Walker — The Fruitridge Bridge and interchange in Walker officially opened this month after a months-long modernization that added vehicle lanes, a 14-foot pedestrian path and safety-focused ramp reconfiguration, city and state officials said.

John Richard, Michigan Department of Transportation, said the roadway “went from 2 lanes to, 5. So there's 2 lanes in each direction plus that center left turn lane and a big 14 foot wide pedestrian path on the west side and then a regular type, width of a sidewalk on the east side.” The upgrades are intended to improve vehicle flow and nonmotorized connections along the corridor.

Why it matters: The project, officials said, stitches together multiple improvements — interchange reconstruction, additional center turn lanes and an extended nonmotorized trail — that officials expect to reduce vehicle conflicts, improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and support nearby businesses that rely on the route for deliveries and customers.

Officials said the work was financed in part by a $25,000,000 state grant plus a tap grant to pay for the pedestrian path. Scott Connors, City of Walker engineer, emphasized the path’s transportation role, saying he observed “a biker … going northbound to some of the industrial businesses to the north, in pitch black” on the first day of public use and noting that the trail “was in operation in day 1.”

Design and scope: Speakers characterized the project as three projects in one. In addition to widening the travelway and building the multiuse path, the project added a center turn lane north of the railroad, extended nonmotorized improvements to Kinney, and reconfigured on- and off-ramps to remove offset stacking that had contributed to vehicle conflicts. John Richard said the reconfiguration delivered a “more conventional design, easier to understand” and added mast-arm traffic signals at key approaches.

Construction timeline and contractor work: Officials credited an accelerated schedule and coordinated construction approach for delivering the project in about seven to eight months. The team performed a full closure of westbound 96 over a weekend to complete paving and painting; city staff said westbound traffic reopened about 4:00 a.m. the day before the podcast. Officials praised the contractor (transcribed as “Camagon Root Boots”) and subcontractors for on-site cleanup and finishing work that made the early opening possible.

Community outreach and impacts: City and project staff described a multi-pronged outreach effort that included door-to-door contact, a project email list, social media updates and direct coordination with businesses and schools. Those outreach efforts were intended to reduce confusion during lane and ramp closures. The reconstruction created detours that, officials acknowledged, added as much as a five-mile diversion for some drivers and increased traffic on nearby roads during closures.

Local engagement: The ribbon-cutting included local leaders and students; the host arranged for Kenowa Hills High School’s band to participate and named Kenowa Hills principal Nate Brobron and superintendent Jerry Hopkins as local partners who engaged with the project.

What remains: Officials said the project also improves drainage and bridge infrastructure to set the corridor up for the next several decades. They highlighted the regional benefits, noting state dollars supporting work that serves Walker, Alpine Township and the broader West Michigan corridor. That includes connections to longer trail systems to the lakeshore and points north.

Officials’ perspective: City and state representatives framed the work as an example of many parties — federal, state, local and private contractors — coordinating to deliver a complicated project on an accelerated timeline. “When we have the money, we can really modernize things to help everybody,” Connors said, noting the combination of state and tap grant funding.

Looking ahead: Officials said they expect the new configurations and pedestrian amenities to improve safety and access for commuters, cyclists and businesses that rely on the route. The ribbon-cutting celebration gave local partners and students a chance to mark the completion before normal traffic patterns resume.