Business routes of Interstate 69
Encyclopedia
Coldwater, Michigan
Business Loop I-69, or BL I-69, is a route formed from part of the old US 27U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
route near and through Coldwater
Coldwater, Michigan
Coldwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County....
and from part of US 12
U.S. Route 12
U.S. Route 12 or US 12 is an east–west United States highway, running from Grays Harbor on the Pacific Ocean, in the state of Washington, to downtown Detroit, for almost . As a thoroughfare, it has mostly been supplanted by I-90 and I-94, but remains an important road for local travel.The...
through Coldwater. Starting at the southern end, it begins at Exit 10 of I-69
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas...
, which is where Fenn Rd. crosses the Interstate. It follows Fenn Rd. west for less than a mile, then curves north to merge with old US 27, also known as Angola Road. After approximately two miles, the city limit is reached at Garfield Road, where Angola Road changes to Clay Street. After another half mile, a fork is reached where Clay Street continues due north and Division Street branches to the right; BL I-69 and old US 27 follow the branch to the right. Finally, after almost another mile, the route reaches the main intersection in the city known locally as "The Four Corners." This is where old US 27 intersects US 12, also known as Chicago Street. The last stretch of BL I-69 is shared with US 12 and continues from the Four Corners back to I-69 at Exit 13. The total length of the route is 5.06 miles (8.14 km) , with approximately half of the route within the city limits and the other half in Coldwater Township
Coldwater Township, Branch County, Michigan
Coldwater Township is a civil township of Branch County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,678 at the 2000 census.The city of Coldwater is at the center of the township, though it is administratively autonomous. However, the Coldwater urban area extends well into the surrounding...
.
The purpose of the Coldwater business loop for I-69 is to provide a convenient way for travelers to find local businesses while passing through Coldwater. Although businesses can be found all along the route, the vast majority of businesses of interest to travelers are clustered near Exit 13 on the northern terminus of the loop. These businesses include gas stations; fast food chains such as McDonald's, Arby's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, and KFC; and, just to the east of Exit 13 (and technically beyond BL I-69), big "box" stores such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Meijer. The southern end of BL I-69 is still rural and underdeveloped, but in this stretch BL I-69 serves as a "short-cut" to Downtown Coldwater and to westbound US 12 and state highway M-86
M-86 (Michigan highway)
M-86 is a east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan in the southern portion of the Lower Peninsula. The highway starts at Business US Highway 131 and M-60 in Three Rivers and ends at US Highway 12 near Coldwater. In between, it crosses farm country and runs along a section of...
.
Charlotte, Michigan
Business Loop I-69 is a route that took over the Business US 27U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
route inside of Charlotte
Charlotte, Michigan
Charlotte is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,074. It is the county seat of Eaton County....
. It is a surface street for the nearly 5 miles (8 km) miles of the route. The route starts just outside of the city of Charlotte at Exit 57 which is known as Cochran Rd. It travels due north for about 2.5 miles (4 km) where it begins a short 0.7 miles (1.1 km) mile concurency with M-50
M-50 (Michigan highway)
M-50 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. Although designated as an east–west highway, it is nearly a diagonal northwest-southeast route...
. At that intersection begins or ends M-79
M-79 (Michigan highway)
M-79 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the central portion of Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The western terminus is about three miles southeast of Hastings at the junction with M-37 and the eastern terminus is in downtown Charlotte at the junction with M-50 and...
with that going west. M-50 continues north and the business loop heads east on Lawrence Ave for a very short time. From that point it veers northeast into Lansing St and then completes its loop at exit 61.
The route was first designated Business US 27 after the 1961 completion of a non-freeway bypass, a two-lane highway with limited access, on the east of the city. At that point I-69
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas...
was still in the southern parts of Michigan and was not carried up to the city. By 1970, I-69 was completed to Charlotte and at the time US 27 was cosigned with I-69, the bypass being incorporated into I-69. For four years the business loop in Charlotte was not signed as BL I-69, but it was so designated in 1974 and BUS US-27 was decommissioned in and near Charlotte.
Lansing, Michigan
Business Loop I-69, or BL I-69, is a business loop route in LansingLansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
area. Beginning at I-96
Interstate 96
Interstate 96 is an intrastate Interstate Highway that is entirely within the US state of Michigan. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 and Business US Highway 31 , on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the...
/I-69
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas...
at Exit 93 west of the city, it runs easterly along Saginaw Hwy and Saginaw St concurrently with M-43
M-43 (Michigan highway)
M-43 is a state trunkline highway in southwestern and central parts of the US state of Michigan. The highway runs from South Haven to Webberville along an indirect path through both rural areas and larger cities...
. Within Lansing, BL I-69 utilizes a one-way pair of streets: Saginaw St eastbound and Oakland St westbound. Near its junction with US 127
U.S. Route 127
U.S. Route 127 is a long north–south United States highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 near Grayling, Michigan...
, M-43 departs to the southeast via Grand River Ave while BL I-69 turns northeasterly via Saginaw St until it terminates back at I-69 at Exit 94 in Clinton County
Clinton County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 64,753 people, 23,653 households, and 17,976 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 24,630 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
northeast of E. Lansing
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
.
The route was first designated in 1987 after the completion of the northern freeway loop of I-69
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas...
around Lansing. It is the longest business route in the state of Michigan at a length of over 14 miles (22.5 km). The portion of BL I-69 from BL I-96 in Lansing easterly was originally part of M-78
M-78 (Michigan highway)
M-78 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The western terminus is the intersection with M-66 north of Battle Creek in Pennfield Township. The roadway runs through rural farmland and the community of Bellevue as it approaches its eastern terminus at an interchange with...
.
Port Huron, Michigan
Business Loop I-69 is a loop route running through downtown Port HuronPort Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
, Michigan. The first mile of BL I-69 is freeway but upon intersecting 32nd St it turns into a one-way pair of surface street: eastbound along Oak St, westbound along Griswold St. In downtown Port Huron, BL I-69 turns northerly running concurrently with BL I-94 via Main St, Huron Ave and Pine Grove Ave. BL I-69 terminates at I-94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
/I-69
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas...
at the western end of the Blue Water Bridge
Blue Water Bridge
The Blue Water Bridge is a twin-span international bridge across the St. Clair River that links Port Huron, Michigan, USA and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada...
.
External links
- Coldwater Downtown Development Authority - Information on Downtown Coldwater
- MyColdwater.com - Directory of all Coldwater businesses, maps, and photo tour