If you ever use the Pure Michigan Welcome Center on I-94 at New Buffalo as a rally point, a place to meet relatives, or just as a quick pit stop on your way into and out of the Great Lakes State, here’s a heads up for you from the Michigan Department of Transportation: The center will be closed for most of June.
MDOT officials released the news this afternoon that the New Buffalo Welcome Center at the state line will be closed to all traffic from Monday, June 3rd through Friday, June 28th to allow for reconstruction of the ramps into and out of the busy center. The center, located at 11630 Wilson Road in New Buffalo is the busiest of all state border welcome centers in Michigan, with annual traffic counts north of 2-million visitors to the site. There are 14 such centers operated by MDOT, along with 63 other rest areas in the state.
The center, first opened on May 4th of 1935, was the first ever highway travel information center in the United States. The current building was built in 1992, replacing a much smaller version, built 20 years earlier in 1972.
Be sure to share the news with others who may routinely stop at the New Buffalo Welcome Center so they aren’t caught off guard by the extensive shutdown.
