The Kalamazoo City Commission voted unanimously Monday night to approve contracts that move the long-planned two-way conversion of Kalamazoo Avenue from design into construction, a project that will reshape one of the city’s central corridors over the next three years.
The commission approved two related agreements: a construction engineering services contract with Wightman and Associates for $2,139,900, and a Michigan Department of Transportation sub-recipient agreement for $16,808,308 covering the actual construction work. The total bid for the project came in at approximately $19.6 million, roughly $3 million above the original engineer’s estimate, with construction phased across 2026, 2027, and 2028.
A Street Sixty Years in the Making
Kalamazoo Avenue was originally a two-way street before the state highway department, now MDOT, converted it to one-way traffic in the early 1960s. Planning work to reverse that conversion dates back at least to 2013, when the city began a multi-year planning and environmental linkage study with MDOT. That work eventually led to a formal action item in the city’s Imagine Kalamazoo long-range plan.
A critical early step was the jurisdictional transfer of the street from MDOT back to the city, a process that took several years but ultimately allowed the city to apply for federal funding. That funding paid for a three-year community design process that ran from 2022 to July 2025, producing the design now moving to construction.
What the Project Will Do
The conversion covers Kalamazoo Avenue from the Westnedge area east to Edwards Street, shifting the street from one-way to two-way with on-street parking and a center left-turn lane. West of Westnedge, through the Stuart neighborhood, traffic patterns will shift as well, with heavier movements routed to Michigan Avenue and two-way traffic restored on West Main, something, Director of Public Services Baker noted, that hasn’t existed in Kalamazoo since before 1949.
The project also includes significant underground work. Some of the water main infrastructure beneath Kalamazoo Avenue dates to the 1890s, with additional sections from the early 1900s and 1930s. The construction will replace that aging infrastructure, along with storm sewer, and bury overhead electric lines underground. New sidewalks, curb and gutter, a new street cross-section, and updated traffic signals are all part of the above-ground work.
Of the approximately $19.6 million total cost, roughly $6 million covers underground utility work, funded by the water and wastewater departments. About $8 million is federally grant-funded and covers the above-ground street improvements. The construction will be billed to the city over the three-year project span based on actual work performed.
Why the Bid Came in Higher Than Estimated
Director Baker explained that the gap between the $16.8 million MDOT estimate and the $19.6 million bid reflects two factors.
First, the city intentionally designed the construction to proceed block by block rather than closing long sections at once, a lesson from a 2024 project on Westnedge Drive that shut down a long stretch from Cork Street to Vine Street. That closure was hard on residents and businesses. The Kalamazoo Avenue contract requires the contractor to work within tight construction phases, keeping roads open and supporting businesses throughout. That approach costs more, but the city decided it was the right tradeoff.
Second, pipe material prices increased between when the engineer’s estimate was written and when bids came in, a reflection of current global economic conditions. The good news, Baker said, is that the unit prices in the bid are now locked in for the duration of the project. Future cost changes will come from quantities, more or less gravel, concrete, or pipe, rather than price swings.
Commissioner Praedel raised concerns about the risk of cost overruns, noting the current tariff environment and potential inflationary pressures. Baker acknowledged the project will overlap with the arena opening in fall 2027, and that managing construction alongside that new traffic reality is something staff are actively planning for, including coordination with arena developers, additional stop signs and speed bumps in the Stuart and Northside neighborhoods, and traffic calming measures along alternate routes.
Bike Lanes, Neighborhood Safety, and What’s Next
The design places bike lanes off the street, which should ease some anxiety about sharing downtown roads. Traffic calming and enforcement plans in surrounding neighborhoods will be in place before and during construction.
Director Baker said staff will return to the commission on June 15 with a more detailed construction schedule for Kalamazoo Avenue and additional information on alternate routes and traffic communication plans.
Michigan Avenue improvements are planned to begin around 2028, with the full downtown street network, including Kalamazoo Avenue, Michigan Avenue, Douglas Avenue, and West Main Street, expected to be complete around 2030.
