MDOT, Battle Creek outline detours, closures ahead of Capital Avenue bridge reconstruction

Greyson Steele, Battle Creek Enquirer
·4 min read
The Capital Avenue bridge over I-94 is shown. Crews will begin demolishing the bridge Friday, prompting several detours.
The Capital Avenue bridge over I-94 is shown. Crews will begin demolishing the bridge Friday, prompting several detours.

BATTLE CREEK — Demolition of the Capital Avenue bridge over I-94 begins Friday, prompting a number of detours for at least the next two and a half months.

Bridge demolition is expected to be complete by noon Sunday, weather dependent, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. I-94 will be closed in both directions and detoured at Capital Avenue during the tear-down.

Work on the new bridge will start Monday, July 10, and will require detours for 75 days. During the rebuild, I-94 will have two lanes open in each direction, and Capital Avenue will be closed and detoured.

Crews will begin demolishing the Capital Avenue bridge over I-94 Friday.
Crews will begin demolishing the Capital Avenue bridge over I-94 Friday.

Northbound traffic will be detoured on eastbound Beckley Road, northbound M-66, and westbound I-94, MDOT officials said. Southbound traffic will be detoured on westbound Knapp Drive, northbound Minges Road, westbound Watkins Road, southbound Helmer Road and eastbound I-94.

A pedestrian detour will be posted on Beckley Road, Riverside Drive, and Minges Road. A shuttle service is available, and Battle Creek Transit will also alter its services during the project.

The new Capital Avenue bridge is expected to be complete Sept. 23. The work is part of MDOT’s three-year, $160 million project to repave 10 miles of I-94 between Helmer Road and 17 1/2 Mile Road, rebuild nine bridges and repair six others.

What motorists can expect

Once the Capital Avenue Southwest bridge over I-94 closes on Friday, the following detours will be in place:

The southbound traffic detour for the upcoming Capital Avenue bridge project is shown.
The southbound traffic detour for the upcoming Capital Avenue bridge project is shown.

  • Capital SW southbound — Use Knapp Road, to Minges Road South, to Watkins Road, to Helmer Road, to I-94 east, to the Beckley Road exit. City officials are working with MDOT to coordinate the Helmer/Watkins traffic signal with the temporary signals at the I-94 interchange to help with traffic flow.

  • Capital SW northbound — Use I-94 east to M-66, back to I-94 west, to the Capital Avenue exit.

The northbound traffic detour for the upcoming Capital Avenue bridge project is shown.
The northbound traffic detour for the upcoming Capital Avenue bridge project is shown.

City officials also recommend using Riverside Drive and Columbia Avenue to get around the bridge closure.

Local traffic only/no through traffic signs will be posted at Christy Road, Rebecca Road, Beckwith Drive, Langley Road and Hamilton Lane. City officials hope to keep detour traffic on the detour routes, and only traffic on these local streets going to the homes there.

A pedestrian detour will be in placeusing Beckley Road, Riverside Drive, East Minges Road, and Capital SW. Pedestrians are encouraged to follow the sidewalks on those roads if traveling by non-motorized methods.The city's water main installation project that includes the area of Helmer and Beckley roads will impact the detours for the Capital SW bridge project. There are closures on Helmer from I-94 to Beckley and on Beckley to Minges South, allowing local traffic only. This means you can only drive into these sections if you are going to a home or business in that area.

Battle Creek Transit service alterations

Battle Creek Transit alterations during the Capital Avenue bridge project are shown.
Battle Creek Transit alterations during the Capital Avenue bridge project are shown.

Battle Creek Transit will temporarily detour the 4S – Capital SW bus route beginning Friday, with the following changes:

  • Outbound — The bus will travel on Capital SW, turn right on Mason Road, right on Dunham Drive, and right on Adams Road, back to Capital. The bus will cross Capital heading east on Beckwith Drive, turn right on Brookfield Drive, and right on Riverside Drive to Lakeview Square Mall.

  • A second, “Capital Circulator” bus will accommodate bus stops along Beckley — The Capital Circulator will meet the 4S bus at the mall at 45 minutes after each hour. Passengers going toward downtown should transfer to the 4S bus, and passengers going to stops on Beckley or south of Mason on Capital should transfer to the Capital Circulator.

    • The Capital Circulator outbound will turn left on Riverside Drive, right on Beckley, left on Capital SW, left on Glenn Cross Road, left on Minges Creek Place, right on Beckley toward Walmart and Meijer, then back to the mall.

    • The Capital Circulator is a half-hour route and will leave the mall at 15 and 45 minutes after each hour.

  • Temporary stops added include:

    • Brookfield Drive near Riverside Drive (outbound)

    • Riverside Drive before Brookfield Drive (inbound)

  • Fare-free bus stops include:

    • Capital SW near Hamilton Road (out/inbound)

    • Capital SW near Christy Road (out/inbound)

    • Capital SW near Panera Bread (outbound)

    • Brookfield Drive near Riverside Drive (out/inbound)

    • Beckley Road near the Travelodge Inn (inbound)

  • There will be no service to these bus stops during the project:

    • Capital SW near Advia Credit Union (outbound)

    • Beckley Road at Capital SW (inbound)

    • Capital SW near Red Lobster (inbound)

For more information, visit battlecreekmi.gov.

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Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Demolition of the Capital Avenue bridge over I-94 begins Friday