First Step Towards Two-Way Streest Starts Monday, June 10 on Michikal
Published on June 07, 2024
The conversion into two-way traffic for major thoroughfares in downtown Kalamazoo as part of the Streets For All initiative will start on Monday, June 10, with work on Michikal Avenue. It’s the first in a series of two-way conversion projects that will occur in the coming years to transform the street network in and around Downtown. Future two-way street conversion projects include Kalamazoo Avenue, Douglas Avenue, West Main, and Michigan Avenue.
Michikal will undergo a partial width reconstruction this year with work focused on the northern lanes of the street. A new non-motorized path will also be added to the north side of the street, and the sections of Eleanor, Elm, and Allen that run parallel to Michikal will be removed and replaced with direct connections to Michikal. It will be fully closed during construction, with completion anticipated by November 1. Traffic will be rerouted via Kalamazoo Avenue, Douglas Avenue, and W. Main Street.
With the recent award of a $38 million Federal PROTECT Grant to address flooding along nearby sections of Arcadia Creek, the second half of the Michikal project will be completed in coordination with that work (this will prevent having to tear up the newly constructed road right away). While planning is still underway for the Arcadia Creek project, a firm timeline has not been established.
Michikal is happening in phases and will become a two-way street, but it will initially reopen as a one-way. Other connecting Streets For All projects must be completed to create a safe two-way network before the transition can be made (W. Main St., Douglas Ave., Kalamazoo Ave.).
About Streets For All
For many years, Kalamazoo’s neighborhoods, the nearby campuses of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Kalamazoo College, and Downtown have been divided by wide, high-traffic one-way streets. This makes it difficult for pedestrians, drivers, and bicyclists to navigate downtown Kalamazoo safely, comfortably, and enjoyably.
Streets For All is an effort to create a connected City of Kalamazoo and have streets that meet the needs of the community, provide safe transportation for everyone, and foster a more vibrant, welcoming, and inclusive Downtown. Over the course of several years, several downtown streets will be reconstructed to convert them to two-way traffic, modernize underground utilities, and incorporate safer and more people-focused designs. The Streets For All projects construction timeline includes Michikal (2024), W. Main St & Douglas Ave. (2025), Kalamazoo Ave. (2025-2026), Michigan Ave. (2026-2029), Lovell St. (TBD), and South St (TBD).
