Public interest in the Michigan Department of Transportation’s plans to reconstruct Main Street in downtown St. Joseph is high, based on turnout at an open house Tuesday.

MDOT invited everyone to come and learn more about its latest ideas for the work slated for 2027. The agency’s Nick Schirripa told us they’re going to rebuild the M-63/I-94 Business Loop and change Port Street and Ship Street to two-way streets. They’re one-way now.

With the coming of paid parking on the west side of Main Street soon, we wondered how pedestrian crossings from the east side might improve.

“There are several changes coming to pedestrian crossings,” Schirripa said. “There are two that are going to be eliminated, several that will be signalized, and a couple new and un-signalized. So we’re trying to put them where they’re going to be the safest. I know the two that were eliminated, they just weren’t very safe crossings because of the way traffic moves along that corridor.”

Public comments from previous meetings resulted in some of the plan’s features. Schirripa said he wasn’t surprised to see a full house for the gathering Tuesday.

“This is impressive. This keeps pace with what we saw the last meeting as well. Certainly, there is local interest because again, it’s their main street, it’s their vitality.”

Schirripa said the plans still are not finalized, which is why more public comments were taken Tuesday.

You can learn more about the project right here.