The city of South Haven is putting Business Loop 196 on a road diet. The city announced Wednesday it has been granted permission by the Michigan Department of Transportation to reduce the number of lanes on the road, and bids for the work have been received. The project will entail the re-striping of the road from Phoenix Street to Aylworth Avenue from the current four lanes to a three lane configuration that includes two travel lanes and a turn lane in the center. Over the past few years, the city of South Haven has worked with Abonmarche to plan and take public input on the project before starting it. This first phase is being called a trial so the city can assess the situation after a year to see if the road diet has improved traffic and safety.
