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New Kent County road construction project will address 'dangerous' interchange

MDOT hopes a reconfiguration of the I-96 and I-196 interchange at the East Beltline will make travel safer for drivers.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Like many drivers, Sandy Uthoff takes I-96 multiple times a week.

"I usually get out of work a little after 5, I prefer to wait til quarter to 6 because then I'm not hitting all this traffic," says Uthoff.

But there is one part of her drive to work that is always a problem.

"It's dangerous, you are crossing two lanes and everybody is headed to work at the same time, everybody had a deadline and they don't want to be very nice in the morning," says Uthoff.

Uthoff is referring to the interchange at I-96 and I-196. Drivers trying to get onto East Beltline have a short distance to cross multiple lanes.

John Richard with Michigan's Department of Transportation has heard the complaints from drivers. The department has started work on a new 38 million dollar project.

"We are going to build a new bridge which will take eastbound 96 traffic over 196 and there will be dedicated lanes off the Beltline so you no longer have to do that weave-merge anymore," says Richard.

There will be lane and road closures next year. Richard says the project will make getting around the Grand Rapids area much easier.

"When it's all said and done, we'll have two thru lanes and two dedicated exit lanes so there is a lot going on in this project," says Richard.

An informational meeting will be held Tuesday at 4pm at MDOT's Transportation Service Center on Leonard street in Grand Rapids.

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