Kalamazoo Avenue Closes July 15 As Downtown Two-way Conversion Begins

The city of Kalamazoo has announced the first section of road that will be under construction for the massive project that will shut down the majority of downtown Kalamazoo to make way for two-lane roads.

The city of Kalamazoo recently announced the streets for all incentives, which will see construction on Stadium Dr., W. Main St., turning into Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo Avenue into Douglas Avenue, and the alteration of Michigan St. turning into the Spaghetti Bowl on Stadium Drive.

Get our free mobile app

All of these roads will eventually become two-way roads in the transformed downtown Kalamazoo, starting with Kalamazoo Avenue.

Recently, the city of Kalamazoo announced that they plan to begin with a section of Kalamazoo Avenue, turning it into a two-way street starting July 15, according to the recent city meeting.

Kalamazoo Avenue will be mostly shut down between Rose St. and Westnedge Avenue, with detours sending drivers on N. Rose St. to cut over onto Ransom Street or North Street in order to continue to S. Westnedge.
The city of Kalamazoo says that the full construction process will take three years to complete, but during this first phase, the city plans to leave at least one lane of traffic on Kalamazoo open; however, there are heavy backups that are expected to take place if alternate routes are not sought.
Although they say the changes to the area are necessary and reflect the current needs of the city, many people are not looking forward to another three years of construction that will bring heavy traffic to a downtown area that has been struggling.