Business Loop I-94 - Kalamazoo

The Kalamazoo business route previously formed an 11.24 mile long arc north from Exits 74 and 81. The trunkline route within the Kalamazoo city limits was relinquished from state maintenance in 2019. This reduced the length of the business route to 3.71 miles (Bessert, 2026).

The trunk highway overlaps with U.S. 131 north to Stadium Drive from Exit 36. Stadium Drive runs east along side U.S. 131 Business to Western Michigan University. Michigan Avenue takes over the trunkline highway between Waldo Stadium and M-43 (West Main Street).

M-43 combines with the two business routes as they separate into a couplet along Michigan Avenue east and Kalamazoo Avenue west. Michikal Street connects the westbound direction of Business Loop I-94 with Michigan Avenue to the south. Once in Downtown Kalamazoo, U.S. 131 Business splits for the one way pair of Park Street and Westnedge Avenue. The separate directions of Business Loop I-94/M-43 recombine ahead of the Kalamazoo River, where the two part ways.

Business Loop I-94 angles southeast along King Highway to intersect the west end of M-96. M-96 continues King Highway east while the business route shifts onto an expressway back to Interstate 94 at a wye interchange.

Designated in 1960 in place of U.S. 12 Business, Business Loop I-94 originally traveled north from Exit 72 along 9th Street to Oshtemo and east along Stadium Drive to where U.S. 131 now intersects the arterial at a SPUI (Exit 36). This changed in 1963 with the opening of the U.S. 131 freeway along the west side of Kalamazoo. Further changes took place in 1965, with the completion of Michikal Street west of Downtown and the conversion of Kalamazoo and Michigan Avenues to one way traffic (Bessert, 2026).