Stadium Drive Improvements-Kalamazoo, Michigan

Wightman partnered with the City of Kalamazoo for improvements to Stadium Drive from Howard Street to Lovell Street.  This project was the first of many transformational projects the City has programmed as part of their Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 and Downtown Streets Design initiatives. 

Stadium Drive existed for the majority of its life as an MDOT-owned roadway with five lanes of traffic, wide paved shoulders, and deteriorating pavement.  Seeking to create a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing entrance into Downtown Kalamazoo, the City took possession of the roadway and proposed this project, which included milling and resurfacing of the existing pavement, construction of a shared use path, installation of a landscaped center median, and pedestrian signal improvements.  Uniquely, all of the proposed improvements were designed to fit within the existing pavement limits while maintaining the existing number of through traffic lanes and turn lanes where necessary. 

As transformational as this project was, coordination was required with a number of stakeholders including the City Public Works and Community Planning and Economic Development departments as well as Western Michigan University.  Significant effort was taken to design the project for phased construction to maintain two-way traffic through the area as detour options were limited.  

The improvement project was completed in 2022, and roadway and pedestrian travelers now enjoy a smoother, safer journey to their destination.