Michigan Notes

[bulldog1979]

This has probably been brought up before, but does anyone know why they didn't keep the Muskegon freeway I-196 and the Holland freeway I-96? I think it used to be like this, and it seems to make more sense.

In 1963, just before the numbering was changed, if a driver was following the freeway routing that connected Muskegon to Detroit, he would be on I-196/US 16 between Norton Shores and a point east of downtown Grand Rapids. At that point, the designation switched to I-96/US 16. The routing of what is now I-196 that would have carried I-96 through downtown and toward Holland hadn't been built yet; in fact, none of the rest of I-96's planned routing toward Benton Harbor had been built except for a segment of the US 31 freeway north of I-94 to Lake Michigan Beach. So the location of where the original I-196 just ended was seemingly quite random at that time, even if it would make sense within a few years as segments of freeway along the M-21 and US 31 corridors continued to open.

Michigan State Highway Department (1963). Official Highway Map

[Flint1979]

I believe it was to ease confusion. The Muskegon-Detroit route was M-16, then US-16 so keeping the same continuous number for the Muskegon-Detroit route makes sense.

[Terry Shea]

I-196 really should be I-296, shouldn't it.

M-6 should be I-296.

[jzn110]

I-196 really should be I-296, shouldn't it.

M-6 should be I-296.

Well there is an I-296 that exists on paper but it's unsigned.

The stretch of US-131 from 96 to 196 is *also* designated as I-296. The signs were removed in the '80s to eliminate redundancy, but it's still designated as 296 on paper.

[dvferyance]

I-196 really should be I-296, shouldn't it.

M-6 should be I-296.

Or at least I-896.

[Flint1979]

The expressways in the Grand Rapids area are fine the way they are. People that know the Grand Rapids area are already familiar with them.

[Brandon]

I-196 really should be I-296, shouldn't it.

M-6 should be I-296.

Or at least I-896.

Not everything needs a freaking I-number.

[The Ghostbuster]

Tell that to Texas and North Carolina!

[MNHighwayMan]

Not everything needs a freaking I-number.

[Flint1979]

My point is that we don't need them changing the highway numbers just to make it an Interstate. M-6 is just fine for the South Beltline.

[adwerkema]

My point is that we don't need them changing the highway numbers just to make it an Interstate. M-6 is just fine for the South Beltline.

I agree. If M-6 was signed as an interstate when it was made, I would be for it. However, since the public knows the highway as M-6, it should stay that way.

[Flint1979]

My point is that we don't need them changing the highway numbers just to make it an Interstate. M-6 is just fine for the South Beltline.

I agree. If M-6 was signed as an interstate when it was made, I would be for it. However, since the public knows the highway as M-6, it should stay that way.

The problem I'd have is someone gets to know a route by either a name or a number so you want to confuse people by changing names? That's the way I look at it.

[abefroman329]

I-196 should really be an even-numbered 3DI, shouldn't it.

[Flint1979]

I-196 should really be an even-numbered 3DI, shouldn't it.

It probably should but it's really not a bypass or beltway of anything. I just question what is it a spur route to? Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Chicago? If anything it should be something I-x94 since it seems like it's more of a spur route to Grand Rapids from I-94.

Another thing with I-196 is it's almost half the length of it's parent. I-96 is 192 miles long, I-196 is 80 miles long. I've heard of making I-196 into I-67 but I doubt that'll ever happen.

[abefroman329]

It probably should but it's really not a bypass or beltway of anything.

But it connects two interstates.

[Flint1979]

It probably should but it's really not a bypass or beltway of anything.

But it connects two interstates.

It's not the only odd numbered 3-di that connects to two Interstate's. The rule on this is set by the state, another case of this happening in Michigan but having an even numbered 3-di is both I-275 and I-696 but I-275 was originally planned to connected back to I-75 near Davisburg and I-696 is part of the beltway around Detroit. Detroit could never have a full beltway due to Canada being in the way but both I-69 between Marshall and Port Huron and US-23 between Flint and Toledo function as a bypass of Detroit.

[NWI_Irish96]

I've heard of making I-196 into I-67 but I doubt that'll ever happen.

That really depends on:

1) Michigan fixing the US 31 freeway gap near St. Joseph
2) Indiana converting the rest of US 31 between Plymouth and Carmel to freeway

If both of those things happen, then it makes sense to renumber I-196 as I-67 and then continue I-67 along US 31 to Indy.

[abefroman329]

It's not the only odd numbered 3-di that connects to two Interstate's.

Right; I-355 should be even-numbered as well.

[Flint1979]

It's not the only odd numbered 3-di that connects to two Interstate's.

Right; I-355 should be even-numbered as well.

It depends on how the state treats it as.

[SEWIGuy]

I thought the rule was that even numbered 3dis connected back to the same interstate - not just any interstate.  That way you could be assured that you would eventually get back to the same mainline interstate.  Regardless I realize that this rule is hardly universal.

[NWI_Irish96]

I thought the rule was that even numbered 3dis connected back to the same interstate - not just any interstate.  That way you could be assured that you would eventually get back to the same mainline interstate.  Regardless I realize that this rule is hardly universal.

Even-numbered 3di are loops/bypasses that connect back to the parent.  Odd-numbered 3di are spurs that go into an urban area from a parent.  Interstates like 196 and 355 that connect two different 2di don't really fit either category.  More often than not, they get odd numbers.

[abefroman329]

Odd-numbered 3DI don't have to go into an urban area, they just don't connect to a 3DI or 2DI.  I-575 and I-985 in GA, for example, don't go to urban areas and they don't connect to a 3DI or 2DI.

355 connects a 2DI with a 3DI.

[paulthemapguy]

I thought the rule was that even numbered 3dis connected back to the same interstate - not just any interstate.  That way you could be assured that you would eventually get back to the same mainline interstate.  Regardless I realize that this rule is hardly universal.

I-280 in Ohio would be a good example of this.  Then again, not all 3di's starting with an even digit are numbered consistently with the "rule."  In any case, if it starts with an even number, it is meant to go around or through something, as an alternative alignment to something that could be accomplished by 2di's.  If it starts with an odd number, it's a spur route to something.  That's the intent, anyway.

I like the idea of an I-67 along I-196 and US31 to Indianapolis.  Then it might be time to make M-6 into I-267 or something like that.  No big deal if that doesn't happen though.  I-196 should absolutely start with an odd digit, though.  It would only get an even first digit if it were meant as an alternate to an existing Interstate route from Benton Harbor, which...I'm pretty sure no one is considering I-96 east to I-94 west as a feasible route from Grand Rapids to Benton Harbor.

Think about it this way:  The difference between I-1xx and I-2xx is the same as the difference between a "business spur" and a "business loop", regarding the green Interstate business route thingies.

[JREwing78]

I like the idea of an I-67 along I-196 and US31 to Indianapolis.

I honestly have no idea why that wasn't included in the original Interstate highway build plans. Certainly Grand Rapids and South Bend are sizable enough cities to connect, and Indiana thought enough of the South Bend - Indianapolis connection to 4-lane it.

[NWI_Irish96]

I like the idea of an I-67 along I-196 and US31 to Indianapolis.

I honestly have no idea why that wasn't included in the original Interstate highway build plans. Certainly Grand Rapids and South Bend are sizable enough cities to connect, and Indiana thought enough of the South Bend - Indianapolis connection to 4-lane it.

It's been a while since I've looked at the original plan but I believe that what is now US 131 between I-80/90 and I-96 was supposed to be I-67.