Began the day on former U.S. 25 (Electric Avenue / Military Street) in Port Huron. U.S. 25 was decommissioned in Michigan in 1973, leaving former stretches of the road as M-125 (Ohio to just north of Monroe), M-3 (Downtown Detroit to Chesterfield Township), Business Loop I-94 (through Port Huron), and M-25 (north of Port Huron) along with portions of U.S. 24, I-75 and I-94. This view looks at a reassurance shield assembly at Marysville, a town bordering Port Huron.

Interstate 69 and 94 combine at Port Huron for a combined routing to the Bluewater Bridge to Sarnia, Ontaro. Like, I-94, Interstate 69 sees a business loop of its own. Following an expressway to the one-way street couplet of Oak / Griswold Streets, the loop begins via a partial “Y” interchange from where I-94 and 96 combine to a merge with Business Loop I-94 at Main Street. The two continue north to end at I-69/94 by the bridge to Canada. BL-69 in Port Huron follows old M-21 (truncated to Flint by 1985).

Business Loop I-69 defaults onto Interstate 69 west from Griswold Street. A reassurance shield follows the transition from arterial to freeway, but before the ramp onto Interstate 94 to Detroit.

Much of Flint is orientated in a north-south fashion along the Interstate 75 and U.S. 23 corridors. Interstate 69 bisects the area, meeting Interstate 475 southeast of downtown. Note the custom Michigan font on the Interstate shield for Exit 137. Interstate 475 travels 16.87 miles and was completed in 1981. It heralds to a time when Flint was a booming automobile manufacturing center.

A symmetrical stack interchange joins Interstates 69 and 475 at Flint. Exit 136 to Saginaw Street departs from within the multi-level junction from westbound I-69.

Exit 133 follows and carries all traffic to Interstate 75 & U.S. 23 in unison from Interstate 69 west. The two share 73 miles of pavement from just south of Flint to Standish. U.S. 23 provides a freeway grade bypass of Detroit via Ann Arbor between Flint and Toledo, Ohio otherwise.

Continuing west to Lansing, Interstate 69 enters a full-cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 127. U.S. 127 constitutes a freeway from Jackson to St. Johns. By 2002, the designation was extended northward over U.S. 27, as officials from both Indiana and Michigan agreed to truncate the route north of Ft. Wayne. U.S. 127 ends at I-75 near Grayling, MI and Chattanooga, TN, tallying 758 miles.

Heading south along U.S. 127 at the off-ramp to Business Loop I-69 and M-43 (Grand River Avenue) in Lansing. BL-69 follows an old section of M-78 and later TEMP Interstate 69. Interstate 496 merges with U.S. 127 south at the next exit.

Interstate 496 exits Lansing and enters Eaton County on the approach to Interstates 69 & 96, its western terminus. I-69 & 96 combine for 5.20 miles on the west side of Lansing.

Interstate 96 joins Lansing with Detroit by way of an overlap with Interstate 275 between Novi and Plymouth. I-96 merges with I-275 south at a pervasive interchange that joins Interstate 696 (W.P. Reuther Freeway) with M-5 (north and east). Originally I-96 followed the M-5 freeway to Grand River Avenue, ending as Business Spur I-96 leading east to downtown.

Interstate 96 turns east at the Interstate 275 interchange with the M-14 freeway leading east from Ann Arbor.

A few state-named shields remain in service for Interstate 96 in Livonia. Outside of a green box sign or two in Detroit, remaining shields for I-96 across the state are neutered.

Interstate 96 widens to incorporate a local/expressway configuration from Exit 180 (Outer Drive) east to Exit 186B (Davison Avenue). The express carriageways only see slip ramps onto the local carriageways and otherwise are exit free. Speed limits vary between the two roadways with the express lanes seeing a 70 mph limit and the local lanes a 55 mph limit.

The left-hand ramp to Davison Avenue concludes the local lanes of Interstate 96 east. A freeway was considered from I-96 to the current M-8 freeway between in the 50s and 60s. While that road never was built, hints of its possible tie in with I-96 remain today at Exit 186B.

Interstate 75 leaves the Fisher Freeway for the Chrysler Freeway at Exit 51C with Interstate 375 south. The Fisher Freeway spurs to Gratiot Avenue (M-3 / former U.S. 25).

I-375 defaults onto Jefferson Avenue, 0.167 miles of which comprises unsigned Business Spur I-375. The arterial connects the Chrysler Freeway with the beginning of the John C. Lodge Freeway (M-10). Midway between the two freeway end points is Woodward Avenue (M-1) and the entrance to the Windsor Tunnel to Ontario, Canada. The Tunnel opened in 1930 and carries a $4.00 cash toll.

A series of tunnels carry the beginning of M-10 (John C. Lodge Freeway) under COBO Center and Fort Street (M-3) ahead of the junction with Interstate 75. M-10 follows all of the John C. Lodge Freeway from downtown Detroit to Interstate 696. The highway number is a vestige of its days as the final stretch of U.S. 10. U.S. 10 was truncated from Detroit to Bay City in 1986.

State-named shields are extremely rare in Michigan as a whole, but they are more of an uncommon occurrence in Detroit, as many city-installs still function today. A crop of Interstate 94 signs referring to the road as the Ford Freeway remain in service near the M-10 freeway.

Even more rare are city-installed signs for the Lodge Freeway retaining the old U.S. 10 designation and 1948 shield specifications.

Outside of the central business district, a wooden sign holds on for life from the days when U.S. 10 traveled to downtown.

Traveling east along the M-8 (Davison Freeway) between Michigan 10 and the Woodward Avenue (M-1) off-ramp. The Davison Freeway connects two sections of Davison Avenue through Highland Park. Constructed in 1944, the trenched freeway traveled a short distance, but was proposed to run west to the Jeffries at U.S. 16 and east to Mt. Elliot Avenue and south to the current path of Interstate 94.⁴

A high-speed stack interchange joins Michigan 8 (Davison Freeway)and Interstate 75. The freeway was a locally maintained facility until 1997, when MDOT took control of the route and modernized it.⁴

The John Lodge Freeway becomes a trenched freeway from Exit 11 northwest to Exit 14C (Southfield Road). M-10 was given a facelift and modernized in 2006-07. The route is very reminiscent of the Vine Street Expressway (Interstate 676) in Philadelphia.

M-10 and Interstate 696 share a brief confluence ahead of junction U.S. 24 (Exits 18A/B) at Southfield. M-10 leaves the freeway network for Northwestern Highway beyond the “The Mixing Bowl” interchange.

M-39 begins from the M-10 freeway via a partial “Y” interchange and leads south along the Southfield Freeway to Dearborn and Allen Park. Modernization of the Southfield Freeway was undertaken in 2011.

Exit numbers along the Southfield Freeway count down to the interchange with Interstate 94. While the freeway portion of M-39 ends, the state highway does not, as the road turns southeast along Southfield Highway to conclude just beyond Interstate 75.

Interstate 94 & U.S. 12 combine for four miles to bypass Ypsilanti. The two part ways at Saline, just east of the I-94 interchange with U.S. 23 at Ann Arbor. Forthcoming Exit 180B doubles as the westbound beginning of Business Loop I-94 through Ann Arbor as well, with the loop following the US 23 freeway briefly north to Washtenaw Avenue.

U.S. 23 constitutes a full freeway from Interstate 75 at Flint to the right angle turn of Interstate 475 at Toledo.

Construction is underway along Interstate 475 east leading toward the terminus with Interstate 75 (Exits 20A/B). Work involves upgrading the interchange between the two freeways, widening I-75 north from I-475 to six lanes, and adding a new diamond interchange with ProMedica Parkway that replaces the Exit 19 off-ramps to Ohio 120 (Central Avenue) and on-ramps from Kelly and Upton Avenues. Completion is expected in fall 2013 on the $63.88-million project.

Old button copy signs remain in use along Interstate 75 southbound at the Exit 203B off-ramp to U.S. 24 and Ohio 51. U.S. 223 once tied into downtown Toledo from Sylvania as well. Ohio 51 follows the alignment truncated by 1987.⁵

Exit 59 between Interstates 80 & 90 and Interstate 475 lacks a direct connection, despite it being touted as the way to the Ohio Turnpike from U.S. 23 south entering the state. Motorists must use a stretch of U.S. 20 and local road, Dussel Drive to make a connection to the Perrysburg to Sylvania route.

Interstate 69 appears for the first, and perhaps one of only three times Ohio, along Interstates 80 & 90 west on a mileage sign posted 38 miles out from Angola, Indiana.

A diamond interchange resides between the Ohio Turnpike Westgate and Indiana Toll Road Eastgate. This exit does not require separate toll facilities due to its placement between the two mainline barriers.

Interstate 69 represents the first exit of the Indiana Toll Road for Interstates 80 & 90 west. A trumpet to trumpet interchange and access road connect the two roads just north of Angola.

The first of eight interchanges along Interstate 69 south at Fort Wayne joins the route with Indiana 1 (Dupont Road) at Exit 116. The next exit represents the southbound beginning of Interstate 469, a 30.83-mile bypass completed in 1995. U.S. 30 follows the belt loop east to Exit 19 near New Haven.

U.S. 24 ties into Interstate 469, one mile north of the southbound split with U.S. 30 east. U.S. 24 is presently being upgraded to expressway standards from Fort Wayne east to the Ohio State line as part of the Fort to Port corridor. Visible just east of I-469 were concrete carriageways of the future four-lane highway.

Like many other Indiana cities, the US highway network is confined to area bypasses or adjacent Interstate highways. U.S. 33 and 24 make the connection to their surface routes leading west from Fort Wayne via Interstate 69 north from Interstate 469.

U.S. 27 is the lone holdout remaining within the Interstates 69 and 469 freeway loop. The US highway however has the distinction of ending in Ft. Wayne, having suffered a lengthy truncation from near Grayling, MI by 2002. Exit 111 represents the north end point of the 1,364 mile route.

Most instances of U.S. 27 signage north of Fort Wayne were removed. However a few signs, such as those posted along Interstate 469 north, allude to the former overlap with I-69 north to Lansing.

Clouds appears on the southern horizon that were ahead of an approaching cold front. As we headed toward Indianapolis, traffic gradually increased as sunlight decreased.

Indiana 67 joins Interstate 69 south from an expressway extending the Muncie Bypass west to Daleville. The state road follows the freeway south to Pendleton. See Thomas Decker’s guide on AARoads for photos of the Muncie Bypass.

Interstate 69 currently draws to a close at the Indianapolis Beltway (Interstate 465). SR 37 follows the freeway from Exit 6 south to join I-465 in an implied overlap along the east side of the city. Exit 0 will be renumbered presumptively to 184 when I-69 is extended southwest from Indianapolis to Evansville in the coming years, bringing the total mileage in the state to 341.⁶

Sources:

1. Michigan Highways: Historic US-25 (page 2).
2. Michigan Highways: Highways 20 through 29
3. Michigan Highways: Highways 250 through 696
4. Michigan Highways: Highways 1 through 9
5. U.S. Route 223 @ Wikipedia.org
6. Re: I-69 Control Cities @ AARoads Forum.

All Interstate 69 shields posted on guide signs within Branch County, Michigan utilize Clearview-based font for the numbers. This is not supposed to be the case, but in Michigan, one can find shields for Interstates 69, 75, 96 and 696 in violation. This view looks at the southbound on-ramp to Interstate 69 from U.S. 12 west & Business Loop Interstate 69 south at Coldwater.

Business Loop Interstate 69 through Coldwater doubles as Emergency Interstate 69. There are a number of Emergency detour routes posted for Interstate highways throughout southern Michigan. Some of these even extend into Indiana, such as Interstate 69 south from Branch County to Steuben County, Indiana. The Emergency Routes provide an alternate or detour route for the parent route in case of road closure due to weather or other incidents. The Coldwater element of Emergency Interstate 69 includes an east-west portion along U.S. 12 between Division Street south / Marshall Street north (collectively former U.S. 27) and Interstate 69, and a north-south portion following old U.S. 27 out from town.

All of U.S. 27 between Fort Wayne, Indiana and Lansing, Michigan was replaced by Interstate 69. The old alignment remains in use as “Angola Road, “Lansing Road”, “Old 27″, etc. A portion of the old US Route remains in the state system as M-223 (17 Mile Road) from F Drive South to Michigan Avenue in Marshall. Michigan 227 begins at Exit 32 of Interstate 69 and travels 6.71 miles to Business Loop Interstate 94.

U.S. 27 was truncated from the state of Michigan and from Fort Wayne northward in Indiana by 2002. Efforts to turn back the U.S. 27 designation commenced in 1991 by both states, but those were met with resistance from AASHTO as the segment north from Lansing was not included in the request to truncate the US Highway. In 1999, MDOT applied for the renumbering of U.S. 27 north of Lansing as an extension of U.S. 127. This was subsequently approved and sign changes commenced in 2001 with the removal of U.S. 27 shields to the south and in 2002 with the replacement of U.S. 27 as U.S. 127. Read much more on the history of U.S. 27, including the truncation from Michigan, at Chris Bessert’s Michigan Highways.

Business Loop Interstate 94 joins Interstate 69 north for its return trip to Interstate 94 at Exit 38. The loop follows old U.S. 12 along Michigan Avenue between Exit 36 of I-69 to Partello Road and Exit 112 of Interstate 94. The Marshall business loop of I-94 was designated in 1960.

Interstate 69 north joins Interstate 96 west to bypass Lansing on the west side of town. Their overlap is unusual in that the two routes mirror each other number wise, a distinction not replicated anywhere else in the system.

The Capitol Loop acts as a business loop for Interstate 496 (Olds Freeway) through downtown Lansing, serving the state Capitol complex and various attractions. Capitol Loop follows old M-99 northward from Exit 5 of Interstate 496 along the divided Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to the one-way street couplet of Allegan (east) and Ottawa (west) Streets. Grand Avenue connects the one-way pair and joins them with Michigan Avenue across the Grand River to their turn onto Business Loop I-96 (Cedar Street south / Larch Street north) for the return to Interstate 496 (Exit 7). The loop was first signed in 1986.

The one-way frontage street couplet of St. Joseph (west) and Main Street (east) forms a collector/distributor roadway system for Interstate 496 from the Grand River into the folded-diamond interchange with Business Loop I-96 & Capitol Loop at Cedar Street. Interstate 496 opened in stages between 1963 and 1970 as an 11.8-mile urban loop through Lansing. Pleasingly, the freeway is signed with a 70 mile per hour speed limit throughout.

Full cloverleaf interchanges are still viable as freeway to freeway connections when they are coupled with collector/distributor roadways. Such is the case where the U.S. 127 freeway meets Interstate 69 on the northeast side of Lansing.

Business Loop Interstate 96 (Grand River Avenue) bisects the split of Interstate 69 east from Interstate 96 west. A diamond interchange joins the Interstate 96 mainline between the I-69 mainline and the I-69 to I-96 “Wye” connector to the north. Grand River Avenue represents the historic routing of U.S. 16 through northwest Lansing. The US Route was wholly replaced by Interstate 96 from Muskegan eastward to Detroit and thus removed from the state in 1962.

Michigan 6 begins at the Exit 46 directional interchange adjacent to the Thornapple River. M-6 consists of a 19.71-mile freeway bypass of Grand Rapids between Interstates 96 and 196. The route was completed in 2004. Emergency Interstate 96 follows the freeway west to Exit 15 (M-37). An Emergency M-6 is also posted along 36th Street from Exit 44 of Interstate 96 as well.

Another full-cloverleaf interchange with c/d roadways joins the M-6 freeway with U.S. 131 at Cutlerville. A diamond interchange ties into the c/d roadways from the south at 68th Street. U.S. 131 is a modern freeway leading north to Exit 81 and not so much from there to downtown Grand Rapids. Overall the U.S. 131 freeway stretches 169 miles from Portage to Manton.

Spanning the Grand River, U.S. 131 prepares to meet Interstate 196 and become a part of the hidden Interstate 296 at Exit 86. Variable curve speed signs are posted in both directions of the elevated freeway as U.S. 131 kinks westward to span the waterway.

At least one official Michigan Highway Map showing Interstate 296 points to the “Wye” connector from U.S. 131 to Interstate 96 near Walker. U.S. 131 remains adjacent to the Grand River northward from the city to Comstock Park (Exit 91) as the Wye ties into Interstate 96 at M-37 (Exit 30).

A partial “Y” interchange facilitates movements from Interstate 96 west onto Interstate 196 west via a left-hand ramp at Exit 37. Originally, Interstate 196 followed the current I-96 mainline from Grand Rapids to Muskegan, with Interstate 96 planned to angle southwesterly to Interstate 94 at St. Joseph. In 1961, all of the freeway from Lansing to Muskegan was completed, and this “Y” was not open, so Interstate 96 transitioned onto Interstate 196. A swap in designations occurred in 1963, but the current alignment of Interstate 196 was not completed through Grand Rapids until 1964.¹

Looking northward at the Interstate 196 (Gerald R. Ford Freeway) crossing of the Grand River from Bridge Street. Ramps to U.S. 131 tie into the bridge from the west. That interchange is unusual in that the carriageways of U.S. 131 switch sides so that northbound is west of southbound and vice versa to accommodate left-hand ramps to the Ford Freeway.

Continued southwest along Interstate 196 to its conclusion at Interstate 94 near St. Joseph. Then Interstate 94 took us the remainder of the way for day 3 to Port Huron. Traveling through Kalamazoo, Interstate 94 underwent widening from a point west of the U.S. 131 interchange to Oakland Drive between 2006 and 2008. This work included the replacement of the southbound U.S. 131 loop ramp onto I-94 east with a directional ramp.

$52-million widening of the freeway east from Oakland Drive (Exit 75) to Portage Road (Exit 78) commenced in April 2009 and expands the freeway to six lanes and redesigns the Westnedge Avenue interchange from a six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange into a single point urban interchange (SPUI).² Work should be completed on this project by the end of this month.

Interstate 194 draws to a southbound close at the full-cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 94 opposite a sprawling retail area bounding the intersection of M-66 and Beckley Road. I-194, one of those designations that eluded the Rand McNally Road Atlas for decades, was completed in 1966 as a 3.4-mile spur into downtown Battle Creek from Interstate 94. The highway doubles as a leg of M-66.

We come full circle at the Interstate 94 junction with Interstate 69 outside Marshall. Business Loop I-94 begins and follows Interstate 69 south to Michigan Avenue (old U.S. 12) and is signed with Coldwater on this auxiliary guide sign. Secondary control cities for freeway to freeway connections are often signed on ground level signs such as this in Michigan. Such as Chicago and Detroit are the primary cities for Interstate 94; secondary cities include Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Jackson and Ann Arbor among others.

Completed through Jackson by 1960, Interstate 94 combines with U.S. 127 between Exits 138 and 142 along a narrow stretch of freeway on the north side of town. A partial-cloverleaf interchange follows the crossing of the Grand River and eastbound drivers see this Interstate 94 trailblazer at the Exit 139 gore point sign. There are not many instances of a shield and diagonal arrow posted on an Interstate mainline…

Interstate 94 expands to six overall lanes at Exit 167 (Baker Road), near Dexter, through to the split with the M-14 freeway at Ann Arbor. M-14 constitutes a 22.54-mile freeway linking Ann Arbor and the western suburbs of Detroit with Interstates 96 & 275 at Livonia. Michigan 14 replaced the routing of U.S. 12 when that route shifted to the south in 1956, replacing the original U.S. 112 alignment. M-14 joined the freeway from Ann Arbor to Livonia as it opened between 1964 and 1979.

Interstate 94 carries just four lanes from Exits 171 to 180, expanding to six lanes from the U.S. 23 freeway to the city of Detroit. Once at U.S. 24 (Telegraph Road), the freeway passes through a SPUI accented with two blue arches, formally named the Gateway Arch Bridges. Constructed as part of a $55-million upgrade of Interstate 94 between the airport and downtown, the Gateway Arch Bridges support the Interstate 94 mainline above Telegraph Road with a clear span of 246 feet between the abutments.

The Exit 202 single point urban interchange replaced an unusual interchange that resembled back to back trumpet interchanges with U.S. 24 within a wide carriageway split of Interstate 94. Construction relocated the eastbound mainline to closely line the westbound carriageway through the new SPUI. A portion of the original eastbound was abandoned, leaving behind a grassy footprint along side Beverly Road.

45 minutes to travel three miles so that six or seven asphalt patches could be made, we reach the Interstate 94 junction with Interstate 96. Interstate 96 continues a short distance southeast to Interstate 75, where major work on the Gateway Project was completed in 2009 that extended the I-96 carriageways alongside I-75 to a proposed connection with the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, Ontario. The MDOT and City of Detroit elements of the project are complete, The Detroit International Bridge Company portion, including the addition of high speed ramps between the suspension bridge and Interstate 96. The organization has neglected to complete its connection, instead focusing on building a duty-free shop in the path of one of the planned ramps. This has resulted in truck traffic remaining along city streets to make the connection.³

Interstates 69 east & 94 north merge at Port Huron for their final approach to the Bluewater Bridge to Sarnia, Ontario. MDOT began a major rework of the freeway in March 2011 as part of a project to reconstruct the last two miles of I-69 & 94 at Port Huron. Elements of the $90-million construction include a new nine-lane span for the freeway (mainline and c/d roadways) over the Black River, an improved Water Street interchange (Exit 274), a revamp of the partial “Y” interchange with the Lapeer Connector to provide access in both directions, and the replacement of the left-hand ramp to Pine Grove Avenue (Business Loop I-69 & 94) with one that departs from the right. See the MDOT project map for more details on the work expected to last until November 2012.

Sources:

1. Michigan Highways: Highways 180 through 199, Chris Bessert.
2. “I-94 widening and South Westnedge Avenue interchange project to break ground in June” MDOT, April 16, 2009.
3. “Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun may face jail time, penalties.” Detroit Free Press, November 4, 2011.

Met up with fellow road enthusiast Dan Garnell the night before and discussed various topics around Michigan and the Great Lakes. One such item was the tanker fire that destroyed the 9 Mile Road overpass along Interstate 75. Dan told us that the damaged bridge was removed but little progress was made since the demolition on its replacement. The topic is discussed on the AARoads Forum.

The original Nine Mile Road bridge was rebuilt in 2008. Visible work on Interstate 75 at the overpass involves building new bridge supports.

A number of older state-named signs are still placed along the various freeway frontage roads in Detroit. The dated signs are not as prevalent as you would think, especially considering the derelict nature of the many surrounding neighborhoods in the city.

U.S. 12 represents the long survivor of five U.S. highways that once traveled through downtown Detroit. The highway follows Michigan Avenue eastward from Dearborn to its current end at Cass Avenue within the central business district. Our investigation of the end however revealed remnant signage beyond the Cass Avenue intersection through to Griswold Street, three blocks to the east. No end sign is posted.

A final eastbound U.S. 12 reassurance marker resides along Michigan Avenue between Washington Boulevard and Shelby Streets. An additional shield assembly was posted one block further east, but it was missing its U.S. 12 marker. Both assemblies and a companion westbound placard are posted east of the 2005 truncated end at Cass Avenue.

Michigan 85 ends assembly posted at the intersection of Fort and Griswold Streets in downtown Detroit. M-85 constitutes a 22.15-mile route between Interstate 75 Exit 28 and central Detroit. M-85 overtook a portion of M-3 along Fort Street between Clark and Griswold Streets in 2001 when the city of Detroit assumed control of the former state routes in the Campus Martius area.

A whole host of abandoned buildings rise or front the freeway rights of way through Detroit. This large structure looms above the Exit 50 off-ramp to Grand River Avenue at 2nd Avenue and Henry Street.

A short distance west of Exit 50, Interstate 75 enters the Gateway Project area with Interstate 96 and the Ambassador Bridge. As of November 2009, the project is 90% complete, with the remaining portion to be completed under the direction of the Detroit Bridge Company. A jurisdictional dispute between MDOT and the bridge company has resulted in a lengthy lawsuit and unfinished connections between the suspension bridge into Windsor Ontario from Interstates 75 & 96. Direct ramps are to be constructed that in effect extend Interstate 96 directly to the Ambassador Bridge. MDOT’s portions are complete; the bridge company’s have yet to begin. More on the discussion can be found on the AARoads Forum.

Within the Gateway Project area along Interstate 75 north at the split with Interstate 96 west. Note the partially constructed bridge to the right and the sign bridge directing nonexistent traffic onto Interstate 75 south and Interstate 96 west. This span awaits completion of the Detroit International Bridge Company’s portion of the Gateway Project…

Additional work is underway involving Interstate 696 as part of a $67-million bridge and pavement rehabilitation project. Repairs to 50 overpasses along the northern bypass are underway and work is expected to continue through 2010. More details can be found on the MDOT web site. Work next year will focus on upgrading the eastern terminal interchange of Interstate 696 at I-94 to replace pavement, repair bridges, and add freeway lighting.

Three cut and cover tunnels are present along Interstate 696 through the city of Oak Park. This image looks at the second in the series near the Greenfield Road diamond interchange.

Another ARRA project underway is deck replacements on 11 bridges over Interstate 96 within Detroit. Included is the removal of the abandoned railroad overpasses at the Local/Express split within the Davison Avenue (Exit 186B) directional interchange.

Continuing south to Toledo, we checked out the new Glass City Skyway and redrove Interstates 280 and 475 in their entirety. An ARRA project underway in Toledo includes a bridge deck overlay along Interstate 75 in both directions between Exits 200 and 198. Work reduces the freeway to four overall lanes and is expected to continue through October 2010. Another area project is the interchange reconstruction between Interstate 475 and Salisbury Road west and Dussel Drive east (Exit 6). Work here involves widening the east-west arterial as well and is expected to last until November 2011.

New Clearview signage for Exit 6 along Interstate 475 & U.S. 23 north.

Drivers on Interstate 475 north at Interstate 75 will also notice work ongoing with the Auburn Avenue bridge replacement. The original span was removed and new concrete pier supports are rising to the south of the freeway. This project is associated with similar replacements at Douglas Road and Central Avenue done in preparation for an eventual widening of Interstates 75 and 475. This initial bridge work will continue to October 2010. Future Interstate 475 work is discussed at ODOT’s The Future I-475.

Southbound along the Veteran’s Glass City Skyway on Interstate 280 over the Maumee River. The cable-stayed bridge replaced the Craig Memorial Bridge, a draw span still in use below the Skyway, when it opened June 24, 2007.

The Ohio Turnpike began accepting EZPass customers on its 241-mile course in October. Pictured here is the toll plaza connecting Interstate 280 and Ohio 420 with Interstates 80 & 90 near Toledo. Note the addition of EZPass only lanes. Drivers using these lanes must still come to a complete stop however.

Heading south toward Dayton, Interstate 75′s three business loops are unsigned from the freeway mainline. Tim Reichard has their paths covered over at his Highway Browser for those who want to know. Unfortunately we did not consult this list, so we passed them by unknowingly…

Interstate 75 expands to six lanes from Exit 74 southward into Dayton. Construction is complete involving the upgrade of the junction with Interstate 70, also dubbed the Freedom Veterans Crossroads. A new flyover was added from Interstate 75 north to Interstate 70 west to go along with a second directional ramp from Interstate 70 west to I-75 south as well. These movements replaced loop ramps.

Also associated with the I-70/75 reconstruction was the building of a new diamond interchange with Benchwood Road west / Wyse Road east (Exit 59). This exit replaced the folded diamond interchange with Little York Road. Bridge supports and retaining walls feature a soaring airplane motif.

Began in Spring 2005, the $145 million project to upgrade Interstates 70 & 75 interchange was completed this month.

Once within the city of Dayton, Interstate 75 drivers enter another major construction project. Entitled the “Downtown Dayton Sub-Corridor“, the three-phase project involves widening, the eliminating of left entrance and exit ramps, improving the curvature of the roadway, ultimately leading to the eventual construction of a new interchange at downtown to replace multiple off-ramps. Work began in 2007, with Phase 2 slated to begin in 2012.

Phase 1A of the Dayton Sub-Corridor project focuses on interchange upgrades with Ohio 4 and Main Street / Grand Avenue. Pictured here is work at the Exit 55 off-ramp to Ohio 4 east and Webster Street south to Fifth Third Field.

Additional Sources:

1. Veterans’ Glass City Skyway @ Wikipedia.org.
2. Weekly construction updates from ODOT (WTVG).
3. I-70 / 75 Interchange (ODOT).

Started the day on a frosty morning in Petoskey, traveling up U.S. 31 through resort towns by scenic lakes and hills to its end at Interstate 75. Stopped by Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park in Mackinaw City to view the Mackinaw Bridge in 27 degree wind. The Mackinac Bridge, nicknamed the "Mighty Mac" or "Big Mac", spans the Straits of Mackinac between Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. The Straits connects Lakes Michigan and Huron and separate the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of the state. Traveling a distance of 8,614 feet, the suspension bridge is the third longest in the world. Drivers travel the span for a total of five miles when incorporating its approaches.

The Mackinac Bridge opened on November 1, 1957 after three and a half years of construction to replace ferry services connecting U.S. 23 with U.S. 2 at St. Ignace. Towers of the signature span rise to a height of 554 feet and are sunk 210 feet into the submerged bedrock. Every Labor Day morning two lanes of the span are closed to vehicle traffic for the annual Bridge Walk.

Tolls are levied to cross the bridge in both directions at a rate of $3.00 per passenger vehicle. Speed limits are set at 45 for passenger cars and 20 mph for commercial trucks. There are no shoulders on the bridge and the inside lanes constitute an open steel grid to reduce both its load and improve its wind resistance.

Interstate 75 draws to a close at the customs station just north of the Exit 394 diamond interchange with Easterday Avenue in Sault Ste. Marie. The customs plaza lies at the foot of the tolled International Bridge leading north to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Fees to cross the cantilever bridge are set at $2.50 per passenger vehicle.

Business Spur Interstate 75 joins downtown Sault Ste. Marie with Interstate 75 (Exit 392). The spur continues the Great Lakes Circle Tour as well and follows Riverside Drive east to its end near Ashmun Street. Business Loop Interstate 75 through St. Ignace represents the former alignment of U.S. 2. U.S. 2 was shortened 53 miles from its Sault Ste. Marie end in 1983 to Exit 344 of Interstate 75. However the route was removed from State Street in St. Ignace when Interstate 75 first opened.

A look at the northbound ends signage for Business Spur Interstate 75 on Riverside Drive in Sault Ste. Marie. Riverside Drive continues southward from the end to 22 mile Road near Stirlingville.

Business Loop Interstate 75 ends at the U.S. 2 westbound beginning in St. Ignace. This shield assembly is done entirely in Clearview font!

Heading back south onto the Lower Peninsula, Interstate 75 remains somewhat lightly traveled through to its merge with U.S. 23 near Standish. The southbound rest area at milepost 262 is currently closed, but will reopen summer of next year. The freeway expands to six overall lanes from Exit 164 southward to Exit 144 and eight lanes from Exit 144 to Interstate 475′s north end (Exit 125).

Interstate 675 is undergoing major reconstruction involving the northern terminal interchange and the bridge over the Saginaw River. Currently the northbound ramp to Interstate 75 north from Interstate 675 north is closed. Additionally the entire southbound side of the freeway was closed over the Saginaw River until this afternoon (November 13) at 3 pm! An awkward detour was in place from Interstate 675 south for interests to downtown Saginaw utilizing Interstate 75 south to Interstate 675 north. The work is part of a $42-million improvement project on the freeways deteriorating bridges. Construction on the northbound side, which is currently relegated to one through lane across the river, is slated to begin in March 2010.

Northbound Interstate 675 travelers squeeze through one lane across the Saginaw River through to Exit 3 (M-58). The restriction will remain in place throughout the winter season leading to a complete closure of the river span when construction resumes in the spring.

Interstate 475 provides the urban loop joining the downtown area of Flint with Interstate 75 to the north and south. Surprisingly, the freeway carries a 70 mph speed limit throughout its 16.99-mile routing. The freeway carries six lanes from Exits 13 to 4. Interstate 75 meanwhile stays west of the city, meeting Interstate 69 near the GM Truck and Bus Assembly Plant. While passing by the factory along I-75 north, we noticed a set of traffic lights hanging above Spielman Drive on the facility grounds. The signals were deactivated at the time, but are visible in street view.

A symmetrical stack interchange joins Interstates 475 and 69 southeast of downtown Flint.

Sources:

1. Mackinac Bridge (Keith Stokes).
2. More construction complications on Interstate 675 in Saginaw County (The Saginaw News).
3. Traffic is flowing again on southbound I-675 (WJRT).

Heading north from southern Indiana to the capital city, Interstate 65 continues with four lanes and loads of tractor trailers. The constant beating the pavement takes from the moving freight prompted officials to resurface the route from Whiteland to Greenwood in 2007 as part of the INDOT Major Moves initiative. Expansion of the road to six lanes does not occur until Exit 99.

Interstate 65′s diamond interchange with Indiana 46 was upgraded to a single point urban interchange. In addition to the ramp reconfiguration, decorative arches were added to the Interstate 65 bridges over the state road.

Once in the downtown Indianapolis area, Interstate 65 briefly joins with Interstate 70 on the east side of the central business district. This stretch was rehabilitated in 2003 as part of the “Hyperfix 65/70″ project by INDOT. 33 bridge decks and 35 lane miles of concrete were repaired to go along with capacity improvements as part of a $30-million project. This stretch opened in 1976.

Morning traffic slows toward the Exit 113 split-diamond interchange, the main access point into downtown Indianapolis from Interstate 65 north. Pictured here are stacked ramps built at the split with Interstate 70 over a ghost ramp that was intended to join the freeways with unconstructed Interstate 69.

Encircling the city is Interstate 465, Indianapolis’ beltway and a myriad of vastly unsigned overlaps. They include U.S. 31, 36, 40, 52, 421, and Indiana 37 & 67. Construction is underway on two projects involving the 53-mile loop. The first is emergency work to repair a bridge at the Interstate 69 interchange that was damaged when a propane truck exploded in late October. The freeway was briefly closed in both directions so crews could assess the damage and make emergency repairs. Work currently shifts the westbound direction above the I-69 southbound on-ramp as crews finish repairs.

Additional work along Interstate 465 was completed in 2008 involving pavement rehabilitation from Fall Creek to Interstate 74, joining other recently completed work focused on widening of Interstate 465 between the split with Interstate 74 west and 56th Street. The $74.8-million work included the upgrading of the 38th Street interchange. Construction on this stretch, one of the oldest of the beltway, was completed between 2007 and 2009.

Accelerate 465 entails Interstate 465 southward from Interstate 74 to Interstate 70 on the southwest side of Indianapolis. Upgrading of the freeway will result in 12 foot travel lanes, a 30 foot paved median with jersey barrier within a minimum 216 foot right of way. Interchange improvements are included. At Interstate 74 / Crawfordville Road (U.S. 136), new ramps will join U.S. 136 with both freeways (currently not a direct movement). High speed flyover ramps will be added to the interchange with Interstates 74 and 465 and eliminate some of the loop ramps and associated weaving traffic movements. Work also will upgrade interchanges with West 10th Street, U.S. 36 (Rockville Road), U.S. 40 (Washington Street), the Sam Jones Expressway, and Interstate 70. The Interstate 70 work will replace the eastbound to northbound loop ramp with a 40-mph design speed flyover.

Shifting to the west and a revisit to Interstate 70, construction is complete on both the freeway widening and the new airport interchange and terminal. Interstate 70 includes a long collector/distributor roadway system connecting Interstates 74 & 465 with Ronald Reagan Parkway and Ameriplex Parkway. Indianapolis International Airport constructed its new Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal on the west side of the airport. A new access road and directional interchange was added from Interstate 70 in the process. The old terminal, located at the west end of the Airport Expressway (since renamed to the Sam Jones Expressway), remains unused at this time.

Sam Jones Expressway westbound at the directional-cloverleaf interchange with Interstates 74 & 465. Upgrading of this interchange entails improving capacity to the southbound to eastbound ramp to two lanes and the addition of c/d roadways to eliminate some of the weaving traffic concerns.

Further north, ramp grading is underway involving the building of a new diamond interchange with East 109th Avenue near the city of Crown Point at milepost 250. Another Major Moves initiative focuses on the reconstruction of the Interstate 65 interchange with Interstates 80 & 94 at Gary. A new collector/distributor roadway was added to the northbound side of Interstate 65 from Ridge Avenue (U.S. 6 Business) to the Northwest Connector. Additionally a new two-lane flyover carries drivers from Interstates 80 & 94 west onto Interstate 65 south.

A slip ramp facilitates the movements from Interstate 65 north onto the adjacent c/d roadway emanating from Exit 258 for the Northwest Connector to Interstates 80 & 94 west.

Once in Michigan, we encountered an unbelievable amount of construction. Many of these projects are related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and involved pavement and shoulder rehabilitation.

Although displayed as under construction on many maps, there was no work evident involving the completion of the U.S. 31 freeway between Napier Avenue and the Interstate 94/196 split. The Record of Decision for this project was issued on August 31, 2004. Drivers between the U.S. 31 stub end and Interstate 94 must utilize Napier Avenue to make the connection.

Signage only haphazardly mentions the U.S. 31 connection from Interstate 94 east to its freeway leading south from Napier Avenue.

One of the many ARRA projects in Michigan focuses on the rehabilitation of Interstate 196 & U.S. 31 north between Exits 22 and 30 in Allegan County. Rehabilitation of the concrete surface is underway to go along with a complete resigning of all shields and exit signs. Included with the Clearview signs are two infamous error assemblies displaying U.S. 31 as Pennsylvania 31! Work also focuses on rehabilitating Interstate 196 from the split with M-6 east to Exit 70 (M-11) and again in downtown Grand Rapids.

Interstate 196 eastbound at the U.S. 131 stack interchange at downtown Grand Rapids. U.S. 131 doubles as hidden Interstate 296 northward to Interstate 96. The designation was signed from 1963 to 1980 according to the official Michigan highway map. Its removal was likely due to redundancy with the longer U.S. 131 routing.
Interstate 196 switches from north/south cardinal directions to east/west at its split with U.S. 31 in Holland.

What is supposed to be signed as Business Spur Interstate 196 was signed as Business Loop on all signage at the U.S. 131 interchange with Franklin Street (Exit 83B). The spur travels west 4.15 miles to Exit 72 of Interstate 196.

And much further north, U.S. 131 is completely closed at the Manistee River in Wexford County. MDOT is replacing the 1950s-era bridge and the entire freeway is blocked at the M-42 folded-diamond interchange. Ridiculously long detours are in place at the last three interchanges of the U.S. 131 freeway directing motorists to M-66 north. Additionally for drivers leading north from Manton, U.S. 131 Business sees signs “Bridge out 7 miles ahead”.

Additional Sources:

1. Interstate 65 – Whiteland to Greenwood (INDOT).
2. Hyperfix 65/70: Indiana closed a major interstate corridor for repairs and reopened it a month ahead of schedule.
3. I-69 SB ramp to I-465 SB site of tanker explosion (AARoads Forum).
4. Interstate 465 (INDOT).
5. INDOT Awards Contracts For I-465 Project.
6. US-31 freeway completion in Michigan.

It was a dark and snowy night…

Don’t eat the orange snow. Distant municipal lights provide the mushroom-cloud effect. I took this picture by the side of US-45 in Michigan.

The US-41 bridge in Houghton, Michigan.

Oh, nothing to see here, just the last embossed cutout US shield in the wild. Both that and the M-203 date back to the 1930s, and have definitely been repainted several times.

The oldest shield in Wisconsin, complete with old-style CITY banner. This one, and one just like it further down the same road, date back to about 1958.

Sunrise on the third day, along US-51 in Wisconsin.

Somewhere over the midwest.

State-named shields in Minnesota are getting harder and harder to find.

Passing by the airport on our way out of town.

Wisconsin is not known for paying much attention to shield shape. This one is correctly identified as US-8, yet it appears in the triangle-and-rounded-rectangle state route outline. The “US” dates the sign to the 1970s.

Just several intersections away is this 1962-spec US-8 shield! Good old Barron County, which figures that if the sign was good enough for Kennedy, it’s good enough for you and me.

This is what a correct 1970s US-8 shield looks like.

This one? Not so much.

You guessed it – we’ve reached US-45.

Leave it to the moose to get it right.

The very last county road before the Michigan state line features this very old county route marker, made to a 1950s standard.

The very first reassurance marker features Michigan’s custom font.

We’re in nimrod country.

Snow-covered trees in the high beams.

Another view of the bridge in Houghton.

Grain elevator at sunrise.

Highway 41 heading into the sun.

Well, so much for getting drunk while getting clean.

An old embossed county marker still stands here.

Close-up of the old shield.

We’re back in Wisconsin now, and find this oddly-fonted assembly.

A somewhat older US-141 shield.

State-named I-43 shields float around, but aren’t all that easy to find. This assembly dates back to 1987.

I have no idea who is responsible for this one.

Here we go again mixing up state and US routes.

Somewhere just south of Green Bay.

This gantry is on the road coming off the US-10 ferry at Manitowoc.

Heading into sunset on US-10.

What’s hidden in that tree?

This classic shield is in Sheboygan.

Can’t all be winners.

Here is why we can’t find a state-named I-39 shield in Wisconsin: all the old trailblazers predate the number! Only I-90 trailblazers exist buried in towns.

What does Wisconsin seem to do a lot?

The other old US-14 shield.

Apparently, squirrels come in black outside of Washington, DC.

Squirrels, guide signs …

The state route shields with “WIS” date back to between 1962 and, officially 1982, though new ones still pop up on occasion.

Outline shield and inverse shield on the same gantry.

The only older style US-10 shield I found.

Two blocks over, we get this one.

The rustic route system follows everything from state highways down to goat paths.

One last state-named shield before the airport.

That’s all, folks!