MDOT’s Planned M-21 Roundabout in St. Johns Sparks Community Backlash

A proposed roundabout on M-21 in St. Johns is getting some big pushback from the community.

Why MDOT Says the M-21 Roundabout Is Needed

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) confirmed the plan. The roundabout is part of a larger $15 million reconstruction project for M-21 through St. Johns. The project is slated to begin in 2029, but already community members are fighting against it.

Sherri Mulligan is one of those community members. Her convenience market and garden shop businesses sit on the proposed intersection.

The roundabout is being proposed for the intersection of M-21 and Scott Road, which MDOT spokesman Aaron Jenkins says was identified as "a location in need of operational and safety enhancements due to the s-curve and reported excessive speeds of drivers as they enter the city."

Local Business Owners Fear Loss of Traffic

Mulligan says she relies on the fact that M-21 is a main thoroughfare for farm equipment moving through the city and for big rigs making their way to and from Grand Rapids and Flint. She says turning that intersection into a roundabout would deter — and in some cases completely re-route — some drivers, causing her to lose business. Not to mention the loss of business while the road is closed for the construction of the intersection.

Currently, the intersection has stop signs on Scott Road. There are no traffic signal and no stop signs on M-21.

READ ALSO: These are the 10 Most Dangerous Intersections in Ingham County

Mulligan isn't the only member of the community to fight against the installation of the roundabout. By the time Mulligan found out the project was going to happen, St. Johns and Bingham Township had already approved resolutions to ask MDOT to reconsider the roundabout plans.

Instead, the community would like to see either a four-way stop or a traffic signal installed.

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There's no word yet on whether the cry from the community has changed the minds of MDOT at all. But MDOT representative Jenkins did say that protestors have been known to delay projects.

If you'd like to let MDOT know how you feel about the installation of this roundabout in St. Johns, give them a call at (517) 335-3754.