Temporary fix to I-196 ramp onto US-131 will be in place by early January, MDOT says

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A critical ramp in Grand Rapids may be back open sooner than anticipated after a semi-truck crash on Tuesday morning.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) initially announced the ramp will remain shut down through April 30. Now, they say they could put in a temporary fix by the first week of January.

The permanent fix cannot be done right now due to the weather, MDOT says.

The crash happened around 11 a.m. Tuesday when a semi hauling 140,000 pounds of pea gravel and sand crashed on the S-curve.

The driver was heading south on US-131 in the center lane when the truck's front started pulling to the left, Michigan State Police reported. Despite efforts to regain control, the semi veered from westbound I-196 to the southbound US-131 ramp, where it collided