It May Not Look Like It, But This Stretch of Highway North of Kalamazoo is Michigan’s Most Treacherous in Winter

There's no place in Michigan that's immune to snow and ice when winter arrives and that will mean difficult, if not impossible, driving conditions when the worst of the season's storms hit. But there's one stretch of road that looks quite innocent but may be the most low key treacherous spot for winter driving in all of Michigan.

That spot is along US 131 southbound just north of Kalamazoo and it has everything to do with terrain.

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This stretch of US 131 is around mile marker 41. After the D Ave exit and a rest area the highway goes through a dip and then quick incline. The incline does not look particularly daunting but when conditions are right and the highway ices up, it can be impossible for semi trucks to clear the hill. They get backed up causing the roadway to effectively be down to one lane as passenger cars that can gingerly navigate the incline inch by.

READ MORE: There's a Historic Bridge in Northern Michigan the Department of Transpiration Maintains for Snowmobile Use Only

There are plenty of hilly spots in West Michigan that locals know are best avoided when roads ice up. In the city of Kalamazoo that spot is Howard Street between the WMU campus and Westnedge Ave and along along Drake Road - both main streets for navigating the city.

In Grand Rapids, spots like the Michigan Street hill are notorious.

What makes the incline on US 131 so sinister is that the freeway is used by traffic from across the state and nation that would be less familiar with a particular trouble spot. Locals would know the areas to avoid and alternate routes. But for truckers on a long haul, there may not be any other options.

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