Delayed: Portage Rd. Construction Shutdown is Now June 10-14th

Update: The scheduled shutdown of the Portage/Kilgore/1-94 area has been delayed to June 10th.

Yes, they're making progress, but that doesn't mean there won't be pain in the final stretch of construction on the Portage Road - Kilgore Road - I-94 Interchange project. This may have factored in the recent closing of a popular restaurant in that area.

The Michigan Dept. of Transportation sent out an announcement today ahead of work that will now begin on this Friday, June 10th and will continue to Tuesday of the following week. Here's what to expect:

M-Dot Says "there will be a total closure of Portage Road between the east and west legs of Kilgore Road in Kalamazoo from 6 p.m. Friday, June 10, through 6 a.m. Tuesday, June 14, to set bridge beams for the eastbound I-94 bridge over Portage Road. During the closure, traffic will be detoured on Milham Road, Westnedge Avenue, and Kilgore Road."

And for extra fun, "there also will be intermittent single-lane closures on eastbound I-94 at Portage Road from 7 a.m. Saturday, June 11, through 8 p.m. Sunday, June 12."

This is Year two of the project, and while the original goal was to be done around Thanksgiving, it appears that it won't be complete until mid to late December due to weather and some other factors.

While pondering the time and length of this project, a google search found that there are four main materials used in road construction.
They are asphalt, concrete, composite pavement, and recycled materials.

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Asian equipment company Mulitico explains "composite pavements bring the best aspects of asphalt and concrete together to form a ‘super’ pavement. Typically, concrete is used as the base layer which provides structural capacity while asphalt is used for the surface layer which provides a wearing surface course. Composite pavements, when compared to the more traditional flexible and rigid pavements, have the potential to become a more cost-effective alternative because they may provide better levels of performance and longevity, both structurally and functionally."