DORR TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Nov. 8, 2025) – For now, US-131 is back flowing in both directions between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
This main route was blocked off on Monday evening by another incident of a truck smashing into an overpass, causing enough damage to force authorities to close the freeway. This time, it was a southbound semi hauling a piece of heavy machinery that struck the 146th Avenue bridge shortly before 6 PM.
While there were no injuries, Michigan Department of Transportation engineers determined that the roadway underneath wasn’t safe enough to allow traffic to flow. After five days, southbound US-131 between 100th Street to 142nd Avenue was reopened late on Saturday afternoon.
That same bridge was hit in a similar matter on August 26th, causing a similar closure of the freeway. The span was already closed off when this most recent incident occurred, and it won’t be until May until it can be totally repaired and reopened.
Back in 2018, the 100th Street bridge over US-131 was slammed several times, forcing MDOT to build a new span two feet higher, which wasn’t complete until two years later. Engineers believe that the age of the freeway, which has been in use since the late 1950’s, has played a factor in the numerous truck crashes, as vehicles and loads have grown higher over the years.
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