Crews complete $24M overpass project serving casino along U.S. 131
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ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI – A $23.7 million overpass project that helps improve the U.S. 131/M-179 interchange serving a West Michigan casino is now complete.
The project in Allegan County, which began March 1 and wrapped up a month early, replaced the original interchange that was built in 1959.
The Gun Lake Tribe and Michigan Department of Transportation teamed up for the major road construction 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.”
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 U.S. 131.
The Gun Lake Tribe funded the majority -- more than 90%, according to MDOT -- of this project.
“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.”
Gun Lake Casino features over 2,200 slot machines, 50 table games, a 225-seat café, and a 300-seat buffet, along with bars, lounges, and live entertainment. Gun Lake Casino, located between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, is owned by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi.
