Interstate 96
Encyclopedia
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
(US 31) and Business US Highway 31 (BUS US 31), on the western boundary of Norton Shores
southeast of Muskegon
. Its eastern terminus is at I-75
near the Ambassador Bridge
in Detroit
. From Detroit to Grand Rapids
, it parallels Grand River Avenue
, never straying more than a few miles from the deleted US 16.
The Wayne County
portion of I-96 was originally named the Jeffries Freeway from its eastern terminus to the junction with I-275
and M-14
and was signed as such until Michigan removed proper names from Interstate guide signs in the 1980s. Though many area residents still refer to the freeway as the Jeffries, the portion within the city of Detroit was renamed by the state legislature as the Rosa Parks
Memorial Highway in December 2005.
Interstate 96 begins with a three-quarter cloverleaf interchange with US 31 in Norton Shores, Michigan
, near Muskegon
. From the start, the highway has a grassy median and 2 lanes in each direction. I-96 starts off by traveling southeast for a distance of around 10 miles (16.1 km) until it reaches Nunica. At this point, it turns in an east-southeastern direction for 25 miles (40.2 km) until it reaches the city of Grand Rapids
. Shortly before reaching Grand Rapids, I-96 intersects US 131
and crosses over the Grand River
for the first time. About 3 miles (4.8 km) after passing US 131, I-96 travels south for around 3 miles (4.8 km) until the junction with I-196
, a branch route of I-96 which begins in Grand Rapids and terminates at I-94
near Benton Harbor
. For the next 10 miles (16.1 km), I-96 travels in a southeast direction. During this section, the highway currently has weave–merge lanes which expand the freeway to 4 lanes at points. After leaving Grand Rapids, I-96 runs due east for approximately 25 miles (40.2 km). I-96 then turns southeast near Portland
, crosses over the Grand River
for a second time, and continues in a southeast direction for 18 miles (29 km). I-96 then merges with I-69
outside of Lansing
, and the two highways run concurrently
for the next 6.5 miles (10.5 km) traveling due south. While I-96 is cosigned with I-69, I-496
branches off the highway and travels through Lansing until it meets I-96 again south of Lansing. After I-69 splits off I-96 southwest of Lansing, I-96 has a short 2 miles (3.2 km) leg where it travels southeast, after which it travels east-southeast for approximately 30 miles (48.3 km). Near Farmington
, I-96 turns southward and merges with I-275
; I-696
branches off at this junction and runs east to I-94. I-96 is co-signed with I-275 for about 7.5 miles (12.1 km). In Livonia
, I-96 splits off of I-275 and turns eastward towards Detroit. After the Outer Drive exit, express lanes begin in both directions. Three miles (4.8 km) from where I-96 enters Detroit
is a massive interchange with M-39 (Southfield Freeway)
, which is called "Malfunction Junction
" by some locals. I-96 turns southeast here and enters Detroit, where it becomes known as the Rosa Parks
Memorial Freeway. I-96 intersects I-94 within Detroit. Two miles after the I-94 interchange, I-96 reaches its eastern terminus at I-75 (Fisher Freeway).
in 1962.
– Grand Rapids – Lansing – Detroit corridor was initially the Grand River Trail, an Indian trail that was designated as a military highway in 1832. Detroit changed the name of its portion of the road to Grand River Avenue
in 1871, a name which soon spread along the rest of the route. It became M-16 in 1918, and was the first paved highway across the state when paving was completed in 1926. The entire highway was designated as part of US 16 later that year.
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East of Grand Rapids, the highway was a major artery of national importance, and was added to the proposed "Interregional Highway System" as part of a northern route between Chicago and Detroit by the 1940s. A branch from Grand Rapids to Muskegon was added later that decade, and in 1957 the Chicago-Detroit route was labeled as part of Interstate 94
, with Interstate 94N on the spur to Muskegon. Michigan, believing that this would "cause considerable confusion to the public", requested a change in April 1958, which would move I-94 to the shorter Kalamazoo route (which was planned as I-92), make the Muskegon-Kalamazoo route I-96, and assign I-67 to the connection from I-94 to I-96 at Grand Rapids, but this was initially rejected by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO). By early 1959, Michigan's plan had been approved, with one change: I-96 would take the south leg from I-94 at Benton Harbor to Grand Rapids, and the north leg to Muskegon would be I-196.
Construction of the Brighton–Farmington Expressway piece of the US 16 upgrade began in 1956, and, when a four-mile (6 km) piece opened on August 1, 1957, it was the first section of funded Interstate to open in Michigan. The entire 23 miles (37 km) expressway from east of Brighton to a bypass of Farmington was completed in December of that year. By early 1959, when signs for I-96 and I-196 were posted, 59 miles (95 km) of the "Detroit–Muskegon Freeway" had been completed and marked as US 16. With the opening of 51 miles (82.1 km) from west of Lansing to east of Howell, the entire route, except in the Detroit area, was opened for travel on December 12, 1962. US 16 was decommissioned in the state at that time; the portions into Muskegon and Detroit, beyond the ends of the freeway, became Business Spur Interstate 196 (BS I-196) and Business Spur Interstate 96 (BS I-96).
In 1963, the Michigan State Highway Department petitioned AASHO to again make the change it had requested back in 1958, moving I-96 over I-196 to end at Muskegon and renumbering I-96 west of Grand Rapids to I-67. The state cited problems with destination signing and numerous complaints from the public about confusion caused by the numbering. At their October 21, 1963 meeting, AASHO approved the relocation of I-96, but rejected I-67, stating that the number should be kept for a more major route in case the system is expanded, and instead assigned I-196 to the not-yet-complete Benton Harbor – Grand Rapids route. With the completion of the Lodge Freeway on October 29, 1964, a full freeway route was available from I-96 into downtown Detroit via I-696 and the Lodge, but it would be some time before I-96 was finished into the city.
into downtown and relieve congestion
on that artery. A rail line would be built in the median of the freeway west of West Chicago Street, where streetcars would exit onto the existing surface tracks on Grand River Avenue into downtown. The plan called for a future conversion to rapid transit
with a grade-separated route to downtown. The Department of Street Railways determined in 1947 that the operation would cost $6 million per year, and the planned transit line was dropped from the plans. By 1961, the proposed highway was renamed the Jeffries Freeway, after Edward Jeffries
, who served as Detroit mayor from 1940 to 1948.
The first piece of the Jeffries Freeway connected the Fisher Freeway (I-75) with the Ford Freeway (I-94) in 1970. It was extended northwest to Livernois Avenue (exit 188A) in 1971, and then to Grand River Avenue at Schaefer Highway (exit 185) in 1973. In 1976, the freeway was extended west to the Southfield Freeway (exit 183), and the entire I-275 concurrent section was opened. The final piece was completed in 1977, connecting the Detroit section to I-275.
Originally, the route of Interstate 96 from the east end of the existing freeway in Farmington through Detroit, named the Jeffries Freeway (commonly referred to as simply "the Jeffries"), was to closely parallel Grand River Avenue
(formerly US 16). However, by 1963, several freeway revolts were taking place in urban locations throughout the country, including Detroit. Several of Detroit's planned freeways were modified, scaled back, or outright cancelled, and the Jeffries was no exception. To minimize the impact to existing communities and businesses, it was decided that the freeway would no longer utilize the Grand River Avenue corridor. Instead, the new Interstate 96 freeway corridor would partially use the C&O Railroad right of way through the city of Livonia, and utilize the planned I-275 freeway bypassing Detroit to the west to connect back to the existing freeway.
The Jeffries Freeway (not yet signed as I-96) was opened in stages in the early-1970s. The first two segments, opened in 1970 and 1971, connected I-75 to I-94, and I-94 to Livernois Avenue, respectively. The full freeway-to-freeway connection ramps to the planned Davison Freeway were opened in 1973, in another extension of the Jeffries Freeway to Grand River Avenue. In 1975, the Jeffries was completed westward to the Southfield Freeway (M-39), and, about this time, the Jeffries Freeway was signed as I-96, leaving a gap in the routing between Farmington and the M-39 interchange.
When a portion of the new I-275 freeway opened from the existing I-96 to the Schoolcraft Avenue in 1976, it was still not signed as I-96. In 1977, the final portion of the Jeffries Freeway through Livonia (from I-275 east to the end of the existing Jeffries Freeway) opened to traffic, and with that, the final segment of I-96 in general. The I-96 routing was assigned along the I-275 freeway south to the Jeffries Freeway, and eastward along the new freeway to the M-39 interchange, and the remaining stub of I-96 around Farmington was redesignated as an extension of M-102
(now M-5
).
On January 12, 2005, a massive pile-up consisting of over 200 motor vehicles occurred in both directions of I-96 near Williamston
in Ingham County
. Two people, Douglas James Baker (age 15) and Jason Eldridge (age 27) were killed in the incident, one of the largest multi-vehicle collision
s in U.S. history, which was blamed on heavy fog.
From 2003 to 2005, the Beck Road interchange (exit 160) in Novi
was reconstructed as a single point urban interchange (SPUI), the first in the metropolitan Detroit area and the first on I-96, at a cost of $46 million. The reconstruction of the Wixom Road interchange near Novi as a SPUI was completed in late fall of 2008.
at the United States – Canada border; only a short surface street connection exists between the bridge's approaches and the nearby I-75 and I-96. The construction of an Interstate connection between I-75 and the bridge was mandated by the 1998 National Highway System Act
; this most likely would take the form of an easterly extension of I-96 directly to the bridge. However, the actual construction of this connection faces several obstacles, including the projected high cost and local impact.
Despite the past obstacles, plans to make I-96 accessible to the Ambassador Bridge are currently underway. Beginning in 2008, the Michigan Department of Transportation
began a two year project to realign the interchange between I-75 and I-96 near Downtown Detroit. The project will include a new pedestrian walk, as well as both freeways having a direct link to the Ambassador bridge, eliminating the pedestrian linkage to the bridge. The project is 90% complete as of July 2009.
is planned and under study, pending right of way acquisition. This interchange would bring improved access to the eastern Howell area, which is currently only accessible from westbound I-96.
The reconstruction of the Wixom Road interchange near Novi as a SPUI was completed in late fall of 2008.
turn will be built about 100 feet (30.5 m) west of the present one for the connection from westbound M-21 to eastbound I-96. A new entrance from eastbound M-21 to eastbound I-96 will be built using almost all of the right of way. This section also adds a third eastbound traveling lane along with a weave merge lane to Cascade Rd. This ends the eastbound remodel.
The westbound remodel begins where the eastbound ends at Cascade Road. The entrance ramp from Cascade Road adds a westbound weave merge lane. A new westbound exit from the interstate to both east and west M-21 will be built. A minor adjustment of the present intersection maybe required but a new signal will be installed. Some right of way will be acquired to facilitate this new ramp and the retaining wall. When it passes over the railroad on its way to the M-37/M-44 interchange it will have a widened bridge for the new traveling lane. The present weave merge lane will be kept between M-21 and M-37/M-44. A modified exit ramp will be done for M-37/M-44. Just before the freeway goes under the bridge a new 2 lane freeway splits off from itself to move vehicles past Leonard and all the weaving and merging from M-37/M-44, I-196, and Leonard St. This will take the two left lanes of traffic. After the split the current freeway alignment will be used as a weave and merge lanes.
The first merging traffic comes from North M-37/M-44 which place M-37 onto I-96 until Alpine Ave. The next merging traffic comes from South M-44. This will only require an addition of one lane. Midway between the M-37/M-44 and Leonard stretch of freeway the I-196 exit ramp will be built using a new bridge, with the exit around the present location. This bridge will carry three lanes of traffic and will be the official start of that interstate. The I-96 weave merge lane will be reduced at this point to two lanes. The second lane on the right will be used as a splitter with traffic either staying on I-96 or going to I-196. This will give the southbound M-44 entrance ramp about the same amount of distance to merge into the second lane to get onto I-196. After less than a quarter mile (0.4 km) one lane of traffic will be split off and merged with new I-96 through lanes midway between Leonard and the splitting point. After that the new eastbound I-196 to westbound I-96 exit will be merged with the single weave merge lane just before Leonard St bridge. That exit ramp will go over seven sets of freeway traffic using one long bridge. After the bridge the weave merge lanes will use the present Leonard Street exit then become a single lane until the present Leonard Street entrance ramp merges with it. After that merging it will finally merge with I-96 traffic. A final note is that the two lanes of through traffic for I-96 will use the present freeway at the point it gets a merging lane with the weave merge before Leonard. At that point an additional lane of traffic will be added to the present freeway.
The ability to add lanes between the present freeways in the median is possible since the width of the grassy median is over 50 feet (15.2 m).
within Detroit's city limits and was actually completed along this route into Farmington. Local opposition killed this project, so prior to the Jeffries opening through Livonia in the 1977, I-96 was relocated onto it. The Farmington stub was redesignated as an extension to M-102
and now bears the designation of M-5
. Furthermore when the interchange with Davison Avenue
(present day exit 186) was constructed, it was expected that the Davison Freeway was to be extended to meet up with the Jeffries. Accordingly it was built as a full freeway-to-freeway interchange, but before the Jeffries was completed both the Davison extension was cancelled and I-96 was rerouted. This left both an interchange far larger than traffic dictates and I-96 following an elbow that has it intersecting with the straight Grand River Ave. twice within two miles (3 km).
disagree on the designation of the Livonia to Farmington Hills stretch of I-96. MDOT signs this 6-mile (10 km) segment as a concurrency with I-275. However, FHWA maintains that I-275's northern terminus is at the I-96/M-14 intersection near Plymouth
and therefore this stretch should only be labeled I-96. Although the mile markers and exit numbers continue with I-96's sequence, local residents tend to refer to this leg of I-96 primarily as I-275; the designation distinctly separates the Jeffries Freeway portion of I-96 from the portion of the highway west of I-696.
s and other cities. I-196
is a relatively long route, beginning at I-96 east of downtown Grand Rapids and heading west through downtown to Holland, and then south to I-94 near Benton Harbor. The unsigned I-296
connects I-96 north of downtown Grand Rapids with I-196 in downtown, and is signed as US 131. I-496
is a loop through downtown Lansing, which I-96 bypasses to the south, and I-696
is a northern bypass of Detroit, connecting I-96 in Novi with I-75 in Royal Oak and |I-94 in St. Clair Shores.
Interstate 96 presently has two business route
s: a loop through Lansing and a loop through Howell. Both follow the old route of US 16, with appropriate connections to I-96. A spur into Muskegon once existed, running concurrently
with part of BUS US 31 along former US 16, but it has been eliminated. Two routes in the Detroit area—a loop through Farmington and a spur into Detroit—both using Grand River Avenue
, and meeting at the temporary end of I-96 near Purdue Avenue, were eliminated when I-96 was moved to the completed Jeffries Freeway in 1977. On 31 October 2007, a spur into Portland was decommissioned and turned back to the City of Portland.I-96 Business Spur/Grand River Avenue, from the northern terminus of the I-96 Business Spur at the centerline of Kent Street, southeasterly to the southern terminus of the I-96 Business Spur at the eastbound I-96 exit ramp, a distance of approximately 1.29 miles (2.1 km), in control section 34032."
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"....
. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 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...
(US 31) and Business US Highway 31 (BUS US 31), on the western boundary of 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...
southeast of 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...
. Its eastern terminus is at I-75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
near the Ambassador Bridge
Ambassador Bridge
The Ambassador Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume: more than 25 percent of all merchandise trade between the United States...
in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. From Detroit to 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...
, it parallels Grand River Avenue
Grand River Avenue
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...
, never straying more than a few miles from the deleted US 16.
The Wayne County
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
portion of I-96 was originally named the Jeffries Freeway from its eastern terminus to the junction with 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...
and M-14
M-14 (Michigan highway)
M-14 is a east–west state trunkline highway in the southeastern portion of the US state of Michigan. Entirely freeway, it connects Ann Arbor with Detroit by way of connecting with I-96.-Route description:...
and was signed as such until Michigan removed proper names from Interstate guide signs in the 1980s. Though many area residents still refer to the freeway as the Jeffries, the portion within the city of Detroit was renamed by the state legislature as the Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
Memorial Highway in December 2005.
Route description
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...
, near 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...
. From the start, the highway has a grassy median and 2 lanes in each direction. I-96 starts off by traveling southeast for a distance of around 10 miles (16.1 km) until it reaches Nunica. At this point, it turns in an east-southeastern direction for 25 miles (40.2 km) until it reaches the city 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...
. Shortly before reaching Grand Rapids, I-96 intersects 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...
and crosses over 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:...
for the first time. About 3 miles (4.8 km) after passing US 131, I-96 travels south for around 3 miles (4.8 km) until the junction with 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,...
, a branch route of I-96 which begins in Grand Rapids and terminates at I-94
Interstate 94 in Michigan
Interstate 94 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of New Buffalo...
near Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
. For the next 10 miles (16.1 km), I-96 travels in a southeast direction. During this section, the highway currently has weave–merge lanes which expand the freeway to 4 lanes at points. After leaving Grand Rapids, I-96 runs due east for approximately 25 miles (40.2 km). I-96 then turns southeast near 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:...
, crosses over 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:...
for a second time, and continues in a southeast direction for 18 miles (29 km). I-96 then merges with I-69
Interstate 69 in Michigan
Interstate 69 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that currently runs from Indianapolis, Indiana, to the US–Canadian border at Port Huron, Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of Coldwater and passes through the cities of Lansing and Flint...
outside of 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...
, and the two highways run 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...
for the next 6.5 miles (10.5 km) traveling due south. While I-96 is cosigned with I-69, I-496
Interstate 496
Interstate 496 is an Interstate Highway that passes through downtown Lansing, Michigan and is a "child" of Interstate 96. It is ceremonially designated the R.E. Olds Freeway along the portion that cuts through the city of Lansing...
branches off the highway and travels through Lansing until it meets I-96 again south of Lansing. After I-69 splits off I-96 southwest of Lansing, I-96 has a short 2 miles (3.2 km) leg where it travels southeast, after which it travels east-southeast for approximately 30 miles (48.3 km). 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 turns southward and merges with 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...
branches off at this junction and runs east to I-94. I-96 is co-signed with I-275 for about 7.5 miles (12.1 km). In Livonia
Livonia, Michigan
Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's 9th largest...
, I-96 splits off of I-275 and turns eastward towards Detroit. After the Outer Drive exit, express lanes begin in both directions. Three miles (4.8 km) from where I-96 enters Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
is a massive interchange with M-39 (Southfield Freeway)
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...
, which is called "Malfunction Junction
Malfunction Junction
Malfunction Junction is a derisive nickname given by motorists to a confusing, dangerous, or otherwise problematic interchange.-Alabama:*Interstates in Birmingham. This interchange is the busiest in Alabama, and has been the site of many accidents, including roadway punctures and two fiery...
" by some locals. I-96 turns southeast here and enters Detroit, where it becomes known as the Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
Memorial Freeway. I-96 intersects I-94 within Detroit. Two miles after the I-94 interchange, I-96 reaches its eastern terminus at I-75 (Fisher Freeway).
Lane configurations
- between western terminus and I-196 (2 lanes on each side)
- between I-196 and M-21 (3 lanes on each side; the right-most of the 3 eastbound lanes is actually an auxiliary lane connecting the on-ramp from 196 with the off-ramp to M-21)
- between M-21 and milepost 86 (2 lanes on each side)
- between milepost 86 and north-end merge with I-69 (3 WB, 2 EB lanes)
- through the concurrency with I-69 (miles 90-97) on the west side of Lansing, MI (3 lanes on each side)
- between south I-69 split and M-59 near Howell (2 lanes on each side)
- between M-59 and I-275Interstate 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...
(3 lanes on each side) - transition from I-696 onto I-275Interstate 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...
(2 through lanes each way) - concurrent with I-275 (4 lanes on each side, very short segment of 5 each side on approach to I-696/I-275/M-5 interchange)
- ramps carrying I-96 from I-275 to Jeffries Freeway (2 lanes on each side)
- between M-14 and Outer Drive (4 lanes on each side)
- between Outer Drive and Davison Avenue (2+ local, 3 express; on each side)
- between Davison Avenue and eastern terminus (4 lanes on each side)
- See M-5M-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...
for the lane configurations of the leftover stub after I-96 joins I-275.
History
Interstate 96 was mostly constructed in sections that opened from 1957 to 1962, but it was not completed in the Detroit area until 1977. Even before the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act was signed in 1956, the route was being planned as a replacement of the old US 16, which was decommissionedDecommissioned 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 1962.
Beginnings
The Lake MichiganLake 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...
– Grand Rapids – Lansing – Detroit corridor was initially the Grand River Trail, an Indian trail that was designated as a military highway in 1832. Detroit changed the name of its portion of the road to Grand River Avenue
Grand River Avenue
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...
in 1871, a name which soon spread along the rest of the route. It became M-16 in 1918, and was the first paved highway across the state when paving was completed in 1926. The entire highway was designated as part of US 16 later that year.
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...
, with Interstate 94N on the spur to Muskegon. Michigan, believing that this would "cause considerable confusion to the public", requested a change in April 1958, which would move I-94 to the shorter Kalamazoo route (which was planned as I-92), make the Muskegon-Kalamazoo route I-96, and assign I-67 to the connection from I-94 to I-96 at Grand Rapids, but this was initially rejected by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO). By early 1959, Michigan's plan had been approved, with one change: I-96 would take the south leg from I-94 at Benton Harbor to Grand Rapids, and the north leg to Muskegon would be I-196.
Construction of the Brighton–Farmington Expressway piece of the US 16 upgrade began in 1956, and, when a four-mile (6 km) piece opened on August 1, 1957, it was the first section of funded Interstate to open in Michigan. The entire 23 miles (37 km) expressway from east of Brighton to a bypass of Farmington was completed in December of that year. By early 1959, when signs for I-96 and I-196 were posted, 59 miles (95 km) of the "Detroit–Muskegon Freeway" had been completed and marked as US 16. With the opening of 51 miles (82.1 km) from west of Lansing to east of Howell, the entire route, except in the Detroit area, was opened for travel on December 12, 1962. US 16 was decommissioned in the state at that time; the portions into Muskegon and Detroit, beyond the ends of the freeway, became Business Spur Interstate 196 (BS I-196) and Business Spur Interstate 96 (BS I-96).
In 1963, the Michigan State Highway Department petitioned AASHO to again make the change it had requested back in 1958, moving I-96 over I-196 to end at Muskegon and renumbering I-96 west of Grand Rapids to I-67. The state cited problems with destination signing and numerous complaints from the public about confusion caused by the numbering. At their October 21, 1963 meeting, AASHO approved the relocation of I-96, but rejected I-67, stating that the number should be kept for a more major route in case the system is expanded, and instead assigned I-196 to the not-yet-complete Benton Harbor – Grand Rapids route. With the completion of the Lodge Freeway on October 29, 1964, a full freeway route was available from I-96 into downtown Detroit via I-696 and the Lodge, but it would be some time before I-96 was finished into the city.
Construction of the Jeffries Freeway
The Detroit Expressway and Transit System plan, prepared in 1945 for the city of Detroit, included a Grand River Expressway, which was to parallel Grand River AvenueGrand River Avenue
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...
into downtown and relieve congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
on that artery. A rail line would be built in the median of the freeway west of West Chicago Street, where streetcars would exit onto the existing surface tracks on Grand River Avenue into downtown. The plan called for a future conversion to rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
with a grade-separated route to downtown. The Department of Street Railways determined in 1947 that the operation would cost $6 million per year, and the planned transit line was dropped from the plans. By 1961, the proposed highway was renamed the Jeffries Freeway, after Edward Jeffries
Edward Jeffries
Edward J. Jeffries Jr. was an American politician, councilman, and mayor of Detroit.-Early life:Edward Jeffries was born in Detroit, Michigan On April 3, 1900, the son Judge Edward J. Jeffries and Minnie Stott Jeffries. The elder Jeffries was an alderman, a police justice, and a long-serving...
, who served as Detroit mayor from 1940 to 1948.
The first piece of the Jeffries Freeway connected the Fisher Freeway (I-75) with the Ford Freeway (I-94) in 1970. It was extended northwest to Livernois Avenue (exit 188A) in 1971, and then to Grand River Avenue at Schaefer Highway (exit 185) in 1973. In 1976, the freeway was extended west to the Southfield Freeway (exit 183), and the entire I-275 concurrent section was opened. The final piece was completed in 1977, connecting the Detroit section to I-275.
Originally, the route of Interstate 96 from the east end of the existing freeway in Farmington through Detroit, named the Jeffries Freeway (commonly referred to as simply "the Jeffries"), was to closely parallel Grand River Avenue
Grand River Avenue
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...
(formerly US 16). However, by 1963, several freeway revolts were taking place in urban locations throughout the country, including Detroit. Several of Detroit's planned freeways were modified, scaled back, or outright cancelled, and the Jeffries was no exception. To minimize the impact to existing communities and businesses, it was decided that the freeway would no longer utilize the Grand River Avenue corridor. Instead, the new Interstate 96 freeway corridor would partially use the C&O Railroad right of way through the city of Livonia, and utilize the planned I-275 freeway bypassing Detroit to the west to connect back to the existing freeway.
The Jeffries Freeway (not yet signed as I-96) was opened in stages in the early-1970s. The first two segments, opened in 1970 and 1971, connected I-75 to I-94, and I-94 to Livernois Avenue, respectively. The full freeway-to-freeway connection ramps to the planned Davison Freeway were opened in 1973, in another extension of the Jeffries Freeway to Grand River Avenue. In 1975, the Jeffries was completed westward to the Southfield Freeway (M-39), and, about this time, the Jeffries Freeway was signed as I-96, leaving a gap in the routing between Farmington and the M-39 interchange.
When a portion of the new I-275 freeway opened from the existing I-96 to the Schoolcraft Avenue in 1976, it was still not signed as I-96. In 1977, the final portion of the Jeffries Freeway through Livonia (from I-275 east to the end of the existing Jeffries Freeway) opened to traffic, and with that, the final segment of I-96 in general. The I-96 routing was assigned along the I-275 freeway south to the Jeffries Freeway, and eastward along the new freeway to the M-39 interchange, and the remaining stub of I-96 around Farmington was redesignated as an extension 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...
(now 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...
).
Subsequent history
Since the completion of I-96 in 1977, several expansions of the freeway have taken place, including the addition of a third lane in each direction for most of the eastern half of the route. Beginning in 1984, a southerly extension of the US 27 freeway (later to become I-69) bypassing Lansing opened; US 27 was then cosigned with I-96 along the western side of Lansing. Three years later, the I-69 designation was applied to this new bypass, resulting in a rare triple-concurrency (I-96/I-69/US7 27) that existed until 2002, when US 27 was decommissioned in Michigan.On January 12, 2005, a massive pile-up consisting of over 200 motor vehicles occurred in both directions of I-96 near 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...
in 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...
. Two people, Douglas James Baker (age 15) and Jason Eldridge (age 27) were killed in the incident, one of the largest multi-vehicle collision
Multiple-vehicle collision
A multi-vehicle collision is a road traffic accident involving many vehicles. Generally occurring on high capacity and high speed routes such as freeways, they are one of the deadliest forms of traffic accidents...
s in U.S. history, which was blamed on heavy fog.
From 2003 to 2005, the Beck Road interchange (exit 160) in 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...
was reconstructed as a single point urban interchange (SPUI), the first in the metropolitan Detroit area and the first on I-96, at a cost of $46 million. The reconstruction of the Wixom Road interchange near Novi as a SPUI was completed in late fall of 2008.
Future
While I-96 is, for the most part, a complete route, there are a few minor changes planned or being considered for the future.Ambassador Bridge connection
At this time, there is no direct freeway access to the Ambassador BridgeAmbassador Bridge
The Ambassador Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume: more than 25 percent of all merchandise trade between the United States...
at the United States – Canada border; only a short surface street connection exists between the bridge's approaches and the nearby I-75 and I-96. The construction of an Interstate connection between I-75 and the bridge was mandated by the 1998 National Highway System Act
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century was enacted June 9, 1998, as Public Law 105-178. TEA-21 authorized the Federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for the 6-year period 1998-2003...
; this most likely would take the form of an easterly extension of I-96 directly to the bridge. However, the actual construction of this connection faces several obstacles, including the projected high cost and local impact.
Despite the past obstacles, plans to make I-96 accessible to the Ambassador Bridge are currently underway. Beginning in 2008, the Michigan Department of Transportation
Michigan Department of Transportation
The Michigan Department of Transportation is a constitutional government agency in the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interstate, US and state highways in Michigan with the exception of the Mackinac...
began a two year project to realign the interchange between I-75 and I-96 near Downtown Detroit. The project will include a new pedestrian walk, as well as both freeways having a direct link to the Ambassador bridge, eliminating the pedestrian linkage to the bridge. The project is 90% complete as of July 2009.
Additional interchanges
Currently, another interchange at Latson Road in HowellHowell, 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...
is planned and under study, pending right of way acquisition. This interchange would bring improved access to the eastern Howell area, which is currently only accessible from westbound I-96.
The reconstruction of the Wixom Road interchange near Novi as a SPUI was completed in late fall of 2008.
Grand Rapids area work
The eastbound remodel starts north of Leonard Street. The Leonard Street exit will be realigned and a new loop entrance ramp from Leonard to I-96 eastbound replaces the existing entrance. At the point where the present entrance from Leonard merges with the Interstate, a new single lane exit to I-196 eastbound will be built at ground level. After the I-196 exit, the present freeway will be used as the M-37/M-44 exit ramp and a new 2 lane freeway will be constructed in the median. Through lanes and exit lanes will be built on ground level, passing under a new westbound 3-lane I-196 bridge before new eastbound I-196 travelling lanes merge into the through lanes. I-96 passes under a widened M-37/M-44 bridge with 4 lanes and increases to 5 lanes with the M-37/M-44 entrance ramp. After passing over a railroad with an expanded bridge, I-96 drops two lanes for exits with M-21 (Fulton Street). The present exit to eastbound M-21 will be retained in all aspects and a new exit to westbound M-21 built. An improved Michigan LeftMichigan left
A Michigan left is an at-grade intersection design which replaces each left turn with a permutation of a U-turn and a right turn. The design was given the name due to its frequent use along Michigan roads and highways since the late 1960s. In other contexts, the intersection is called a median...
turn will be built about 100 feet (30.5 m) west of the present one for the connection from westbound M-21 to eastbound I-96. A new entrance from eastbound M-21 to eastbound I-96 will be built using almost all of the right of way. This section also adds a third eastbound traveling lane along with a weave merge lane to Cascade Rd. This ends the eastbound remodel.
The first merging traffic comes from North M-37/M-44 which place M-37 onto I-96 until Alpine Ave. The next merging traffic comes from South M-44. This will only require an addition of one lane. Midway between the M-37/M-44 and Leonard stretch of freeway the I-196 exit ramp will be built using a new bridge, with the exit around the present location. This bridge will carry three lanes of traffic and will be the official start of that interstate. The I-96 weave merge lane will be reduced at this point to two lanes. The second lane on the right will be used as a splitter with traffic either staying on I-96 or going to I-196. This will give the southbound M-44 entrance ramp about the same amount of distance to merge into the second lane to get onto I-196. After less than a quarter mile (0.4 km) one lane of traffic will be split off and merged with new I-96 through lanes midway between Leonard and the splitting point. After that the new eastbound I-196 to westbound I-96 exit will be merged with the single weave merge lane just before Leonard St bridge. That exit ramp will go over seven sets of freeway traffic using one long bridge. After the bridge the weave merge lanes will use the present Leonard Street exit then become a single lane until the present Leonard Street entrance ramp merges with it. After that merging it will finally merge with I-96 traffic. A final note is that the two lanes of through traffic for I-96 will use the present freeway at the point it gets a merging lane with the weave merge before Leonard. At that point an additional lane of traffic will be added to the present freeway.
The ability to add lanes between the present freeways in the median is possible since the width of the grassy median is over 50 feet (15.2 m).
Exit list
Canceled routings in Detroit
I-96 was originally intended to shadow Grand River AvenueGrand River Avenue
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...
within Detroit's city limits and was actually completed along this route into Farmington. Local opposition killed this project, so prior to the Jeffries opening through Livonia in the 1977, I-96 was relocated onto it. The Farmington stub was redesignated as an extension to 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...
and now bears the designation of 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...
. Furthermore when the interchange with Davison Avenue
M-8 (Michigan highway)
M-8 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan lying within the cities of Detroit and Highland Park. Much of it is the Davison Freeway, the nation's first urban depressed freeway, which became a connector between the Lodge and the Chrysler Freeways.Named for an English immigrant...
(present day exit 186) was constructed, it was expected that the Davison Freeway was to be extended to meet up with the Jeffries. Accordingly it was built as a full freeway-to-freeway interchange, but before the Jeffries was completed both the Davison extension was cancelled and I-96 was rerouted. This left both an interchange far larger than traffic dictates and I-96 following an elbow that has it intersecting with the straight Grand River Ave. twice within two miles (3 km).
Discrepancy regarding I-275
MDOT and the FHWAFederal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
disagree on the designation of the Livonia to Farmington Hills stretch of I-96. MDOT signs this 6-mile (10 km) segment as a concurrency with I-275. However, FHWA maintains that I-275's northern terminus is at the I-96/M-14 intersection near Plymouth
Plymouth, Michigan
Plymouth is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,132 at the 2010 census. The City of Plymouth is an enclave completely surrounded by Plymouth Charter Township, Michigan.-Geography:...
and therefore this stretch should only be labeled I-96. Although the mile markers and exit numbers continue with I-96's sequence, local residents tend to refer to this leg of I-96 primarily as I-275; the designation distinctly separates the Jeffries Freeway portion of I-96 from the portion of the highway west of I-696.
Auxiliary routes
I-96 has four auxiliary routes, connecting the highway to downtownDowntown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
s and other cities. 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,...
is a relatively long route, beginning at I-96 east of downtown Grand Rapids and heading west through downtown to Holland, and then south to I-94 near Benton Harbor. The unsigned I-296
Interstate 296
Interstate 296 is a part of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Michigan. It is a state trunkline highway that runs for entirely within the Grand Rapids area. Its termini are I-96 on the north side of Grand Rapids in Walker and I-196 near downtown Grand Rapids. The entire length is...
connects I-96 north of downtown Grand Rapids with I-196 in downtown, and is signed as US 131. I-496
Interstate 496
Interstate 496 is an Interstate Highway that passes through downtown Lansing, Michigan and is a "child" of Interstate 96. It is ceremonially designated the R.E. Olds Freeway along the portion that cuts through the city of Lansing...
is a loop through downtown Lansing, which I-96 bypasses to the south, and 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...
is a northern bypass of Detroit, connecting I-96 in Novi with I-75 in Royal Oak and |I-94 in St. Clair Shores.
Interstate 96 presently has two business route
Business route
A business route in the United States and Canada is a short special route connected to a parent numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or town, and finally reconnecting with the same parent numbered highway again at its...
s: a loop through Lansing and a loop through Howell. Both follow the old route of US 16, with appropriate connections to I-96. A spur into Muskegon once existed, running 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...
with part of BUS US 31 along former US 16, but it has been eliminated. Two routes in the Detroit area—a loop through Farmington and a spur into Detroit—both using Grand River Avenue
Grand River Avenue
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...
, and meeting at the temporary end of I-96 near Purdue Avenue, were eliminated when I-96 was moved to the completed Jeffries Freeway in 1977. On 31 October 2007, a spur into Portland was decommissioned and turned back to the City of Portland.I-96 Business Spur/Grand River Avenue, from the northern terminus of the I-96 Business Spur at the centerline of Kent Street, southeasterly to the southern terminus of the I-96 Business Spur at the eastbound I-96 exit ramp, a distance of approximately 1.29 miles (2.1 km), in control section 34032."