Allegan Locals Brace For Second Wave of Construction Thanks To New Roundabout

Expect delays and closures throughout the project.

As a former Allegan resident myself I can say this roundabout has been a long time coming. After years of rumors, heated town halls, and angry Facebook rants the city of Allegan is set to see its first roundabout later this year.

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See, I happen to find roundabouts way easier to use than 4-way stops however the big issue with both of these traffic-calming measures can be chalked up to one thing: human error.

Allegan locals lost their mind when news of the roundabouts approval was announced by MDOT and with the major revamp last summer that completely took over the downtown shopping district I can understand the frustration residents must be feeling with this double whammy.

Here's What to Expect During This Project:

While downtown Allegan will be open and accessible throughout the project you must follow several posted detours. The roundabout project will takeover the major intersection of M-89/M-40 starting March 25, 2024 with Phase I expected to be completed in August.

According to Downtown Allegan association the goal of the project is to:

• Create a roundabout at the intersection of Cedar, Ely, Hubbard, Jenner, and Marshall streets
• Install safer pedestrian walkways including crosswalks and new sidewalks
• Introduce two-way traffic on Hubbard Street
• Continue updating downtown Allegan with improved Hubbard Street sidewalks, lighting, and other infrastructure

Stage 2 of the project is scheduled to take place from September to November 2024, but we all know how that goes! Obviously this will be a major challenge for both Allegan residents and the many commuters who use that main thoroughfare daily.

Now that the project is actually set to start it's been met with tepid reactions at best. Here's what locals are saying:

• "'[All] Roads Lead to Allegan' but no one stops in" - Kevin Aalberts
• "Thank you Downtown Allegan for this update!! Love all of the improvements to our town!!" - Trish Winter
• "I think it’s going to be great when it done. I think roundabouts are fun" - Brenda Wilkinson
• "Hopefully it won’t be too much of a nightmare during fair time!" - Sally Creger
• "It’s going to be crazy!!! School traffic will be awful too!" - Donna Gurn Brown