The City of Kalamazoo has announced the conversion into two-way traffic for major thoroughfares in downtown Kalamazoo as part of the Streets For All initiative, begins today, Monday, June 10, with Michikal Avenue.

It’s the first in a series of two-way conversion projects set to occur in the coming years. Future two-way street conversion projects include Kalamazoo Avenue, Douglas Avenue, West Main, and Michigan Avenue.

The construction on Michikal will require the partial reconstruction of the street. The northern lanes of the road will be widened, while a new non-motorized path will be added to the north side of the street. Sections of Eleanor, Elm, and Allen that run parallel to Michikal will be removed and replaced with direct connections to Michikal.

Michikal will be fully closed during construction, with completion anticipated by November 1. Traffic will be rerouted via Kalamazoo Avenue, Douglas Avenue, and West Main Street.

“For many years, Kalamazoo’s neighborhoods, the nearby campuses of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Kalamazoo College, and Downtown have been divided by wide, high-traffic one-way streets,” the City of Kalamazoo wrote in a press release. “This makes it difficult for pedestrians, drivers, and bicyclists to navigate downtown Kalamazoo safely, comfortably, and enjoyably.”

With the recent award of a $38 million Federal PROTECT Grant to address flooding along nearby sections of Arcadia Creek, the second half of the Michikal project will be completed in coordination with that work. While planning is still underway for the Arcadia Creek project, a firm timeline has not been established.​

However, the construction timeline will include Michikal (2024), West Main Street & Douglas Avenue (2025), Kalamazoo Avenue (2025-2026), Michigan Avenue (2026-2029), Lovell Street (TBD), and South Street (TBD).​

For more information on this project, click here.