More Construction Pain Begins This Weekend at I-94 and Sprinkle

Well, do you want the good news or the bad news first? The good news is progress is being made to the completion of the multi-year project redoing the Portage Road intersection with I-94 and the widening of I-94 all the way past Sprinkle Road. The bad news is, that it appears the project is going to go into 2023.

All this prompted questions after a release from the Michigan Department of Transporation today that said construction work was "moving to the next phase of I-94 expansion in Kalamazoo starting Friday, Aug. 19, as crews begin moving westbound I-94 traffic onto eastbound lanes as part of the project to widen 2.7 miles of I-94 from four to six lanes between Lovers Lane and Sprinkle Road in Kalamazoo. (This development will lead to)
the northbound and southbound Sprinkle Road ramps to westbound I-94 (closing) at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19. The posted detour is Sprinkle Road, Cork Street, and Westnedge Avenue."

MDOT Spokesperson Nick Schirripa responded to an email with this additional information:

"The contractor is aiming to have one of the Sprinkle Road ramps open to westbound I-94 in mid-October, and that will be accessible from both northbound and southbound Sprinkle Road by use of the roundabouts. The other ramp will remain closed until the westbound I-94 rebuilding is done. At some point, the southbound Portage Road ramp to westbound I-94 also will have to be closed, but that won't happen until the work gets closer to that end of the project."

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The big picture question to Schirripa was about when this project will finally be done. "We currently are looking at a Spring 2023 completion for the entire project, and as specific dates become more clear", Schirripa says MDOT will be making those announcements via releases and social media.