The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Gun Lake Tribe and the Allegan County Road Commission celebrated the completion of the new $23.7 million US-131/M-179 interchange in Allegan County. The project started March 1, 2021, and finished about a month ahead of schedule. The Gun Lake Tribe funded the majority of this project. 

“There are many things that have made this a once-in-a-career project, especially the generosity of the Gun Lake Tribe and the relationships that have developed over the whole process,” said MDOT engineer and project manager Thomas Sabin. “It’s been five years in the making and we are proud to have this open to the public slightly ahead of schedule.”

“We are very pleased to cut the ceremonial ribbon and share this new interchange with all of Michigan. This improved gateway is vital to our vision, and we are thankful that MDOT helped make it a reality,” said Bob Peters, chairman of the Gun Lake Tribe. “MDOT was able to replace and modernize this interchange while keeping it open and maintaining access for our customers.” 

The new M-179 overpass is a single-point urban interchange (SPUI). This design helps move large volumes of traffic through limited amounts of space safely and efficiently. A SPUI has the advantage of allowing opposing left turns to proceed simultaneously by reducing the two intersections into a single intersection over the free-flowing US-131. You can also find SPUI designs at the US-131/44th Street and US-131/Stadium Drive interchanges in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.