Why not an I-296 or I-496

[roadman65]

I mean, I-96 is a short one state interstate with two children. It's got a I-196, but then goes to its one and only even designation is not starting with "2."  Not even "4."  It has the first and only number even is "6."

It doesn't bother me like some people get upset over a duplicate I-87 and the hated I-99, but seems odd that 696 was chosen.

[silverback1065]

I believe 296 exists as a secret designation. Or it did exist and doesn't anymore.

[hockeyjohn]

I mean, I-96 is a short one state interstate with two children. It's got a I-196, but then goes to its one and only even designation is not starting with "2."  Not even "4."  It has the first and only number even is "6."

It doesn't bother me like some people get upset over a duplicate I-87 and the hated I-99, but seems odd that 696 was chosen.

Both exist.  I-296 is an approved but hidden designation along US-131 in Grand Rapids and I-496 is signed in Lansing.

[SkyPesos]

I-496 exists and is signed in Lansing
I-296 also exists as a part of US 131 between I-96 and I-196, though it's unsigned.

[triplemultiplex]

Two answer the broader point, the 3di numbering scheme for I-96's child routes follows the recommendation of FHWA at the time where the first digit for auxiliary interstates increases west to east and south to north.  Not every state followed this recommendation and there's no rule stating they have to, but it is the reason metro Detroit would have probably wound up with I-696 regardless of what was going on in Grand Rapids and Lansing.  It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

This guidance is on full displace in New York with I-90 children increasing from 190 in Buffalo to 890 in Schenectady.  (990 came a little later so that's why it's the one outlier.)

[SkyPesos]

It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

I thought Milwaukee have I-794 and 894 because Chicago took everything before it (494 and 694 got cancelled (one of them was for a LSD interstate), 194 is now the lone I-90 portion of the Kennedy, and 594 is current I-190), and to avoid confusion in numbers with Chicago.

[silverback1065]

It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

I thought Milwaukee have I-794 and 894 because Chicago took everything before it (494 and 694 got cancelled (one of them was for a LSD interstate), 194 is now the lone I-90 portion of the Kennedy, and 594 is current I-190), and to avoid confusion in numbers with Chicago.

Different states so that wouldn't apply.

[Henry]

In fact, the only unused even 3di left is I-896. But I don't see a need for it anywhere.

It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

I thought Milwaukee have I-794 and 894 because Chicago took everything before it (494 and 694 got cancelled (one of them was for a LSD interstate), 194 is now the lone I-90 portion of the Kennedy, and 594 is current I-190), and to avoid confusion in numbers with Chicago.

Different states so that wouldn't apply.

Both I-494 and I-694 were to be used for the never-built LSD freeway. I-494 came first, but then the also never-built Crosstown Expressway came along and took that number, so LSD got I-694 instead. Let's not forget that I-294 is the Tri-State Tollway's middle part, and IL 394 exists in the south suburbs. Even though Chicago and Milwaukee are in neighboring states, the scheme works so that each city has one unique designation for all of its I-x94s.

[Flint1979]

There already is an I-296 and I-496. Most people wouldn't know about I-296 which is unsigned in Grand Rapids but I-496 is a pretty well known highway in the Lansing area. I-96 has 4 child routes.

[Flint1979]

In fact, the only unused even 3di left is I-896. But I don't see a need for it anywhere.

It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

I thought Milwaukee have I-794 and 894 because Chicago took everything before it (494 and 694 got cancelled (one of them was for a LSD interstate), 194 is now the lone I-90 portion of the Kennedy, and 594 is current I-190), and to avoid confusion in numbers with Chicago.

Different states so that wouldn't apply.

Both I-494 and I-694 were to be used for the never-built LSD freeway. I-494 came first, but then the also never-built Crosstown Expressway came along and took that number, so LSD got I-694 instead. Let's not forget that I-294 is the Tri-State Tollway's middle part, and IL 394 exists in the south suburbs. Even though Chicago and Milwaukee are in neighboring states, the scheme works so that each city has one unique designation for all of its I-x94s.

I agree. In all honesty Michigan really doesn't need any more Interstate highways.

[Flint1979]

Two answer the broader point, the 3di numbering scheme for I-96's child routes follows the recommendation of FHWA at the time where the first digit for auxiliary interstates increases west to east and south to north.  Not every state followed this recommendation and there's no rule stating they have to, but it is the reason metro Detroit would have probably wound up with I-696 regardless of what was going on in Grand Rapids and Lansing.  It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

This guidance is on full displace in New York with I-90 children increasing from 190 in Buffalo to 890 in Schenectady.  (990 came a little later so that's why it's the one outlier.)

This would probably be the exact reason. I-69 doesn't have any child routes in Michigan, I-94 just has one, I-75 has 4 and I-96 has 4. Both I-75 and I-96 do have them in that order that you mentioned. I-275, then 375, then 475, then 675 and I-96 the only other Interstate with multiple child routes in the state follows the same pattern. It actually makes sense to use them in that order. I honestly never really realized that before either.

[silverback1065]

In fact, the only unused even 3di left is I-896. But I don't see a need for it anywhere.

It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

I thought Milwaukee have I-794 and 894 because Chicago took everything before it (494 and 694 got cancelled (one of them was for a LSD interstate), 194 is now the lone I-90 portion of the Kennedy, and 594 is current I-190), and to avoid confusion in numbers with Chicago.

Different states so that wouldn't apply.

Both I-494 and I-694 were to be used for the never-built LSD freeway. I-494 came first, but then the also never-built Crosstown Expressway came along and took that number, so LSD got I-694 instead. Let's not forget that I-294 is the Tri-State Tollway's middle part, and IL 394 exists in the south suburbs. Even though Chicago and Milwaukee are in neighboring states, the scheme works so that each city has one unique designation for all of its I-x94s.

I agree. In all honesty Michigan really doesn't need any more Interstate highways.

i would say they need to fill in their gaps that's it.

[Ryctor2018]

http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/I-296.html. There's some debate if I-296 was signed when the freeway was constructed. If it was, the signage only lasted a few years then was removed. But, it still exist (on paper).

[Flint1979]

I-94's child route is really kind of pointless since the entire highway is concurrent with M-66 which is a long north-south state highway in the Lower Peninsula.

If they are going to sign that one than they should sign I-296 as well. I-196 acts more as an even numbered 3di rather than an odd numbered one, just make all of I-196 into I-296 and remove the part on US-131. I guess it's worth keeping in mind too that I-196 was originally supposed to go to Muskegon and I-96 was supposed to run on I-196's current routing back to I-94 in Benton Harbor.

[mukade]

http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/I-296.html. There's some debate if I-296 was signed when the freeway was constructed. If it was, the signage only lasted a few years then was removed. But, it still exist (on paper).

I-296 was definitely signed - I remember it from the late '60s and thru the '70s.

Here is a Fox 17 news report about I-296 from 2019.

[SkyPesos]

It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

I thought Milwaukee have I-794 and 894 because Chicago took everything before it (494 and 694 got cancelled (one of them was for a LSD interstate), 194 is now the lone I-90 portion of the Kennedy, and 594 is current I-190), and to avoid confusion in numbers with Chicago.

Different states so that wouldn't apply.

Yes, but in theory, it would be nice to not duplicate 3di numbers used in a nearby city in another state on a route. Another example is Charlotte using 485 for their beltway instead of 285 (not used in NC back then) to avoid unnecessary duplication with Atlanta's beltway. This seemed like the case between Milwaukee and Chicago too.

[Flint1979]

It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

I thought Milwaukee have I-794 and 894 because Chicago took everything before it (494 and 694 got cancelled (one of them was for a LSD interstate), 194 is now the lone I-90 portion of the Kennedy, and 594 is current I-190), and to avoid confusion in numbers with Chicago.

Different states so that wouldn't apply.

I can see his point. He's probably thinking that they'll be too close to each other which would cause confusion and I agree it would. I even think you could be in like Ann Arbor and say I-475 and people would think of the one in Toledo before the one in Flint as the one in Flint wouldn't even really be on anyone's route coming from like Ann Arbor except for maybe if you were going to Mount Morris.

[Brandon]

Because I-196 and I-96 were swapped in the 1960s.  I-196 used to go to Muskegon.

[ran4sh]

It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

I thought Milwaukee have I-794 and 894 because Chicago took everything before it (494 and 694 got cancelled (one of them was for a LSD interstate), 194 is now the lone I-90 portion of the Kennedy, and 594 is current I-190), and to avoid confusion in numbers with Chicago.

Different states so that wouldn't apply.

Yes, but in theory, it would be nice to not duplicate 3di numbers used in a nearby city in another state on a route. Another example is Charlotte using 485 for their beltway instead of 285 (not used in NC back then) to avoid unnecessary duplication with Atlanta's beltway. This seemed like the case between Milwaukee and Chicago too.

If that were the reason for NC using 485 instead of 285, then they would have continued to avoid using 285 (but they didn't). Charlotte and the Piedmont Triad are both far enough away from Atlanta, as well as in different media markets than Atlanta (so no ambiguity on TV/radio traffic reports)

[Flint1979]

It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

I thought Milwaukee have I-794 and 894 because Chicago took everything before it (494 and 694 got cancelled (one of them was for a LSD interstate), 194 is now the lone I-90 portion of the Kennedy, and 594 is current I-190), and to avoid confusion in numbers with Chicago.

Different states so that wouldn't apply.

Yes, but in theory, it would be nice to not duplicate 3di numbers used in a nearby city in another state on a route. Another example is Charlotte using 485 for their beltway instead of 285 (not used in NC back then) to avoid unnecessary duplication with Atlanta's beltway. This seemed like the case between Milwaukee and Chicago too.

If that were the reason for NC using 485 instead of 285, then they would have continued to avoid using 285 (but they didn't). Charlotte and the Piedmont Triad are both far enough away from Atlanta, as well as in different media markets than Atlanta (so no ambiguity on TV/radio traffic reports)

Atlanta and Charlotte are about 250 miles from each other. Someone halfway in between is 125 miles from each one so using I-285 in Charlotte would confuse people with Atlanta's I-285. Like people around Greenville and Anderson. The I-285 in North Carolina is about 300 miles away from Atlanta's I-285.

[23skidoo]

Two answer the broader point, the 3di numbering scheme for I-96's child routes follows the recommendation of FHWA at the time where the first digit for auxiliary interstates increases west to east and south to north.  Not every state followed this recommendation and there's no rule stating they have to, but it is the reason metro Detroit would have probably wound up with I-696 regardless of what was going on in Grand Rapids and Lansing.  It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

So this got me thinking: where could I-396 and I-596 (or even I-796) be, if they were used? My guess is that I-396 could be used for M-6. I-596 could be used in Livingston County if ever a freeway were needed there. The only plausible use for I-796 that I can think of might be the Davison, if it got connected to I-96 somehow.

[SkyPesos]

Two answer the broader point, the 3di numbering scheme for I-96's child routes follows the recommendation of FHWA at the time where the first digit for auxiliary interstates increases west to east and south to north.  Not every state followed this recommendation and there's no rule stating they have to, but it is the reason metro Detroit would have probably wound up with I-696 regardless of what was going on in Grand Rapids and Lansing.  It's the same reason Milwaukee has I-794 and I-894.

So this got me thinking: where could I-396 and I-596 (or even I-796) be, if they were used? My guess is that I-396 could be used for M-6. I-596 could be used in Livingston County if ever a freeway were needed there. The only plausible use for I-796 that I can think of might be the Davison, if it got connected to I-96 somehow.

There's a few threads in the fictional section on using the remaining 3di numbers of a 2di.

[Terry Shea]

I-296 was signed until 1980.  It still exists but is an unsigned route which is part of US-131.
http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/I-296.html
I-496 runs through the heart of Lansing.
http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/MichHwys250-696.html

[Terry Shea]

There was a lot of speculation before M-6 was completed that the unsigned I-296 designation would be removed from US-131 and given to M-6, which would make perfect sense since it does indeed connect I-196 TO 96.  But MDOT quickly squelched this by basically saying that the people in Michigan were too stupid to deal with another x-96 and would become confused and never get to where they're trying to go.  I find that quite laughable since the Lansing area has 2 interchanges and a multiplex between I-96 and I-69, along with both a BUS 96 and a BUS 69, and to the best of my knowledge there have been no cases of dyslexic sex maniacs getting lost in the moment!

[Ryctor2018]

There was a lot of speculation before M-6 was completed that the unsigned I-296 designation would be removed from US-131 and given to M-6, which would make perfect sense since it does indeed connect I-196 TO 96.  But MDOT quickly squelched this by basically saying that the people in Michigan were too stupid to deal with another x-96 and would become confused and never get to where they're trying to go.  I find that quite laughable since the Lansing area has 2 interchanges and a multiplex between I-96 and I-69, along with both a BUS 96 and a BUS 69, and to the best of my knowledge there have been no cases of dyslexic sex maniacs getting lost in the moment!

Michigan is not like my state of Illinois or North Carolina, where any limited access route more than 2 miles long is an interstate. Michigan is more like Ohio or Wisconsin. Freeways can be U.S. Routes or even state routes. People want to go where they need to. The type of route does not matter. If Michigan were North Carolina, then all of US-131 would be an interstate. Then, US-31, US-127, M-14, and a bunch of other routes I do not feel like listing. Heck, if Michigan were Illinois, US-131 would have been rammed all the way to Mackinac Island as a 2di (probably I-67) before naming it I-296!