Business Routes of U.S. Route 131 - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Business US Highway 131 (BUS US 131) is a 2.81-mile (4.52 km) business route running through downtown Grand Rapids. Currently, BUS US 131 follows Leonard, Division, and Oakes streets.

The northern terminus of BUS US 131 is at US 131 Exit 87 for Leonard Avenue. The southern terminus of BUS US 131 is at US 131 Exit 83B just north of Wealthy Street.

The designation was created when US 131 was rerouted on the Grand Rapids "beltline system" in 1953. At the time, a Bypass US 131 (BYP US 131) designation was used on the beltline system. South Beltline Road (M-11/28th Street) and East Beltline Avenue were used to route BYP US 131. The mainline US 131 was rerouted over the path of BYP US 131 in 1953. The BUS US 131 moniker was used for the first time to designate the former routing of US 131 through the downtown area on Division and Plainfield avenues to East Beltline Avenue.

In early 1962, a freeway alignment was completed north from US 131 at 28th Street to Pearl Street. As a result, BUS US 131 was rerouted on its southern end to use the new freeway alignment. The remainder of Division Avenue south of Oakes Street to 28th Street was removed from the BUS US 131 routing.

Later that year, US 131 was moved onto the new freeway as another section opened connecting north from Pearl Street to the current I-196 (then I-96/M-21). The M-11 designation was left on 28th Street, and East Beltine became M-44. This freeway connection allowed US 131 to continue north along the southern portion of BUS US 131 to connect to I-296. Running concurrently with I-296, US 131 connected to the current I-96 (then I-196). US 131 then turned east along I-96 to reconnect with East Beltline Avenue. BUS US 131 was shortened on the northern end to use Leonard Street to connect back to I-296/US 131. It was also shortened along the southern end to the Oakes Street with the loss of the freeway routing supplanted by US 131.

November 1986 marked a transfer to smooth out the routing of the northern end of BUS US 131, eliminating some extra turns between Plainfield Avenue and Leonard Street. The construction of the Van Andel Arena in 1995 and 1996 severed the connection for southbound BUS US 131 to US 131. This gap was rejoined with the reconstruction of the "S-Curve" in 1999.