US 12 and M 51 rebuilding in Niles draws to a close

Fast facts:

• M-51 and US-12 in Niles are expected to return to normal lanes Wednesday, Nov. 13.
• The year-long project was a $27 million investment to rebuild the US-12/M-51 intersection.
• Remaining work includes traffic signal upgrades, tree planting, and restoration work.

COLOMA, Mich. - A year of detours and lane closures, and several years of planning have culminated in the new intersection of US-12 and M-51 in Niles, Berrien County. On Wednesday, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will return traffic to its original lanes, essentially completing the rebuilding of the new intersection, as well as rebuilding 1 mile of US-12 and 2.7 miles of M-51.

The project replaced the freeway interchange with an at-grade intersection of US-12 and M-51 featuring Michigan Lefts, and updating the road designs and infrastructure to improve mobility and safety.

Crews will be completing traffic signal upgrades in the coming weeks, as well as restoration work and tree planting in the spring, but the remaining work is expected to have minimal impacts on traffic.

Based on economic modeling, this investment was expected to directly and indirectly support 383 jobs.