Grand River Avenue
Encyclopedia
US Highway 16 also called Grand River Avenue for much of its length, is one of the principal pre-Interstate roads in the state of Michigan
. Before the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the highway had been designated M-16. The modern road cuts across the Lower Peninsula
in a northwest–southeast fashion from Grand Rapids
to Detroit. Before the late 1950s and early 1960s, US 16 followed other roads between Muskegon
and Grand Rapids, and then Grand River Avenue through Lansing
to Detroit. With the coming of the Interstate Highway System
, US 16 was shifted from the older roads to the new freeways. When the gap in the freeway was filled in around Lansing, the US 16 designation was decommissioned
in the state. The freeway was then designated only Interstate 96
(I-96) or I-196
.
The original pathway along the Grand River Avenue corridor was an Indian
trail. This trail was used by the first European settlers to the area now known as Michigan in 1701. Later this trail was expanded into a plank road
that formed the basis for one of the first state trunkline highways
as M-16. Current segments of the roadway are still part of the state highway system as sections of M-43
or business loops off I-96
. The portion of Grand River Avenue in Detroit between I-96 and the intersection with Cass Avenue and Middle Street in downtown Detroit is an unsigned state trunkline, sometimes referred to as Old Business Spur I-96 (OLD BS I-96). In Detroit, Grand River is one of five major avenues (along with Woodward
, Michigan, Gratiot, and Jefferson
) planned by Judge Augustus Woodward in 1805 that extend from downtown Detroit in differing directions. Grand River Avenue extends northwesterly from the city's downtown.
carferry docks in Muskegon. The ferry extended across Lake Michigan
, connecting Muskegon to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, where US 16 continued to the west. From the docks, US 16 and M-46
traveled concurrently
south and then east through downtown Muskegon. At Peck Street, US 16 turned south along Business US 31 (BUS US 31). These two highways ran concurrently out of town to the south through Muskegon Heights
to Norton Shores
. Here, the business loop ended at US 31
, and US 16 joined the I-196
freeway headed east. (Later, the I-96 and I-196 designations west of Grand Rapids would be flipped, but at the time leading up to US 16's decommissioning in the state of Michigan, this had not yet been approved.) The I-196/US 16 freeway traveled southeast of Norton Shores through woodlands in rural Muskegon County
parallel to the former US 16 routing through Fruitport
to Nunica in Ottawa County
. The freeway turned more directly east in Nunica past the eastern terminus of M-104
, and continued east through more mixed forest and grassland terrain to serve the communities of Coopersville
and Marne
.
As the freeway approached Kent County
, it met the western terminus of M-11
which was the former routing of US 16 through the Grand Rapids metropolitan area
. I-196/US 16 continued eastward around the north side of the metro area through the suburbs of Walker
and Comstock Park
. The freeway intersected the contemporaneous routing of US 131
along the East Beltline and curved south through the eastern edge of Grand Rapids
to meet the then-current end of I-96 east of downtown. There I-196 ended and US 16 was transferred to the I-96 freeway. I-96/US 16 continued southward intersecting Cascade Road, which was previously US 16. Cascade Road east of this interchange meets the westernmost part of Grand River Avenue, which carried US 16 east all the way to Downtown Detroit. Grand River Avenue ends at Cascade Road, but the historic routing carried it through Ada and Plainfield Township
along the Grand River
. The western end is at East Beltline, short of its westernmost extent in Grand Rapids.
M-50
also joined the freeway at Cascade Road headed east, and together I-96/US 16/M-50 continued through eastern Kent County. M-50 departed to the south near Lowell
, and the freeway crossed into southern Ionia County
. Passing south of Portland
, the freeway crossed east into Clinton County
. North of Grand Ledge
, I-96 ended and US 16 followed Wright Road off the freeway to Grand River Avenue. From here east, US 16 resumed its historic routing into the city of Lansing. Grand River Avenue carried the highway passed the airport and east to Larch Street, where US 16 turned south along US 27 north of downtown Lansing. At Saginaw Street, eastbound US 16 turned east on the one-way street
, while westbound traffic ran a block north on Grand River Avenue. The two directions of travel merge at the east end of Saginaw Street in East Lansing
. Grand River Avenue through East Lansing follows a tree-lined boulevard that forms the division between the campus of Michigan State University
to the south and the rest of the city to the north. US 16 continues east through Ingham County
through Okemos
and rural parts of the county through Williamston
and Webberville
.
Grand River Avenue crosses to the east into Livingston County
through Fowlerville
to Howell
. In Howell, Grand River Avenue meets Hartland Road which carries M-59
; the highway also met M-155
in downtown, which at the time provided access to the Howell State Hospital. In the approach to Brighton
, Grand River Avenue passes through rural southeast Michigan lake country. In Brighton, Grand River Avenue crossed the western end of the then-built section of the I-96 freeway. US 16 merged onto the freeway, and I-96/US 16 met the northern end of then-built US 23
freeway. I-96/US 16 continued east into Oakland County
through Wixom
and Novi
.
Near Farmington
, I-96 left what is now its current routing and continued to the southeast of the present-day I-96/I-275
/I-696
/M-5
interchange along the current M-5. Grand River Avenue through here was Business Loop I-96 (BL I-96). The freeway ends at a junction with Grand River Avenue that also marked the end of the business loop. From there, US 16 continued along Grand River Avenue all the way into downtown Detroit. Along the way, it intersected US 24 at Telegraph Road and M-39
at Southfield Road. US 12
joined US 16 along Grand River Avenue at Plymouth Road. The two ran the rest of the way concurrently to Cadillac Square. There they terminated at a common point with US 10
(Woodward Avenue) and US 112
(Michigan Avenue). US 25 ran through the square on Fort Street
and Gratiot Avenue
.
, a part of the US Highway System, and a section of the Interstate Highway System
.
between Detroit and Howell was authorized in 1820 along the Grand River Trail. Grand River Avenue was included as one of Five Great Military Roads in 1825, along with the River Road, Michigan Avenue, Woodward Avenue and Gratiot Avenue. The Grand River Road, precursor to the modern Grand River Avenue was named by Benjamin Williams, cofounder of Owosso
; it was named for La Grande Riviere, the French name for the river.
The opening of the Erie Canal
in New York in 1826 brought new settlers to the Great Lakes region, and to the future state of Michigan. Many of these settlers began their inland journeys in Detroit. At first the Grand River Road was a "deep rutted, ditch bordered road". The road branched into two at Rouge (now Redford); the southern branch roughly followed the modern route of Grand River Avenue and the northern route ran by way of Pontiac
along Woodward Avenue and the modern M-21
to the north of the Lansing area. From Bancroft
, several trails branched off, including the northern branch of the Grand River Road and the Saginaw Trail
. The two branches merged back together near Dewitt
and continued west toward Ionia
and on to Grand Rapids and Newton (now Grand Haven
). The early travelers plied the road in wagons pulled by oxen or horses, and drivers charged between four and seven cents a mile. The horses were exchanged every 12–15 mi (19.3–24.1 km) with the speed averaging around 8–10 mph (3.6–4.5 ) with few obstacles.
Congress
further aided the road in 1835 with an appropriation of $25,000 (equivalent to $ in ) for a 20 feet (6 m) road on 100 feet (30 m) of right-of-way. These improvements included removing brush and debris and the construction of bridges across the Rouge
, Shiawassee
, Red Cedar
and Grand rivers. The Grand River Road was a major route for settlers headed inland to Grand Rapids in 1836, as the shortest route for travelers coming from Detroit. An economic panic in 1837
drove settlers from New York to Michigan, settlers that followed the Grand River Road. New settlements were created along the route, every 6 miles (9.7 km) or so; that distance being a good day's travel by horse. Approximately 124 wagons left Detroit each day between August and November 1843. When the state capitol was moved to Lansing in 1847, an improved road was needed to the capital city.
In 1850, the Michigan State Legislature established the Lansing and Howell Plank Road Company, which set about converting various Indian trails into the Lansing–Howell Plank Road, a task the company completed by 1853. At Howell
the road connected with the Detroit–Howell Plank Road, establishing the first improved connection direct from the state capital to Michigan's largest metropolis. The Lansing–Detroit Plank Road was a toll road until the 1880s. It eventually evolved into the eastern part of the modern Grand River Avenue.
By 1900, only a short stretch of the Detroit–Howell Plank Road was still make of planks; most of the other plank roads had been converted to gravel by this time. On the first map published on July 1, 1919, the Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD) had numbered and signed highways in the state. The department applied the M-16 number to Grand River Avenue across the state between Grand Haven
and Detroit. M-16 was rerouted in the Lansing area in 1925, running along Grand River Avenue from Grand Ledge to East Lansing. The former routing through Downtown Lansing on Michigan Avenue became part of M-39
and the section north of Grand Ledge was eventually redesignated M-100
. A second realignment moved M-16 to follow Grand River Avenue from Ionia through Ada. The former alignment became a part of M-21
The M-16 designation lasted for seven years. As the states were meeting with the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO, now AASHTO) to plan the United States Numbered Highway System, the route of M-16 was originally planned to be included in US 18
. When the system was announced on November 11, 1926, Grand River Avenue and M-16 became part of US 16.
was created between Nunica and Muskegon. In 1940, US 16 was rerouted to replace M-126, and the former route of US 16 between Nunica and Grand Haven was redesignated M-104
. Two further changes during 1941–42 rerouted the western end in Muskegon to end at the car ferry docks. Previously motorists had to navigate from the western end along other roads to the ferry connection to the rest of US 16 in Wisconsin. The second change routed Bypass US 16 (BYP US 16) along 28th Street and Wilson (previously the South Beltline and West Beltline sections of M-114
) in the Grand Rapids area. The US 16 designation was moved in 1953 to replace BYP US 16 while the former routing through downtown Grand Rapids was redesignated Business US 16 (BUS US 16).
MSHD had plans to upgrade the US 16 corridor to freeway standards in the middle of the 20th century. The first planning map in 1947 for what later became the Interstate Highway System showed a highway in the corridor. The General Location of National System of Interstate Highways Including All Additional Routes at Urban Areas Designated in September 1955, or Yellow Book after the cover color, showed generalized plans for the locations of Interstate Highways as designated in 1955. This also included a highway in the US 16 corridor. The 1957 approval for the Interstate Highway System replaced the Grand Rapids – Detroit section of US 16 with a portion of Interstate 94 (I-94), with the remainder to be I-94N. MSHD submitted a recommended numbering plan for the Interstates in 1958 that showed I-96 following the US 16 corridor. When initially approved, the Muskegon – Grand Rapids segment of US 16 was to be numbered as I-196
while the remainder was part of I-96.
Segments of the road were upgraded in 1956 between Coopersville and Marne, Portland and Eagle, and Brighton and Farmington. By 1962, freeway construction allowed motorists to travel between Muskegon and the Lansing area on a freeway, bypassing the old Grand River Avenue route. The final connection between Lansing and Brighton was completed in late 1962. At that time, the US 16 designation, which had been applied alongside the I-96 and I-196 designations, was decommissioned. Segments of the old highway were retained in the state highway system under different numbers. Sections through Portland, Lansing, Howell, Farmington and Detroit were given Business Loop (BL) or Business Spur (BS) I-96 designations. The section between Lansing and Webberville became part of an extended M-43
. Other sections in the Detroit area became parts of M-102
or M-5
or unsigned state highway.
" of over a dozen Michigan cities and a scenic route through one of the state's most populated corridors. In 1995, major reconstruction work along Grand River Avenue in East Lansing
uncovered rotting logs, buried about 2 foot (0.6096 m) below the present grade, that had been used as underlayment for the plank road surface in a low, swampy area. The logs had been in place for nearly 150 years. In 2004, the state transferred several blocks at the eastern end of Grand River Avenue to the City of Detroit. State trunkline control now ends at the corner of Grand River Avenue, Middle Street, and Cass Avenue.
Community leaders in Lansing have proposed renaming a section of Grand River Avenue in Old Town Lansing for César Chávez
, the Mexican-American civil rights activist. The group "Lansing for Cesar E. Chavez" was raising funds to rename the section of Grand River Avenue between Oakland and Pine Streets in Old Town. Previously, a section of Grand Avenue was renamed for Chávez in 1994, but the voters overturned the decision. The renaming proposal was even mentioned as a way to untangle a maze of different branches of Grand River Avenue running through Old Town. Currently, East Grand River Avenue and North Grand River Avenue bridge between sections of Grand River Avenue, in addition to Grand Avenue which runs along the Grand River near downtown. While Lansing's Latino community supported the proposal, the business community opposed it. One shop owner said she would have $10,000 in costs associated with a name change, adding, "I think there's many beautiful ways to honor such an incredible man. Changing five blocks of a street doesn't seem to do justice." Another business owner cited the work the Old Town Commercial Association has done to market the area using the Grand River Avenue name; marketing that would be useless after a name change. The compromise solution reached in August 2010 was to rename lot 56, where Old Town holds festivals to Cesar Chavez Plaza. Street signs would be installed marking parts of Grand River Avenue as Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, but only in a memorial capacity. The street would still be officially named Grand River Avenue.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Before the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the highway had been designated M-16. The modern road cuts across the Lower Peninsula
Lower Peninsula of Michigan
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Ohio and Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people...
in a northwest–southeast fashion from Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
to Detroit. Before the late 1950s and early 1960s, US 16 followed other roads between Muskegon
Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
and Grand Rapids, and then Grand River Avenue through Lansing
Lansing, 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...
to Detroit. With the coming of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, US 16 was shifted from the older roads to the new freeways. When the gap in the freeway was filled in around Lansing, the US 16 designation was decommissioned
Decommissioned highway
A decommissioned highway is a highway that has been removed from service, shut down or has had its authorization as a federal or state highway removed. Decommissioning can include the complete or partial demolition or abandonment of an old highway structure because the old roadway has lost its...
in the state. The freeway was then designated only Interstate 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-96) or I-196
Interstate 196
Interstate 196 is a long freeway spur route in the US state of Michigan linking Grand Rapids, Holland, South Haven, and Benton Harbor. I-196 is known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, or simply the Ford Freeway, in Kent, Ottawa, and Allegan Counties, after the 38th President of the United States,...
.
The original pathway along the Grand River Avenue corridor was an Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
trail. This trail was used by the first European settlers to the area now known as Michigan in 1701. Later this trail was expanded into a plank road
Plank road
A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were very popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...
that formed the basis for one of the first state trunkline highways
Michigan Highway System
The Michigan State Trunkline Highway System is made up of all the highways designated as Interstates, U.S. Highways and State Highways in the US state of Michigan. The system is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation and comprises of trunklines in all 83 counties of Michigan on...
as M-16. Current segments of the roadway are still part of the state highway system as sections of 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...
or business loops off I-96
Business routes of Interstate 96
There have been five business routes for Interstate 96 in the state of Michigan. Of these, only the business loops in Lansing and Howell are still currently designated...
. The portion of Grand River Avenue in Detroit between I-96 and the intersection with Cass Avenue and Middle Street in downtown Detroit is an unsigned state trunkline, sometimes referred to as Old Business Spur I-96 (OLD BS I-96). In Detroit, Grand River is one of five major avenues (along with Woodward
M-1 (Michigan highway)
M-1, commonly known as Woodward Avenue, named for Augustus B. Woodward, is a north–south state trunkline in the US state of Michigan. Until a few years ago, the northern terminus of M-1 was at BL I-75 and BUS US 24 in Bloomfield Township between the city limits of Bloomfield Hills and...
, Michigan, Gratiot, and Jefferson
Jefferson Avenue (Detroit)
Jefferson Avenue is a scenic road along the eastern part of the Detroit metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan. It travels alongside Lake Erie, the Detroit River, and Lake Saint Clair. This road also provides access to many recreational facilities in the area...
) planned by Judge Augustus Woodward in 1805 that extend from downtown Detroit in differing directions. Grand River Avenue extends northwesterly from the city's downtown.
Route description
At the time of its decommissioning, US 16 started its run through Michigan at the Grand Trunk Western RailroadGrand Trunk Western Railroad
The Grand Trunk Western Railroad is an important subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway , constituting the majority of CN's Chicago Division ....
carferry docks in Muskegon. The ferry extended across Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, connecting Muskegon to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, where US 16 continued to the west. From the docks, US 16 and M-46
M-46 (Michigan highway)
M-46 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan between Muskegon and Port Sanilac, terminating near Lake Michigan and Lake Huron on each end. Except for the north–south segment that corresponds with the US Highway 131 freeway between Cedar Springs and Howard City, M-46 is...
traveled concurrently
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
south and then east through downtown Muskegon. At Peck Street, US 16 turned south along Business US 31 (BUS US 31). These two highways ran concurrently out of town to the south through Muskegon Heights
Muskegon Heights, Michigan
Muskegon Heights is a city in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 12,049 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles , all land....
to Norton Shores
Norton Shores, Michigan
Norton Shores is a city in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 22,527 at the 2000 census.-Overview:Norton Shores is located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Muskegon County...
. Here, the business loop ended at US 31
U.S. Route 31 in Michigan
US Highway 31 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Alabama, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that runs from the Indiana–Michigan state line at Bertrand Township to its terminus at Interstate 75 south...
, and US 16 joined the I-196
Interstate 196
Interstate 196 is a long freeway spur route in the US state of Michigan linking Grand Rapids, Holland, South Haven, and Benton Harbor. I-196 is known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, or simply the Ford Freeway, in Kent, Ottawa, and Allegan Counties, after the 38th President of the United States,...
freeway headed east. (Later, the I-96 and I-196 designations west of Grand Rapids would be flipped, but at the time leading up to US 16's decommissioning in the state of Michigan, this had not yet been approved.) The I-196/US 16 freeway traveled southeast of Norton Shores through woodlands in rural Muskegon County
Muskegon County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 170,200 people, 63,330 households, and 44,267 families residing in the county. The population density was 334 people per square mile . There were 68,556 housing units at an average density of 135 per square mile...
parallel to the former US 16 routing through Fruitport
Fruitport, Michigan
Fruitport is a village in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 1,124. The community is located within Fruitport Charter Township....
to Nunica in Ottawa County
Ottawa County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 238,314 people, 81,662 households, and 61,328 families residing in the county. The population density was 421 people per square mile . There were 86,856 housing units at an average density of 154 per square mile...
. The freeway turned more directly east in Nunica past the eastern terminus of M-104
M-104 (Michigan highway)
M-104 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan in the Western Michigan region of the state. It runs from Ferrysburg to Nunica in Ottawa County, passing through Spring Lake...
, and continued east through more mixed forest and grassland terrain to serve the communities of Coopersville
Coopersville, Michigan
Coopersville is a city located in north central Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,275 at the 2010 census. It is primarily a farming community....
and Marne
Marne, Michigan
Marne is an unincorporated community in Wright Township of Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Township offices are located in the community...
.
As the freeway approached Kent County
Kent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...
, it met the western terminus of M-11
M-11 (Michigan highway)
M-11 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. The highway runs through the western and southern sides of the metro area, starting over the border in Ottawa County at an interchange with Interstate 96...
which was the former routing of US 16 through the Grand Rapids metropolitan area
Grand Rapids metropolitan area
The metropolitan area surrounds the central city of Grand Rapids, Michigan.Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located in the outskirts of Grand Rapids,the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and the DeVos Place Convention Center both in downtown Grand Rapids....
. I-196/US 16 continued eastward around the north side of the metro area through the suburbs of Walker
Walker, Michigan
Walker is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Grand Rapids. The population was 23,537 at the 2010 census. Before incorporating as a city, it was known as Walker Township...
and Comstock Park
Comstock Park, Michigan
Comstock Park is a prosperous suburban community in the northern part of Metropolitan Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, that comprises parts of three neighboring townships:* Plainfield Township* Alpine Township* Algoma Township...
. The freeway intersected the contemporaneous routing of US 131
U.S. Route 131
US Highway 131 is a north–south United States Highway, of which all but 0.67 miles of its 266.82 miles are within the state of Michigan. The highway starts in rural Indiana south of the state line as a state road connection to the Indiana Toll Road...
along the East Beltline and curved south through the eastern edge of Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
to meet the then-current end of I-96 east of downtown. There I-196 ended and US 16 was transferred to the I-96 freeway. I-96/US 16 continued southward intersecting Cascade Road, which was previously US 16. Cascade Road east of this interchange meets the westernmost part of Grand River Avenue, which carried US 16 east all the way to Downtown Detroit. Grand River Avenue ends at Cascade Road, but the historic routing carried it through Ada and Plainfield Township
Plainfield Township, Kent County, Michigan
Plainfield Charter Township is a charter township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the 2000 census, the population was 30,195 . The township forms part of the metro Grand Rapids area. It derives its name from the extinct lumbertown of Plainfield founded in 1838 by Andrew...
along the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
. The western end is at East Beltline, short of its westernmost extent in Grand Rapids.
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...
also joined the freeway at Cascade Road headed east, and together I-96/US 16/M-50 continued through eastern Kent County. M-50 departed to the south near Lowell
Lowell, Michigan
Lowell is a city in Kent County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,013. The city is in the northern portion of Lowell Township, but is politically independent...
, and the freeway crossed into southern Ionia County
Ionia County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 61,518 people, 20,606 households, and 15,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 107 people per square mile . There were 22,006 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
. Passing south of Portland
Portland, Michigan
Portland is a city in Ionia County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,789. The city is situated in the south central portion of Portland Township, but is administratively autonomous.-Geography:...
, the freeway crossed east into 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...
. North of Grand Ledge
Grand Ledge, Michigan
Grand Ledge is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city lies mostly within Eaton County, though a small portion extends into Clinton County, and sits above the Grand River 12.7 miles directly west of downtown Lansing. The population was 7,813 at the 2000 census...
, I-96 ended and US 16 followed Wright Road off the freeway to Grand River Avenue. From here east, US 16 resumed its historic routing into the city of Lansing. Grand River Avenue carried the highway passed the airport and east to Larch Street, where US 16 turned south along US 27 north of downtown Lansing. At Saginaw Street, eastbound US 16 turned east on the one-way street
One-way traffic
One-way traffic is traffic that moves in a single direction. A one-way street is a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction.-General signs:...
, while westbound traffic ran a block north on Grand River Avenue. The two directions of travel merge at the east end of Saginaw Street in East 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...
. Grand River Avenue through East Lansing follows a tree-lined boulevard that forms the division between the campus of Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
to the south and the rest of the city to the north. US 16 continues east through Ingham County
Ingham County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 279,320 people, 108,593 households, and 63,744 families residing in the county. The population density was 500 people per square mile . There were 115,056 housing units at an average density of 206 per square mile...
through Okemos
Okemos, Michigan
Okemos is an unincorporated community in Meridian Charter Township, Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any separate legal existence as a municipality. Local government is provided by the township...
and rural parts of the county through Williamston
Williamston, Michigan
Williamston is a city in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is at the southeast corner of Williamstown Township, but is politically independent. A portion of Williamston was annexed from adjacent Wheatfield Township. Downtown Williamston is located at the intersection of Grand...
and Webberville
Webberville, Michigan
Webberville is a village in Leroy Township, Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,272 at the 2010 census.The village is just northeast of the junction of M-43 and M-52 with I-96...
.
Grand River Avenue crosses to the east into Livingston County
Livingston County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 156,951 people, 55,384 households, and 43,531 families residing in the county. The population density was 276 people per square mile . There were 58,919 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
through Fowlerville
Fowlerville, Michigan
Fowlerville is a village in Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the northeast portion of Handy Township, but is politically independent from the township. The population was 2,886 at the 2010 census.-History:...
to Howell
Howell, Michigan
Howell is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,489. It is the county seat of Livingston County and is located mostly within Howell Township, but is politically independent from Howell Township...
. In Howell, Grand River Avenue meets Hartland Road which carries M-59
M-59 (Michigan highway)
M-59 is an east–west state trunkline highway that crosses the northern part of Metropolitan Detroit in the US state of Michigan. It runs between Howell at Interstate 96 and I-94 on the Chesterfield Township – Harrison Township line near the Selfridge Air National Guard Base...
; the highway also met M-155
M-155 (Michigan highway)
M-155 was a former state trunkline in the US state of Michigan that served as a spur route from BL I-96 in Howell in Livingston County to the Hillcrest Center, former Howell State Hospital. The trunkline remains under state maintenance as OLD M-155....
in downtown, which at the time provided access to the Howell State Hospital. In the approach to Brighton
Brighton, Michigan
Brighton is a principal satellite city of Metro Detroit located in the southeast portion of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,444. Brighton forms part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area...
, Grand River Avenue passes through rural southeast Michigan lake country. In Brighton, Grand River Avenue crossed the western end of the then-built section of the I-96 freeway. US 16 merged onto the freeway, and I-96/US 16 met the northern end of then-built US 23
U.S. Route 23 in Michigan
US Highway 23 is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan, it is a major north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Lower Peninsula...
freeway. I-96/US 16 continued east into Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
through Wixom
Wixom, Michigan
Wixom is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,498 at the 2010 census. The city was home to the former Wixom Assembly Plant, which produced the Lincoln LS, the Ford Thunderbird, the Ford GT, and the Lincoln Town Car...
and Novi
Novi, Michigan
Novi is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,224, an increase over the 2000 census count of 47,386. The city is located approximately northwest of the center of Detroit, and northeast of the center of Ann Arbor. The city is located...
.
Near Farmington
Farmington, Michigan
Farmington is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit and is part of the Metro Detroit area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,372. It is fully surrounded by Farmington Hills, except for a small portion bordered by Livonia to the...
, I-96 left what is now its current routing and continued to the southeast of the present-day I-96/I-275
Interstate 275 (Michigan)
Interstate 275 in the US state of Michigan is an Interstate Highway that functions as a western bypass of the Detroit metropolitan area. The Michigan Department of Transportation maintains it as a component of the larger state trunkline highway system. The freeway runs through the western suburbs...
/I-696
Interstate 696
Interstate 696 is an intrastate Interstate Highway entirely within the US state of Michigan. I-696 is also known as the Walter P. Reuther Freeway, named for a prominent figure in early automobile factory labor union activity. I-696 is a spur route, partially circling the city of Detroit, but...
/M-5
M-5 (Michigan highway)
M-5 is a highway in the metro Detroit area of the US state of Michigan.-Route description:M-5's eastern terminus is at the junction of Grand River Avenue and Interstate 96 in western Detroit...
interchange along the current M-5. Grand River Avenue through here was Business Loop I-96 (BL I-96). The freeway ends at a junction with Grand River Avenue that also marked the end of the business loop. From there, US 16 continued along Grand River Avenue all the way into downtown Detroit. Along the way, it intersected US 24 at Telegraph Road and M-39
M-39 (Michigan highway)
M-39 is a state highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from Lincoln Park to Southfield. The southern terminus of M-39 is at the corner of Southfield Road and Lafayette Boulevard in Lincoln Park, one block southeast of the junction of I-75 and two blocks northwest of M-85...
at Southfield Road. US 12
U.S. Route 12 in Michigan
US Highway 12 is a US Highway that runs from Aberdeen, Washington to Detroit, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan it runs for . Previous to the creation of Interstate Highways in Michigan, US 12 ran along Michigan Avenue between Kalamazoo and Detroit, a highway corridor now served by I-94...
joined US 16 along Grand River Avenue at Plymouth Road. The two ran the rest of the way concurrently to Cadillac Square. There they terminated at a common point with US 10
U.S. Route 10 in Michigan
US Highway 10 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from West Fargo, North Dakota, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway enters the state on the SS Badger crossing Lake Michigan at Ludington and ends at Bay City.US 10 was created as part of...
(Woodward Avenue) and US 112
U.S. Route 112
U.S. Route 112 was a largely east–west state trunkline highway across the southern portion of the US state of Michigan between New Buffalo and Detroit...
(Michigan Avenue). US 25 ran through the square on Fort Street
M-85 (Michigan highway)
M-85, also known as Fort Street or Fort Road for its entire length, is a state highway route in the U.S. state of Michigan.In Detroit proper, M-85 consists of West Fort street and South Fort street...
and Gratiot Avenue
M-3 (Michigan highway)
M-3 is a north–south state highway in the US state of Michigan in the Detroit metropolitan area. For most of its length, M-3 is known as Gratiot Avenue...
.
History
The history of Grand River Avenue, and US 16 in Michigan, dates back to before the earliest settlement of Michigan by Europeans. The route has been the basis for an Indian trail, a pathway for European settlers, a state highwayMichigan Highway System
The Michigan State Trunkline Highway System is made up of all the highways designated as Interstates, U.S. Highways and State Highways in the US state of Michigan. The system is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation and comprises of trunklines in all 83 counties of Michigan on...
, a part of the US Highway System, and a section of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
.
Indian trail to state highway
The chief transportation routes in 1701 were the Indian trails that crossed the future state of Michigan; the Grand River Trail was one of these thirteen trails at the time. Detroit created 120 feet (37 m) rights-of-way for the principle streets of the city, Grand River Avenue included, in 1805. This street plan was devised by Augustus Woodward and others following a devastating fire in Detroit. A ten-year project to construct a plank roadPlank road
A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were very popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...
between Detroit and Howell was authorized in 1820 along the Grand River Trail. Grand River Avenue was included as one of Five Great Military Roads in 1825, along with the River Road, Michigan Avenue, Woodward Avenue and Gratiot Avenue. The Grand River Road, precursor to the modern Grand River Avenue was named by Benjamin Williams, cofounder of Owosso
Owosso, Michigan
Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent...
; it was named for La Grande Riviere, the French name for the river.
The opening of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
in New York in 1826 brought new settlers to the Great Lakes region, and to the future state of Michigan. Many of these settlers began their inland journeys in Detroit. At first the Grand River Road was a "deep rutted, ditch bordered road". The road branched into two at Rouge (now Redford); the southern branch roughly followed the modern route of Grand River Avenue and the northern route ran by way of Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
along Woodward Avenue and the modern M-21
M-21 (Michigan highway)
M-21 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan connecting the cities of Grand Rapids and Flint. The highway passes through rural farming country and several small towns along its course through the Lower Peninsula...
to the north of the Lansing area. From Bancroft
Bancroft, Michigan
Bancroft is a village in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 616 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the southeast part of Shiawassee Township...
, several trails branched off, including the northern branch of the Grand River Road and the Saginaw Trail
Saginaw trail
Saginaw Trail is the collective name for a set of connected roads in Southeastern Michigan that runs from Detroit to Saginaw through Pontiac and Flint. It was originally a tribal foot trail. On December 7, 1818 the Michigan Territorial government authorized the building of a road from Detroit to...
. The two branches merged back together near Dewitt
DeWitt, Michigan
DeWitt is a city in Clinton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,507 at the 2010 census.-History:DeWitt was named after DeWitt Clinton, Governor of New York during the 1830s. It was first settled by Captain David Scott, who moved there from Ann Arbor in 1833, and platted the...
and continued west toward Ionia
Ionia, Michigan
Ionia is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Ionia County, Michigan, United States. The population was 11,394 at the 2010 census. Every late July it hosts what may be the world's largest free-admission fair...
and on to Grand Rapids and Newton (now Grand Haven
Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River, for which it is named. As of the 2010 census, Grand Haven had a population of 10,412. It is part of the...
). The early travelers plied the road in wagons pulled by oxen or horses, and drivers charged between four and seven cents a mile. The horses were exchanged every 12–15 mi (19.3–24.1 km) with the speed averaging around 8–10 mph (3.6–4.5 ) with few obstacles.
Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
further aided the road in 1835 with an appropriation of $25,000 (equivalent to $ in ) for a 20 feet (6 m) road on 100 feet (30 m) of right-of-way. These improvements included removing brush and debris and the construction of bridges across the Rouge
River Rouge (Michigan)
The River Rouge, also known as the Rouge River, is a river in the Metro Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. It flows into the Detroit River at Zug Island, which is the boundary between the cities of River Rouge and Detroit....
, Shiawassee
Shiawassee River
The Shiawassee River in the U.S. state of Michigan is long and generally flows in a northerly direction. It merges together with the Flint River, the Cass River and the Tittabawassee River to form the Saginaw River, which drains into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron.-Description:Supporting...
, Red Cedar
Red Cedar River (Michigan)
The Red Cedar River is a westward-flowing tributary of the Grand River in Michigan. Its source is Cedar Lake which is located in Marion Township in the southeastern corner of Livingston County, and it runs about through Okemos, East Lansing, including the campus of Michigan State University, and...
and Grand rivers. The Grand River Road was a major route for settlers headed inland to Grand Rapids in 1836, as the shortest route for travelers coming from Detroit. An economic panic in 1837
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis or market correction in the United States built on a speculative fever. The end of the Second Bank of the United States had produced a period of runaway inflation, but on May 10, 1837 in New York City, every bank began to accept payment only in specie ,...
drove settlers from New York to Michigan, settlers that followed the Grand River Road. New settlements were created along the route, every 6 miles (9.7 km) or so; that distance being a good day's travel by horse. Approximately 124 wagons left Detroit each day between August and November 1843. When the state capitol was moved to Lansing in 1847, an improved road was needed to the capital city.
In 1850, the Michigan State Legislature established the Lansing and Howell Plank Road Company, which set about converting various Indian trails into the Lansing–Howell Plank Road, a task the company completed by 1853. At Howell
Howell, Michigan
Howell is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,489. It is the county seat of Livingston County and is located mostly within Howell Township, but is politically independent from Howell Township...
the road connected with the Detroit–Howell Plank Road, establishing the first improved connection direct from the state capital to Michigan's largest metropolis. The Lansing–Detroit Plank Road was a toll road until the 1880s. It eventually evolved into the eastern part of the modern Grand River Avenue.
By 1900, only a short stretch of the Detroit–Howell Plank Road was still make of planks; most of the other plank roads had been converted to gravel by this time. On the first map published on July 1, 1919, the Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD) had numbered and signed highways in the state. The department applied the M-16 number to Grand River Avenue across the state between Grand Haven
Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River, for which it is named. As of the 2010 census, Grand Haven had a population of 10,412. It is part of the...
and Detroit. M-16 was rerouted in the Lansing area in 1925, running along Grand River Avenue from Grand Ledge to East Lansing. The former routing through Downtown Lansing on Michigan Avenue became part of M-39
M-39 (Michigan highway)
M-39 is a state highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from Lincoln Park to Southfield. The southern terminus of M-39 is at the corner of Southfield Road and Lafayette Boulevard in Lincoln Park, one block southeast of the junction of I-75 and two blocks northwest of M-85...
and the section north of Grand Ledge was eventually redesignated M-100
M-100 (Michigan highway)
M-100 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the central region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs between Potterville and Grand Ledge, connecting Interstate 69 and Interstate 96 west of the state capitol, Lansing....
. A second realignment moved M-16 to follow Grand River Avenue from Ionia through Ada. The former alignment became a part of M-21
M-21 (Michigan highway)
M-21 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan connecting the cities of Grand Rapids and Flint. The highway passes through rural farming country and several small towns along its course through the Lower Peninsula...
The M-16 designation lasted for seven years. As the states were meeting with the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO, now AASHTO) to plan the United States Numbered Highway System, the route of M-16 was originally planned to be included in US 18
U.S. Route 18
U.S. Route 18 is an east–west U.S. highway in the Midwestern United States. The western terminus is in Orin, Wyoming at an interchange with Interstate 25. Its eastern terminus of US 18 is in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, US 18 runs concurrent with other U.S...
. When the system was announced on November 11, 1926, Grand River Avenue and M-16 became part of US 16.
US Highway to Interstate
In 1929, Allan Williams placed a picnic table on the side of the road along US 16 south of Saranac. Williams was the Ionia County engineer in charge of the various roads in the county, and that location is "what many consider to be the nation’s first roadside table". The first change to the US 16 routing was made in 1933 when the highway was moved to bypass Farmington, with the old routing retained as a state highway. The next year, in 1934, M-126M-126 (Michigan highway)
M-126 was the designation of a former state trunkline route in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan that was deleted in 1940 when US 16 was realigned on top of it...
was created between Nunica and Muskegon. In 1940, US 16 was rerouted to replace M-126, and the former route of US 16 between Nunica and Grand Haven was redesignated M-104
M-104 (Michigan highway)
M-104 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan in the Western Michigan region of the state. It runs from Ferrysburg to Nunica in Ottawa County, passing through Spring Lake...
. Two further changes during 1941–42 rerouted the western end in Muskegon to end at the car ferry docks. Previously motorists had to navigate from the western end along other roads to the ferry connection to the rest of US 16 in Wisconsin. The second change routed Bypass US 16 (BYP US 16) along 28th Street and Wilson (previously the South Beltline and West Beltline sections of M-114
M-114 (Michigan highway)
M-114 was the designation of a former state trunkline route and planned beltline in the US state of Michigan around the city of Grand Rapids.-Route description:...
) in the Grand Rapids area. The US 16 designation was moved in 1953 to replace BYP US 16 while the former routing through downtown Grand Rapids was redesignated Business US 16 (BUS US 16).
MSHD had plans to upgrade the US 16 corridor to freeway standards in the middle of the 20th century. The first planning map in 1947 for what later became the Interstate Highway System showed a highway in the corridor. The General Location of National System of Interstate Highways Including All Additional Routes at Urban Areas Designated in September 1955, or Yellow Book after the cover color, showed generalized plans for the locations of Interstate Highways as designated in 1955. This also included a highway in the US 16 corridor. The 1957 approval for the Interstate Highway System replaced the Grand Rapids – Detroit section of US 16 with a portion of Interstate 94 (I-94), with the remainder to be I-94N. MSHD submitted a recommended numbering plan for the Interstates in 1958 that showed I-96 following the US 16 corridor. When initially approved, the Muskegon – Grand Rapids segment of US 16 was to be numbered as I-196
Interstate 196
Interstate 196 is a long freeway spur route in the US state of Michigan linking Grand Rapids, Holland, South Haven, and Benton Harbor. I-196 is known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, or simply the Ford Freeway, in Kent, Ottawa, and Allegan Counties, after the 38th President of the United States,...
while the remainder was part of I-96.
Segments of the road were upgraded in 1956 between Coopersville and Marne, Portland and Eagle, and Brighton and Farmington. By 1962, freeway construction allowed motorists to travel between Muskegon and the Lansing area on a freeway, bypassing the old Grand River Avenue route. The final connection between Lansing and Brighton was completed in late 1962. At that time, the US 16 designation, which had been applied alongside the I-96 and I-196 designations, was decommissioned. Segments of the old highway were retained in the state highway system under different numbers. Sections through Portland, Lansing, Howell, Farmington and Detroit were given Business Loop (BL) or Business Spur (BS) I-96 designations. The section between Lansing and Webberville became part of an extended 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...
. Other sections in the Detroit area became parts of M-102
M-102 (Michigan highway)
M-102 is a state trunkline in the US state of Michigan, running along the northern boundary of Detroit. It is known as 8 Mile Road for most of its length. As part of the land surveying of the state, the road follows the Michigan Baseline, and it is called Base Line Road in places. M-102 is the...
or M-5
M-5 (Michigan highway)
M-5 is a highway in the metro Detroit area of the US state of Michigan.-Route description:M-5's eastern terminus is at the junction of Grand River Avenue and Interstate 96 in western Detroit...
or unsigned state highway.
Post-Interstate era
After US 16 was transferred to the new freeway, Grand River Avenue lost its state highway status along most of its length. Today the roadway remains the "Main StreetMain Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
" of over a dozen Michigan cities and a scenic route through one of the state's most populated corridors. In 1995, major reconstruction work along Grand River Avenue in East 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...
uncovered rotting logs, buried about 2 foot (0.6096 m) below the present grade, that had been used as underlayment for the plank road surface in a low, swampy area. The logs had been in place for nearly 150 years. In 2004, the state transferred several blocks at the eastern end of Grand River Avenue to the City of Detroit. State trunkline control now ends at the corner of Grand River Avenue, Middle Street, and Cass Avenue.
Community leaders in Lansing have proposed renaming a section of Grand River Avenue in Old Town Lansing for César Chávez
César Chávez
César Estrada Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers ....
, the Mexican-American civil rights activist. The group "Lansing for Cesar E. Chavez" was raising funds to rename the section of Grand River Avenue between Oakland and Pine Streets in Old Town. Previously, a section of Grand Avenue was renamed for Chávez in 1994, but the voters overturned the decision. The renaming proposal was even mentioned as a way to untangle a maze of different branches of Grand River Avenue running through Old Town. Currently, East Grand River Avenue and North Grand River Avenue bridge between sections of Grand River Avenue, in addition to Grand Avenue which runs along the Grand River near downtown. While Lansing's Latino community supported the proposal, the business community opposed it. One shop owner said she would have $10,000 in costs associated with a name change, adding, "I think there's many beautiful ways to honor such an incredible man. Changing five blocks of a street doesn't seem to do justice." Another business owner cited the work the Old Town Commercial Association has done to market the area using the Grand River Avenue name; marketing that would be useless after a name change. The compromise solution reached in August 2010 was to rename lot 56, where Old Town holds festivals to Cesar Chavez Plaza. Street signs would be installed marking parts of Grand River Avenue as Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, but only in a memorial capacity. The street would still be officially named Grand River Avenue.