Construction on ‘gateway street’ in Kalamazoo begins Monday

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Starting Monday, a stretch of Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo will begin getting a facelift.

“This particular portion of the road, that is such an important street as you come into the city. It’s kind of a gateway street that goes all the way to downtown, it goes past the university here… So we saw the opportunity to not only improve the pavement condition but to soften up the approach as you come into the city,” Anthony Ladd, public works division manager for Kalamazoo, said.

Over the next few months, Stadium Drive will get a new landscaped median island, a nonmotorized pathway on the northside of the road, upgrades to the pedestrian signals and a resurfaced road.

“This will actually be one of the first projects the city has done on what was previously the (Michigan Department of Transportation) state trunkline (Business I-94) that went through the city, that was part of a transfer agreement that was done in 2019,” Ladd said.

Before the city had control of what is now known as Stadium Drive, MDOT had slated the road for improvements and resurfacing work, Ladd said. Once it was transferred to the city, Kalamazoo decided to go through with the improvements and add more elements.

Courtesy of the City of Kalamazoo – Department of Public Works

“I think it speaks to what we hear residents value as far as what they want to see in our right-of-way areas, and also speaks to kind of the city’s values and goals in the master plan…” Ladd said.

Construction is expected to last until October.

Stadium Drive is already down to one lane in each direction near Arcadia Creek. Starting Monday, the traffic shift will expand from Howard Street to Lovell Street.

“The plan is to work on the south side of the street first where we currently have that portion narrowed down. As we complete that portion, we will move traffic to the south side of the road and we will continue our work on the north half,” Ladd said.

Signs are in place to make sure motorists are aware of the work zone.

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