Upper Peninsula East/West Interstate

[roadgeek]

The upper peninsula of Michigan is a beautiful place but a wide open vast area. I always wished there was an east/west interstate to make the trek across the UP much faster than 55 mph roads can take us. The interstate could connect with I-75 somewhere between M-28 and US-2. This could connect and END at the Marquette area. Then extend I-43 from Wisconsin north to Marquette. Yeah I know it is just a fanstasy but nonetheless fun to talk about. And what would this new UP interstate be numbered?

[Bryant5493]

I-7(UP)  (j/k, couldn't resist)


Be well,

Bryant

[DrZoidberg]

I've heard discussions about a freeway through the UP and northern Wisconsin before.  I think the most popular naming for it is the western I-98.  You could easily run it into Wisconsin via US 2 or US 8 and then terminate it at I-35 in either place.  Another pipe dream would be to extend I-39 north to meet it, and decommission US 51 north of Portage, WI.

[SSOWorld]

US-2 would be a more appropriate alignment IMO - takes it by Duluth/Superior.

Terminate I-39 near Ironwood, and bring the interstate along by Marquette (via M-28) and Have I-43 meet it there.

[DrZoidberg]

 The corridor for I-39 (US 51) is an expressway most of the way to it's junction with US 8 near Rhinelander, correct?  I thought one portion of it was a super-2 at one time, but that may have changed.  The point is, there is potential there for an I-39 northward expansion.

[SSOWorld]

You are correct.  It (US 51) is an expressway (with a freeway segment around Tomahawk) and is a super two north of that for about 6 miles.  They just installed passing lanes on the super two a year ago.  My feeling is that it won't be expanded any time soon.

I-39 ends at WIS 29 east in Wausau.

[Chris]

I don't think traffic volumes are high enough to justify a freeway up there. US 2 has mostly between 3,000 and 4,000 AADT outside towns.

Printscreen from traffic volumes:

[SSOWorld]

I don't think traffic volumes are high enough to justify a freeway up there. US 2 has mostly between 3,000 and 4,000 AADT outside towns.

Printscreen from traffic volumes:

That is true.  I also think there would be a lot of NIMBY backlash if one was proposed as well.

[Hellfighter]

The UP is so beautiful, and for the most part very quiet. An Interstate would ruin the peace up there. Instead, make I-98 to where US-10 is now.

[Stephane Dumas]

How about a super-2 or a sort of "greenway"/parkway like the Franconia Notch parkway in New Hampshire?

[Chris]

I think a couple of bypasses of a few towns is enough. Two lane roads are really not filled to capacity with 4,000 AADT. Maybe add a few passing lanes here and there.

[roadgeek]

I realize the traffic numbers don't warrant an interstate highway but nonetheless it's something I'd like to see at some point. 55mph is just too slow and makes for a longer travel time. People claim such a highway would take away the natural beauty, but the same thing was said I am sure when the interstate was first implemented in the LP. But there are still lots of scenic and beautiful areas in the LP still.

[Hellfighter]

I realize the traffic numbers don't warrant an interstate highway but nonetheless it's something I'd like to see at some point. 55mph is just too slow and makes for a longer travel time. People claim such a highway would take away the natural beauty, but the same thing was said I am sure when the interstate was first implemented in the LP. But there are still lots of scenic and beautiful areas in the LP still.

The Seney Stretch!?

[DrZoidberg]

Wouldn't WI 29 work well for an I-98 corridor?  A lot of it is already freeway, and then it could easily meet I-94 in Eau Claire to serve the MSP area.

[SSOWorld]

It could.  US 10 is also being expanded to give traffic from Eau Claire/MSP a more direct route to Appleton/Oshkosh

Tough call on whether either one of these could be interstates - but it definitely would be difficult.  You have many residences that have driveways connecting right to the highways and there are lots of school bus stops right on the expressway. AADTs range from 5000-9999 in the areas between Chippewa Falls & Wausau and Wausau & Green Bay with higher values in critical locations near the cities.  US 10 carries less traffic than that, with the highest concentration between Waupaca and Appleton.

WIS 29 Interchanges at Elk Mound (I-94) and Green Bay (US 41) are substandard for an Interstate at this time (the US 41 one is a diamond, with cross traffic immediately upon going west on WIS-29.  The area is extremely built up and the upcoming project to upgrade (which might be a SPUI under a "T" flyover to connect Dousman Street (WIS 29 obviously is the "T" flyover) in early 2011-2014. The I-94 interchange is a partial cloverleaf and no project is planned to upgrade it.

The Wausau interchanges are nearly complete.  The Westbound interchange has 3 of 4 ramps open. (access the fourth direction via surface roads) The Eastbound interchange is done - a far cry better than the stupid trumpet they had beforehand.

[Hellfighter]

Well, US 10 from I-75 to west of US-127 is up to interstate standard.

[Revive 755]

Have it be a NAFTA corridor and provide a way for trucks to get from I-35 near Duluth to Canada.

More realistic though would be upgrading US 2 with frequent  passing or climbing lanes, and somehow redesigning it so it could reasonably be posted at 65 if Michigan would change their speed limit laws to allow 65 on two lane roads.

[Hellfighter]

Speaking of NAFTA corridors, what about switching I-69 from old M-21/M-78 to US-127?

[Chris]

Makes sense. The remaining Lansing - Port Huron part could be numbered I-98.

[Zezug]

An interstate would be terrible up here, as someone pointed out, many of the areas people have their driveways go out to the highway. Also, the roads up here tend to be damn near empty unless you are right in a town, and unless its Marquette, it's barely any traffic. And many people do go 65-70 across alot of the road anyway. It would be nice if they could just raise the actual limit to 60 or 65.

[Alps]

I think an interstate across the Upper Peninsula would be a great idea because that area in Michigan is in big trouble economically. I graduated from White Pine High School at White Pine in Ontonagon County and that area is becoming a ghost town and noone seems to be going to the Porcupine Mts State Park anymore. I think an interstate from I-75 in Chippewa County to I-94 , near Fargo, ND  is needed. But the concern is the snowy winter season- how many more traffic accidents will there be and how much money is required for that stretch of road  to be  snow plowed 24/7 from October to April.

Completely wrong.  Interstates do not generate economic growth.  Yes, some happens along the corridors, but only if they link useful places to begin with.  Nothing useful up there.  Duluth to Sault Ste. Marie?  No way.  Not enough traffic to warrant a freeway by any means, either.  A complete waste of money.  West Virginia is finding out the hard way what happens when you try to just slap a freeway network on a state in the name of economic growth.

[un1]

Duluth to Ste Saint Marie, huh, now this is my kind of thread! I always thought that there should have been an interstate up there in the North.

I guess since I have the time I will try to design what a I-98 would look like up there using Google Maps. (I always thought that Houghton and Marquette should get an interstate, Marquette could get I-43 and Houghton could get I-39)

Edit: Here is what I think the route should be:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=115372954072197567399.0004665da87b5c126e2e9

[Stephane Dumas]

how about upgrading US-2 into a "2+1" road, here the Wikipedia link about it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2%2B1_road
or as a pittoresque divided highway like the Paris pike(US-27) in Kentucky between Lexington and Paris?
http://www.americanbyways.com/index.php?catid=16

[Zezug]

Nice job with the highway layout un1, destroying our big box stores and fast food joints here in Houghton,X(, I do wish we could have higher speedlimits here at least, 55 is too slow

[un1]

Zezug, you think I could notice? Also if it wasn't for you I would have bypassed the city completely.