I-94 widening begins Monday

KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - $50 million in stimulus money will be putting people to work in Kalamazoo County on Monday.

Crews are beginning construction on an I-94 widening project between Oakland Drive and Lovers Lane. The plan is to expand the highway out, from four to six lanes there. The Westnedge Avenue exit is also scheduled to be rebuilt.

Vice President Joe Biden came to Kalamazoo in June to discuss the project.

"We're not just widening Westnedge Avenue, we're widening opportunities," said Biden. "We're not just rebuilding a rod, we're rebuilding an economy."

The Vice President was in town because the I-94 widening project is the 2,000^th project funded by the federal stimulus program. It's expected to create more than a thousand jobs.

The construction will also affect more than just drivers. The section of the Bicentennial Trail that runs under I-94 will be closed for at least three years. The City of Portage says detours will be posted.