The M-51 interchange with US-12 or 3rd Street in Niles will be rebuilt by the Michigan Department of Transportation sometime in the next four years. Exactly what it will look like is still up for debate, but what MDOT wants is not the same as what area residents do. The state is looking at installing the Michigan Left system, which they say is cheaper and will allow for more vehicles. Kyle Rudlaff is an MDOT project manager and told our partners at WNDU NewsCenter 16 “It would take a lot to convince us that we’re going down the wrong road with the leading alternative, but we’re still listening.”
MDOT held a forum Wednesday night in Niles about the work, and the public pushed back hard against the idea of the Michigan Left, saying that intersection gets between 600 and 1,000 trucks going through daily. Those opposed say the big rigs would continue to back up traffic with the Michigan Left, where drivers first turn right and then do a U-turn. Other options include traffic signals and a diamond interchange. MDOT is targeting 2023 for the project to be done.
