MDOT completes study on potential US-131 improvements in Grand Rapids

Fast facts:

• The section of US-131 between Cherry Street and M-11 (28th Street) in Grand Rapids was designed in the 1940s and built in the 1950s and1960s.
• With up to 140,000 vehicles a day, US-131 is the busiest road in Michigan outside of Metro Detroit.
• In partnership with the City of Grand Rapids, the next phase will focus on options around the Wealthy Street interchange.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), in coordination with the City of Grand Rapids and local partners, recently completed a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study on US-131 between M-11 (28th Street) and Cherry Street in Wyoming and Grand Rapids. This segment of US-131 carries 110,000 to 140,000 vehicles daily and is west Michigan's busiest urban corridor.

The PEL study reviewed existing conditions and challenges, and evaluated safety, operational and congestion issues. Op­tions that were studied included adding shoulders, modifying lanes and reconfiguring interchanges to enhance safety, operations, nonmotorized access and local connectivity. Improvements to the freeway were studied, as well as how to reduce impacts on surrounding communities.

Throughout the study, MDOT gathered public input and hosted regular public meetings with community partners to share and gather information, identify issues and assist with development. Learn more about the study at MDOT's website.

Additional study of the Wealthy Street interchange area, near downtown, will be underway in 2026 utilizing a $10 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the State Legislature.

MDOT will continue working with the City of Grand Rapids, community partners and residents on future improvements. Next steps include further design, safety analysis, environmental review and more community engagement. The next phase will also investigate possible funding options, grant opportunities and local partnerships.

Those requiring assistance accessing the US-131 PEL study or requiring it in an alternative format can contact MDOT's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator at Michigan.gov/MDOT-ADA.