Michigan Notes

[Stephane Dumas]

Nice that would be cool if they could keep the 375 and just put caps over it. It would sort of be something similar to the big dig in Boston except they wouldn't have to dig it. It's already there and they might as well get rid of the existing grade portion and convert it to a freeway. Put a cap over it. It'll achieve the same thing and perhaps even better than trying to have a large boulevard move a lot of traffic.

Yeah and as I mentioned in an other post on the forum, it's too bad they didn't thought of a similar concept for I-94 between M-10/Lodge Freeway and I-75/Chrysler Freeway.

[afguy]

MDOT has released their draft 2027-2031 5-year plan. The main highlights for me are that the I-75/8 Mile interchange reconfiguration project will be getting underway in 2031, the I-94 flex lane project on the south side of Ann Arbor between Ann Arbor-Saline Rd and U.S. 23 will start in 2030. This project will include replacement of the Stone School bridge over I-94 and interchange improvements to the State St interchange. The final project that caught my eye was the reconstruction of I-196 between the Grand River and Lane Ave in Grand Rapids which will start in 2031 and 2032.
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/-/media/Project/Websites/MDOT/Programs/Planning/Five-Year-Transportation-Program/2027-2031-5YTP.pdf?rev=9467d70f698a4c4d8790ac8d346875e9

[JREwing78]

The Facebook commentary on that 5 year plan showed a surprising number of folks asking for road widening projects; one guy even identified US-2 between Rapid River and St. Ignace as needing 4-laning.

Not that MDOT is even remotely close to expansion mode, but apparently folks are still driving despite economic turbulence.
 

[The Ghostbuster]

It's hard to believe that US 2 was once proposed to be a four-lane freeway from Escanaba to St. Ignace: https://michiganhighways.org/listings/US-002.html. Interstate 98 anyone?

[JREwing78]

It's hard to believe that US 2 was once proposed to be a four-lane freeway from Escanaba to St. Ignace: https://michiganhighways.org/listings/US-002.html. Interstate 98 anyone?

It averages more traffic than I-75 north of St. Ignace. A majority of the U.P.'s population lies within a few miles of US-2, and it carries its fair share of both commuter and recreational traffic. I could certainly see highway planners in the 1960s envisioning US-2 traffic loads continuing to rise as roads south of the Mackinac Bridge improved. 

Indeed, the freeway US-27 (now US-127) made it possible for folks like my uncle to move his family to Gaylord while working in Lansing during the week. The number of "super-commuters" who drive over 100 miles from "up north" downstate for work is rather astonishing. I left Lansing one weekday morning at 4am and was genuinely astonished at the southbound traffic levels on US-127, while northbound was almost completely empty all the way to the Mackinac Bridge.

[Flint1979]

Nice that would be cool if they could keep the 375 and just put caps over it. It would sort of be something similar to the big dig in Boston except they wouldn't have to dig it. It's already there and they might as well get rid of the existing grade portion and convert it to a freeway. Put a cap over it. It'll achieve the same thing and perhaps even better than trying to have a large boulevard move a lot of traffic.

Yeah and as I mentioned in an other post on the forum, it's too bad they didn't thought of a similar concept for I-94 between M-10/Lodge Freeway and I-75/Chrysler Freeway.

Yeah that should be in a tunnel too. New Center and Midtown should be connected too.

[Flint1979]

About a quarter of the U.P.'s population lives in Marquette County.

[JREwing78]

About a quarter of the U.P.'s population lives in Marquette County.

I re-did the math, and "majority" is probably the wrong word to make my point. "Plurality" is a better descriptor. US-2 certainly travels through more population centers than any other U.P. route, and already gets pretty heavy use for a (mostly) 2-lane roadway.

M-28 basically runs through the middle of nowhere except for Marquette and Alger Counties, and by the time one reaches Newberry heading east, most of the traffic it had coming from Marquette has bailed for US-2. That traffic on M-28 would drop further if some of the 20 minute difference between Marquette and St. Ignace could be made up by a rerouted US-2. 

US-41 weaves through its share of "larger" towns, but US-141 is a more direct route to Green Bay and points south for the Keweenaw folks. Sault Ste. Marie and thereabouts have I-75 to connect to larger population centers. 

The point I'm trying to articulate is that US-2 would be the  road one would choose to 4-lane across the U.P. (at least the part east of Iron Mountain). It's the main route anyone west of I-75 would need to take to connect to downstate. It's better positioned to keep open to traffic in bad winter weather (Lake Superior outperforms Lake Michigan in lake effect) and in relatively unchallenging terrain.

[Flint1979]

About a quarter of the U.P.'s population lives in Marquette County.

I re-did the math, and "majority" is probably the wrong word to make my point. "Plurality" is a better descriptor. US-2 certainly travels through more population centers than any other U.P. route, and already gets pretty heavy use for a (mostly) 2-lane roadway.

M-28 basically runs through the middle of nowhere except for Marquette and Alger Counties, and by the time one reaches Newberry heading east, most of the traffic it had coming from Marquette has bailed for US-2. That traffic on M-28 would drop further if some of the 20 minute difference between Marquette and St. Ignace could be made up by a rerouted US-2.

US-41 weaves through its share of "larger" towns, but US-141 is a more direct route to Green Bay and points south for the Keweenaw folks. Sault Ste. Marie and thereabouts have I-75 to connect to larger population centers.

The point I'm trying to articulate is that US-2 would be the  road one would choose to 4-lane across the U.P. (at least the part east of Iron Mountain). It's the main route anyone west of I-75 would need to take to connect to downstate. It's better positioned to keep open to traffic in bad winter weather (Lake Superior outperforms Lake Michigan in lake effect) and in relatively unchallenging terrain.

I remember about 5 years ago my parents were up in Mackinaw City and I drove up there to spend the night. The next day we went into the U.P. and I think hung around St. Ignace for a little bit eating at Clyde's and then moving on. Well they were headed up to Munising and my dad starts out going toward Sault Ste. Marie on I-75, I called him up and said where are you going? Because I was behind him and he told me he was going up to M-28 and then going to cut over, I said do you realize how far out of the way you are going to do that going to Munising? I told him to turn around and follow me. I said when you cross the bridge and want to head west you get on US-2 not taking I-75 to M-28. I told him we'll be on US-2 for about 65 miles then we'll take M-77 up to the Seney Stretch.

According to Google Maps, the route he was about to take only adds on a half hour  and 36 miles I thought it would be longer. But my whole point here is that east of Newberry if you aren't heading to Sault Ste. Marie M-28 is useless at that point.