UPDATED WITH MAP - New stretch of US-131 opening soon in Constantine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                 MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2013

CONTACT: Nick Schirripa, MDOT Office of Communications, schirripan@michigan.gov

                       269-337-3927

New stretch of US-131 opening soon in Constantine

Fast Facts:

- MDOT built 5 miles of highway and an 870-foot bridge in nine months.

- Total project investment is $18 million.

- Several intersections with local roads were rebuilt and realigned.

October 28, 2013 -- After more than nine months of construction, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is preparing to open the new stretch of US-131 in Constantine by Friday, Nov. 1.

The new bridge over the St. Joseph River and nearly 5 miles of new highway between Garber Road and Dickinson Road are expected to be ready for traffic by the end of this week. The $18 million project began in February and is expected to improve the efficiency of the US-131 corridor, a key commercial north-south corridor through west Michigan into Indiana.

In addition to the new roadway, six new intersections were constructed at Stears Road, Riverside Drive, North River Road, Millers Mill Road, Youngs Prairie Road, and Zerbe Road. The project created cul-de-sacs on Stears Road, west of the bypass, and Birch Street and Millers Mill Road, east of the bypass.

After the new stretch of US-131 is opened, construction will be completed on the tie-ins between the new road and what will now be the US-131 Business Route (BR) through the village of Constantine. Crews also will be working on the US-131 BR intersection at Broad Street, improving drainage, traffic and pedestrian signals, sidewalks and crosswalks.

The additional construction is expected to be completed by Nov. 15. There will be a detour for the US-131 BR/Broad Street work, but all lanes of the new section of US-131 will be open during this final phase.

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