Spectrum Health Offers Suggestions For Navigating I-196 Construction

Patients, Visitors Should Take Extra Time, Check Web Site

On July 30, stage one of the Fix on I-196 will be completed and stage two begins. Two eastbound and two westbound lanes on I-196 through downtown Grand Rapids will be open to traffic.

As the first stage ends and the second stage of the “Fix on I-196” begins July 30, Spectrum Health wants the public to know the easiest ways to access it facilities on Michigan Street in downtown Grand Rapids. The Medical Center includes Butterworth Hospital, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, the Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center and the Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion. Spectrum Health is communicating with staff, physicians, patients, emergency medical services, and vendors to inform them of changes in how this second phase of the Fix will impact traffic flow.

“If everyone allows a little extra time to access the Medical Center during this second stage, they should be able to make their appointments without delay,” said Jonathan Flyte, vice president, facilities. We thank our patients and visitors for their patience during this construction project and ask them to check our Web site for the most up-to-date recent information.” Flyte says that the opening of I-196 to through traffic will make it easier for patients to access the Medical Center and he expects traffic on Michigan Street to decrease. Stage two is scheduled to continue through October.

During stage two, several I-196 ramp closures will affect Medical Center traffic including:

I-196 eastbound exit at College Avenue (affects traffic coming from the west)
131 southbound ramp to I-196 East (affects traffic coming from the north)
I-196 westbound exit at Ottawa Avenue (affects traffic coming from east)
I-196 westbound entrance at Ionia Avenue (affects traffic leaving to the west)
I-196 eastbound entrance at Ionia Avenue (affects traffic leaving to the east)

Spectrum Health suggests the following routes for accessing the Medical Center:

Coming from the West
1. Take I-196 to Fuller Avenue (Exit 79) and turn south.
2. Turn right on Michigan Street.
3. Use the entry markers to find your building.

Coming from the East
1. Take I-196 to College Avenue (Exit 78) and turn south.
2. Turn right on Michigan Street.
3. Use the entry markers to find your building.

Coming from the North
1. Take U.S. 131 to Pearl Street (Exit 85B).
2. Turn left on Pearl Street and left on Scribner Avenue.
3. Turn right on Bridge Street and continue on Michigan Street.
4. Use the entry markers to find your building.

Coming from the South
1. Take U.S. 131 to Pearl Street (Exit 85B).
2. Cross Pearl Street and continue on Scribner Avenue.
3. Turn right on Bridge Street and continue on Michigan Street.
4. Use the entry markers to find your building.

Leaving to the East or West
1. Take Michigan Street east.
2. Turn left (north) on College Avenue and enter I-196.

Leaving to the North or South
1. Take Michigan Street east.
2. Turn left (north) on College Avenue and enter I-196 west.
3. Merge onto U.S .131 north or south.

Spectrum Health has posted information regarding I-196 construction on its Web site at spectrum-health.org/roadconstruction.

To improve traffic flow around the Medical Center, Spectrum Health continues to encourage employees to seek alternatives to driving personal vehicles. Employees can ride The Rapid for free, a ride share program is available and shuttle service is available between the Medical Center and other Spectrum Health facilities.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan that offers a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, a collection of eight hospitals and more than 140 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group, mmpc® and West Michigan Heart—physician groups totaling more than 400 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with nearly 580,000 members. Spectrum Health’s 16,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members and 2,000 volunteers are committed to delivering the highest quality care. The organization provided $79.4 million in community benefit during its 2009 fiscal year. In 2010, Spectrum Health was named a Top 10 Health System by Thomson Reuters.