I-94, and detours will be posted.

The media and public are welcome to watch the demolition from safe locations near the construction zone. Reporters and photographers will be allowed access to the demolition with prior approval and the proper safety equipment.

  The following ramps will close the week of April 4:
- Southbound Westnedge Avenue to eastbound I-94
- Southbound Westnedge Avenue to westbound I-94
- Northbound Westnedge Avenue to westbound I-94
- Westbound I-94 to southbound Westnedge Avenue
- Westbound I-94 to northbound Westnedge Avenue
- Eastbound I-94 to northbound Westnedge Avenue

The ramps from northbound Westnedge Avenue to eastbound I-94, and from eastbound I-94 to southbound Westnedge Avenue will remain open for the construction season.

OTHER PROJECTS:

MDOT - Long-term Construction Projects Beginning Monday, April 18

MDOT will start repairing six bridges in Berrien and Van Buren counties.
The project includes bridge repaving and repairs, as well as guardrail replacement and approach work on six bridges over I-94 and I-196 in New Buffalo, Benton Harbor, Covert, and Lawrence. 
Work is scheduled to be completed by Friday, Oct. 28.
During construction, two lanes open will be open in each direction on I-94 and one lane open in each direction on I-196.
Detours will be posted.

MDOT will be repairing the US-31 bridges over the St. Joseph River in Berrien County. 
The project will include replacing expansion joints and reconstructing the bridge approach.
There will be single-lane closures on US-31 during construction.

MDOT will be replacing the deck of the J Drive South bridge over I-69 near Marshall, Calhoun County. The project also includes painting, pin and hanger replacement, substructure repairs, and approach work.
The J Drive South bridge will be detoured during construction, and there will be single-lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69.

ROAD PROJECT LIST Construction timelines include if known

- Right Lane Closure on South Street in downtown Kalamazoo between Rose and Kalamazoo Mall

Here's a list of road projects that the City of Kalamazoo will perform this year. 
Unless noted, the projects are all resurfacing or reconstruction work.

•Songbird Lane, from Old Field to the city’s east end
•Blackberry Lane, from Old Field Lane to the city’s east end
•Katydid Lane, from Old Field Lane to the city’s east end
•Axtell Street, from Merrill Street to Westnedge Avenue
•Random Road, from Oakcreek Street to Mt. Olivet Road
•Garland Avenue, from Westnedge Avenue to Rose Street
•Glen Wood Circle, from Edgemoor Avenue to Bronson Boulevard
•Adams Street, from Parkview Avenue to Springmont Avenue
•Forbes Street, from Douglas Avenue to Hilbert Street
•Douglas Avenue, from Kalamazoo Avenue to the north city limit
•Balch Street, from Park Street to Burdick Street
•Glendale Boulevard, from Mt. Olivet Road to Courtlandt Avenue
•Angling Road, from the southern city limit to Oakland Drive
•Gibson Street, from Pitcher Street to King Highway
•Palmer Avenue, from Portage Street to James Street
•Lake Street, from Portage Street to Walter Street

Here's a list of road projects that Kalamazoo County will perform this year. 
Unless noted, the projects are all resurfacing or reconstruction work.

•South Sprinkle Road, from S to Zylman avenues, widening from Wells Street to Zylman; installation of new culvert, from Austin to Long lakes; new left-turn lane at Sprinkle-S Avenue intersection
•Parchmount Avenue, west of Nazareth Road to Nazareth complex
•Mosel Avenue at Riverview Drive intersection, new signal
•24th Street, Sprinkle Road to R Avenue
•12th Street, C Avenue to the north county line
•VW Avenue, Portage Road to 18th Street
•Extension of Kalamazoo River Valley Trail from Mayors’ Riverfront Park in Kalamazoo to Sprinkle Road; includes 10-foot trail crossing the Kalamazoo River

Here's a list of highway projects that the Michigan Department of Transportation will perform this year on state-owned roads. 
Unless noted, the projects are all resurfacing or reconstruction work.

•I-196, from 118th Avenue north to 130th Avenue, Allegan County, resurfacing and new cable guardrail, through June
•I-196, new bridge over 20th Avenue/County Road 380, near South Haven, April 11-Oct. 29
•M-40, south of Allegan County line north to M-89, repairs, May-June
•M-89, from Otsego north to 28th Street in Allegan, resurfacing, May-August
•I-94, eastbound lanes from I-94 Business Loop/ML Avenue east to 40th Street, resurfacing, July-August
•M-222, near Weeks Street, city of Allegan, stabilizing slope along Kalamazoo River, July-August
•U.S. 131, from Milham Avenue north to M-43, resurfacing, September-November
•M-96, Michigan Avenue to 35th Street, resurfacing, September-November
•U.S. 131, 106th Avenue bridge repairs, September-November
•M-222, bridge deck repairs over U.S. 131, September-October
•M-66, south of M-86, north to St. Joseph River/M-60, repairs, September-October

Here's a list of road projects that the City of Portage will perform this year. 
Unless noted, the projects are all resurfacing or reconstruction work.

•Oakland Drive, Shaver Road to Katie Court
•Portage Road, Osterhout Avenue to Lakeview Avenue
•South Westnedge Avenue, Larkspur to West Centre avenues; includes water main replacement
•Lovers Lane, Forest Drive to East Centre Avenue

Here's a list of road projects that Van Buren County will perform this year. 
Unless noted, the projects are all resurfacing or reconstruction work.

The eastbound I-94 off-ramp at Exit 66 to Main Street in Mattawan, Van Buren County, will be closed from 6 a.m. Thursday, April 21, through 3 p.m. Monday, May 30, for the construction of a roundabout.
Eastbound I-94 traffic will be directed to use Paw Paw Exit 60 and follow the posted detour. An alternate route is advised.

•County Road 388 at County Road 689/711/2 Street, intersection improvements
•CR388 at CR687, intersection improvements
•CR380 at CR681, intersection improvements
•CR388 at 62nd Street, intersection improvements
•CR652 from CR358 to CR354, trench work and widening
•Red Arrow Highway, from 39th Street to pointed to be determined, reconstruction
•591/2 Street bridge rehabilitation
•Pinery Road bridge rehabilitation
•CR380 bridge replacement

Here's a list of road projects that Allegan County will perform this year. 
Unless noted, the projects are all resurfacing or reconstruction work.

142nd Avenue bridge replacement over US 131 starts (4/15) in Allegan County. During construction, traffic will be detoured around the bridge via 135th Street, 10th Street and 18th Avenue

NOTE:
There will be a total closure of US-131 at 142nd Avenue in Allegan County from 8 p.m. Monday, April 18, through 6 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, and again from 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, through 6 a.m. Wednesday, April 20, for removal of the 142nd Avenue bridge over US-131.
During the overnight closure, through traffic will be diverted onto exit and entrance ramps.

•58th Street, from 130th Avenue to Old Allegan Road
•134th Avenue, 25th Street and 135th Avenue, from 30th Street to 22nd Street
•31st Street and 125th Avenue, from Dumont Lake County Park to 30th Street
•128th Avenue, from 26th Street to village of Hopkins
•18th Street, at 142nd Avenue
•60th Street, from 106th Avenue to 109th Avenue
•26th Street, from 108th Avenue to M-89
•114th Avenue, from 26th Street to 24th Street
•Riverview Drive, from Fourth Street to Baseline Road

A listing of road projects that will be performed by St. Joseph County this year follows. 
Unless noted, the projects are all resurfacing or reconstruction work.

•Lafayette Road, from Big Hill Road west to Lakeview Road
•Construction of new bridge deck for drainage structure at Coon Hollow Road, west of Three Rivers
•Featherstone Road, from Centreville-Constantine Road to village of Constantine

Both Kalamazoo Public Safety and the Kalamazoo Sheriff Department reporting a moderate number of accidents as the storm arrives in the area.  No major accidents or road closures at this time.

Current Road Conditions:  Routes in Kalamazoo and Portage are Snow Covered.

Have WKZO traffic accident/delay alerts sent right to your phone: Text the word "TRAFFIC" to 80373.  Sponsored by CD Lawn Maintenance and Snow Removal 381-​3000.

Tipsters can report road problems to WKZO by calling 877-382-4280.

TRAFFIC NOTE
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY.

IMPACTS...
* TRAVEL AND COMMERCE ACROSS THE WARNING AREA ARE EXPECTED TO BE
   SEVERELY IMPACTED BY HEAVY SNOW AND SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND
   DRIFTING SNOW LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

* HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL MAKE CLEARING OF
   ROADS DIFFICULT TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. CONDITIONS WILL
   IMPROVE LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING AS THE
   SNOW DIMINISHES AND WINDS DIE DOWN.

Multiple car accident. 2 mile backup Eastbound 94 just East of sprinkle by Westnedge and Portage.

Campus roads closed for homecoming events
Sept. 21, 2010

KALAMAZOO--Several roads and parking lots on the main campus of Western Michigan University will be closed for brief periods Friday and Saturday, Oct. 1-2, to accommodate two of the more popular annual events of WMU Homecoming--Friday's Soap Box Derby and Saturday's Campus Classic 5K and 1K races.

Soap Box Derby, Friday, Oct. 1

Gilkison Avenue next to Sindecuse Health Center and the entrance to Lot 89 next to the Goldsworth Valley Apartments will be closed Friday, Oct. 1, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. for the 39th running of the Soap Box Derby.

Traffic also will be halted periodically on North Dormitory Road.
Access to Sindecuse Health Center will be available by passing through Lots 47 and 40 in front of Bigelow and Sangren halls.
Campus Classic, Saturday, Oct. 2

West Michigan Avenue in front of the Bernhard Center and the parking lots along that section of West Michigan will be closed to all traffic from 6 to 11 a.m. for the 12th annual Campus Classic 5K and 1K races. This includes parking areas in front of the Bernhard Center, the Oaklands, Henry Hall, Seibert Administration Building and Kanley Chapel.

Most other affected roads and lots will be closed for about one hour at varying times between 8 and 10 a.m. during the actual running of the 1K and 5K events.

Access will be limited to nearly every building on the central West Campus during the 5K race. Roads and lots will be opened to traffic as soon as the last runners and walkers have cleared the adjacent parts of the race route.

For students: 

•Always arrive at the bus stop early.
•Prior to boarding, wait until the bus has come to a complete stop, the door opens, and the bus driver says that it’s OK to board.
•Always walk on the sidewalk when preparing to cross the street near a bus. Make eye contact with the driver so that you are sure he or she sees you.
•Never walk behind the bus.
•If you are walking beside the bus, walk at least three giant steps away.
•Take extra precaution to make sure that book bags and clothing with drawstrings do not get caught in the hand rail or door.
•Never stop to pick something up that you have dropped when a bus is stopped. Wait until the bus has driven away.

For motorists:
 
•Remember that children are unpredictable in their actions. Take extreme caution when traveling in a school zone.
•If there are no sidewalks, drive cautiously. Be more alert to the possibility of children walking in the road.
•Be more aware of children playing near school bus stops.
Slow down and prepare to stop whenever you see yellow school-bus lights flashing.
•Never pass a school bus when there are flashing red lights. This is a sign that children are getting off the bus.

The Michigan Department of Transportation will suspend work and reopen lanes on several major state highways, including U.S. 127 north of Jackson and U.S. 127 in Hillsdale County, for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

Work on most state roads in counties surrounding MIS will be suspended at 7 a.m. Thursday until 7 a.m. Tuesday. However, several MDOT projects still will have restrictions in place over race weekend and MDOT officials urge motorists to drive with caution in work zones.

On I-94 in Jackson County, two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction with a traffic shift between Sargent Road and the Washtenaw County line.

To assist motorists and race fans, MDOT is posting MIS raceday travel information on the Web, including maps and information about statewide construction projects, and information about the inbound and outbound traffic patterns. Motorists can find information online at www.michigan.gov/mdot or www.michigan.gov/drive.

KALAMAZOO--With White House advance teams now working on campus, plans have been finalized for parking for President Barack Obama's Monday, June 7, visit to the community for Kalamazoo Central High School's commencement.

Obama will speak during a 7 p.m. ceremony in University Arena at Western Michigan University. Doors will open for those holding tickets at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are being distributed by Kalamazoo Public Schools, and no tickets are available for the general public.

Parking lots surrounding WMU's Lawson Arena and Miller Auditorium will be used for event parking, and shuttle transportation to University Arena will be provided to and from those lots. Event parking lots will include Lots No. 33, 34, 35, 63 and 64. Students and employees may continue to use the event parking lots, as usual.

Parking lots closed

Beginning at 6 a.m. Monday, June 7, the following parking lots will be closed, and any cars in these lots will be towed.

Lots No. 13 and 29 near the Student Recreation Center
Lots No. 14, 16, 18 and 94 surrounding University Arena
The top level of Parking Ramp No. 1 (Lot No. 80) near Ellsworth Hall
Those lots will not be available for either WMU employee or student parking throughout the day or for guest parking for the event.

A detailed map showing all designated parking locations can be found at maps.pp.wmich.edu/obamavisit.

University Arena and Rec Center closed Monday

Read Fieldhouse/University Arena and the Student Recreation Center will be closed all day Monday. A small number of classes in those two buildings will be canceled. Students and faculty affected will be contacted by University officials. No other classes or activities at the University have been canceled.

Road closures

Some Monday road closures in the vicinity of University Arena are expected and will be announced when that information is available.

Additional details about logistics for the Obama visit will be announced through WMU News and area media, as they become available.

M-43 closure schedule announced for pump station reconstruction in Kalamazoo

May 21, 2010 -- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has started work to rebuild the pump station along M-43 near the Kalamazoo River in downtown Kalamazoo. This work will require closing M-43 completely to remove and reconstruct the drainage pipes under the roadway.

A detour will be in place Tuesday, July 6, to Friday, Aug. 6, while M-43 is closed from the I-94 Business Loop (Kings Highway) to East Michigan Avenue for storm sewer and road construction. All work on the $1.7 million project is expected to be completed in August.

MDOT also has partnered with Kalamazoo on streetscape enhancements in the city's Northside Neighborhood. MDOT will be upgrading six intersections along North Park Street and North Westnedge Avenue. Improvements include bricked crosswalks, increased green space, pedestrian sheltering, pedestrian-level lighting and enhanced scenery.

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Both lanes of traffic in each direction on M-43 from East Michigan Avenue to King Highway will be closed from mid-June through mid-July during a three-stage project to replace a storm drain and pump station and resurface the road (MDOT).

Two detour routes will be posted.

Eastbound traffic on M-43 will be routed onto North Pitcher Street, then to Ransom Street, which turns into Gull Road. Westbound traffic will be detoured onto these same streets.

A secondary detour sends motorists who might normally take the U.S. 131 Business Loop (North Westnedge Avenue) south to M-43 then east to Gull instead onto East Paterson Street, Riverview Drive then Gull