The road you drive every day is about to change

If you drive M-37 through Caledonia, your commute is about to get more complicated. The Michigan Department of Transportation is in the middle of a $50 million project to rebuild 3 miles of Broadmoor Avenue, and the most disruptive phase of construction begins this week.

MDOT, in partnership with Caledonia Township and the Kent County Road Commission, is widening the roadway from a two-lane road to a four-lane boulevard with Michigan Lefts, new traffic signals, and pedestrian paths. The project started on March 1, 2026, and is scheduled to run through mid-September 2027.

"There's a lot of traffic on M-37, so having that additional lane is gonna be huge for those folks in Caledonia and everyone traveling through there because that's a gateway to a lot of recreational things, fishing, biking, hiking, a lot of stuff in all these counties."

— John Richard, MDOT communications representative, Grand Region, according to FOX 17

What is happening this week

Crews have spent the winter and early spring clearing trees and relocating utilities. The next phase begins after schools let out for summer.

Thomas Sabin, projects and contract manager at the MDOT Grand Rapids Transportation Service Center, told residents at a May 6 public meeting that construction will be timed around the school schedule.

"They want to know where traffic is going to be reverted to and how they are going to access their residence or favorite local businesses. We're investing a lot to try to maintain the northbound and southbound M-37 traffic throughout construction by building it part width."

Starting Saturday, June 6, 84th Street east of M-37 will close for two months. That closure includes the Cherry Valley Avenue intersection, according to Sabin.

M-37 will remain open at all times, but drivers should expect lane closures, flagging, and total closures at individual intersections throughout the project, according to MDOT.

What the finished road will look like

The project extends the existing boulevard section of M-37, which currently ends north of 76th Street, all the way south to 92nd Street. The improvements include:

• Widening to a four-lane boulevard with Michigan Lefts (indirect left-turn lanes)
• New traffic signals and intersection improvements at 92nd Street, 84th Street, and 76th Street
• A new traffic signal at the 84th Street/Cherry Valley Avenue intersection
• A new multiuse path along the west side of M-37 at 84th Street
• Grade improvements on the east side of 84th Street to improve sight distance

The work is split across two years. Year one focuses on building the new northbound roadway from 92nd Street to just short of 76th Street. Year two will rebuild the southbound roadway from 76th Street down to 92nd Street, according to Art Green, MDOT Grand Rapids Transportation Service Center Manager.

"We don't often get to build new alignment on new roadways. This is not necessarily a completely new roadway, but we are building a brand new boulevard section. So, in a way, the function of the road is going to change from how it was before and we get to expand it."

— Art Green, MDOT Grand Rapids Transportation Service Center Manager, Hastings Banner

The economic impact

According to an MDOT press release, the $50 million investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 423 jobs based on economic modeling.

Ray Neill, a consultant at Comodo Motors, told FOX 17 that the full impact of the project will become clearer as work progresses.

"I think once we get to that point, there'll be some certain areas where, hey, if you're coming, you need to take this way instead of that way because it's gonna take you an hour to get half a mile, something like that. So, I think we'll know more as we go. Right now, it's just the tip of the iceberg."

What drivers need to know

About 40 people attended the May 6 public meeting at Caledonia Township Hall, according to the Hastings Banner. Addison Bailey, an assistant construction engineer with the Grand Rapids Transportation Service Center, addressed concerns about detours onto side roads.

"Some of the concerns are the detours and putting additional traffic on side roads. We explained the additional traffic should be the same amount of traffic because those specific detours are just for people wanting to go through that intersection. We will be maintaining one lane in each direction at all times."

Drivers can check for daily traffic updates and construction information at Michigan.gov/Drive, according to MDOT.

Key dates to remember:

• June 6 — 84th Street east of M-37 and Cherry Valley Avenue intersection close for two months
• Mid-August — New 84th Street tie-in to northbound M-37 expected to be complete
• Mid-September 2027 — Estimated project completion

The project has been in planning since around 2021, with preliminary engineering, environmental studies, and design work taking roughly five years before construction began, according to Green.

For commuters in Caledonia and anyone traveling between Grand Rapids and northern Kent County, the next 15 months will bring detours, delays, and construction noise. But when the work is done, M-37 will be wider, safer, and better connected for cars, bikes, and pedestrians alike.

Reporting by Margaret Holloway, Grand Rapids Press Wire