$59M project to add flex route on US-131
Posted By: WoodTV.com on August 27, 2026. For more information, please click here to read the source article.
The Michigan Department of Transportation is planning to add a flex route along several miles of US-131 just north of Grand Rapids.
The $59 million project involves shoulder widening, bridge rehabilitation, emergency pull-off sites and other improvements. It will extend from the US-131/I-96 interchange in Walker to US-131’s intersection with Post Drive NE in Plainfield Township.
Once the work is done, drivers on US-131 will have access to a “flex lane” — an additional lane that will only be open at certain times. The flex lane will use the inside freeway shoulders of US-131.
Along the corridor, signs with two yellow lights will be placed. Flashing yellow lights mean the flex lane is open. The lane will open during peak travel times and at other times as needed, with the same speed limit as the rest of US-131. Only passenger vehicles will be allowed to use it.
When the lights are off and the flex lane is closed, it will be illegal to drive there, MDOT warned. The department says it will monitor the area 24/7.
MDOT explained that it’s much cheaper to add a flex route than to build new permanent lanes and new shoulders. It’s also a good way to address congestion that is not constant, the department said: It’s common to see congestion in one direction during the morning, then congestion in the other direction during the evening.
Construction is expected to begin next spring and wrap up in the fall of 2028.
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