| |||||||||
| Interstate 196 Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Length: | 80.65 mi[1] (129.79 km) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formed: | 1963 | ||||||||
| South end: |   I-94/US 31 near Benton Harbor, MI
| ||||||||
| Major junctions: | US 31 near Holland, MI  I-296/US 131 in Grand Rapids, MI
| ||||||||
| North end: |   I-96/M-37 near Grand Rapids, MI
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
>
Interstate 196 (I-196) is a long freeway spur route in the U.S. state of Michigan linking Grand Rapids, Holland, South Haven, and Benton Harbor. I-196 changes direction although it is a through route. It is a north-south route from its southern terminus to the junction with US 31 just south of Holland and an east-west route from this point to its eastern terminus. The total length is 80.6 miles. Although not the longest Interstate spur route, it may be proportionally the longest in proportion to its 'parent', Interstate 96.[original research?] At first, Interstate 96 was planned to run from Detroit to Lansing to Grand Rapids to Benton Harbor, and I-196 was to be a spur route from Grand Rapids to Muskegon. However, I-96 from Detroit to Grand Rapids and I-196 from Grand Rapids to Muskegon was completed a few years before the segment from Grand Rapids to Benton Harbor. Thus it appeared as if I-196 were simply a continuation of I-96. Before the Grand Rapids-Benton Harbor segment was completed, the Michigan Department of Transportation petitioned federal highway officials to switch the interstate designations west of Grand Rapids. Permission for this switch was granted in 1963. Consideration was also made to name the Grand Rapids to Benton Harbor freeway I-67, but was later withdrawn. I-196 is known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, or simply the Ford Freeway, in Kent, Ottawa, and Allegan Counties[2], after the 38th President of the United States, whose political career began in Grand Rapids. This name generally refers only to the section between Holland and Grand Rapids.
Contents |
Route description
| Major cities Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs[3] |
|---|
The route begins by mile numbers just north of Benton Harbor in Berrien County. As it travels north it does the usual long haul road of a few bends to keep the drivers awake. Overall it bypasses the few cities that it comes across along the lakeshore. Before it reaches Ottawa County the US 31 route gets removed at the partial interchange south of Holland. From there it travels on a Northeast routing through Ottawa County bypassing the cities of Holland, Zeeland, and Hudsonville by a wide margin. The only jog that goes fairly northern is when it comes close to Chicago Drive on the east side of Zeeland. That is also when Business Route 196 begins/ends. As it continues Northeast it approaches M-6. After crossing into Kent County it straddles the east side part of the border with Ottawa County and goes North for a few miles until it hits Chicago Drive interchange. From there it travels again with a Northeastern path until it crosses the Grand River after being on its side from Chicago Drive. At this point it heads due North to the Lake Michigan/M-45 interchange. After a short northeast adjustment of the route it travels due east through downtown Grand Rapids and the Medical Corridor to its terminus with the partial interchange with Interstate 96.
Future
The Michigan Department of Transportation currently has two studies underway to improve traffic flow. The first one is nearly completed and construction is planned for 2007-08. The end result of the study is a new exit planned for immediately before the Grandville/Jenison Chicago Drive exit. The exit is needed to alleviate traffic backups for motorists connecting via Chicago Drive to Baldwin Street, which involves crossing heavily-used CSX railroad tracks. The new exit puts traffic directly onto Baldwin Street, which would allow traffic to avoid crossing the grade level CSX railroad tracks. The start date for this project has been stated as spring of 2008 with a finish date of fall of 2009. According to the latest from MDOT the change will involve reconstructing Baldwin Ave with 5 lanes of traffic and adding a right turn lane to Main St. From Mill St to 196 the current Baldwin Ave will be replaced with a more east-west street. At the Grandville Waste Treatment plant more changes occur. This involves moving the current entrance to one that bridges over Rush Creek. This will allow for the ramps to be built properly and without traffic from the plant causing issues since the current plant entrance is located at the end of the future ramp. Another change will put a cul-de-sac at the end of Old M-21 before Rush Creek. As a result the bridge over the creek will be removed along with the intersection of it with Baldwin St. The only other change is at the intersection of Main St and Baldwin. This involves a new alignment of the intersection with property taken from the Jenison Baptist Temple. On 196 itself two new bridges will be built to take the onramp from Baldwin. Furthermore to accept the new weave merge lane from Chicago Dr to 28th Street two new bridges will be built over Buck Creek. The other study involves the stretch from US-131 to its connection with I-96. Among the recommendations are: a third lane from the I-96 interchange to US-131; a weave merge lane from Fuller Avenue to Division Avenue; new junctions from eastbound I-96 to westbound I-196, and from eastbound I-196 to westbound I-96; adjustments to exit ramps and local roads; and additional reconfiguration of the M-37/M-44 (East Beltline) interchange area. According to MDOT in the Expanding the System in the planning part of the website the Federal Government found a Finding of No Significant Impact in December of 2005. As such the department has decided that a 2010 start date will be used for this project.
Exit list
| County | Location | # | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berrien | Benton Township | I-196 begins concurrent with US-31 | ||
| I-94 / US-31 south - Chicago, Niles, Detroit
| Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||
| 1 | Red Arrow Highway | |||
| Hagar Township | 4 | Coloma, Riverside | ||
| 7 |  M-63 (Hagar Shore Road) – St. Joseph, Benton Harbor
| |||
| Van Buren | Covert Township | 13 | Covert | |
| South Haven Township | 18 |    I-196 BL north / M-140 to M-43 – Bangor, South Haven, Watervliet
| ||
| South Haven | 20 | I-196 BL south (Phoenix Road) to M-43 – Bangor, South Haven
| ||
| Allegan | Casco Township | 22 | North Shore Drive | |
| 26 | 109th Avenue - Pullman | |||
| Ganges Township | 30 |  A-2 – Ganges, Glenn, Allegan
| ||
| 34 |  M-89 – Fennville
| |||
| Saugatuck Township | ||||
| 36 | A-2 – Douglas, Saugatuck, Ganges, Allegan
| |||
| Laketown Township | 41 | A-2 (Blue Star Highway) – Douglas, Saugatuck
| ||
| 44 | US-31 north (I-196 BL east) – Grand Haven, Holland, Lake Michigan, Muskegon, Ludington
| Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| North end of US-31 overlap; I-196 signage changes from north-south to east-west | ||||
| Holland | 49 |  M-40 – Allegan
| ||
| Ottawa | Holland Township | 52 | Adams Street, 16th Street | |
| Zeeland Township | 55 | I-196 BL west (Byron Road) – Holland, Zeeland
| ||
| Hudsonville | 62 | 32nd Avenue - Hudsonville | ||
| Georgetown Township | 64 |  M-6 east – Lansing
| ||
| Kent | Grandville | 67 | 44th Street, Rivertown Parkway | |
| 69 | Chicago Drive - Jenison | Signed as exits 69A (east) and 69B (west) westbound | ||
| Baldwin Street | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance under construction[4][5] | |||
| 70 |  M-11 (28th Street, Wilson Avenue) – Wyoming, Walker, Grandville
| Signed as exits 70A (east) and 70B (west) eastbound | ||
| Wyoming | 72 |  I-196 BS east (Chicago Drive)
| Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| Grand Rapids | 73 | Market Avenue | ||
| 75 |  M-45 west (Lake Michigan Drive)
| |||
| 76 | Lane Avenue | |||
| 77 | US-131 (I-296 north) – Kalamazoo, Cadillac
| Signed as exits 77A (north) and 77B (south) | ||
| 77C | Ottawa Avenue - Downtown Grand Rapids | |||
| 78 | College Avenue | |||
| 79 | Fuller Avenue | |||
| I-96 east – Lansing
| Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |||
See also
There are two business loops and one business spur along I-196:
- BL I-196 in South Haven: From Exit 18 to Exit 20.
- BL I-196 in Holland-Zeeland: From Exit 44 To Exit 55.
- BS I-196 in Wyoming-Grand Rapids: From I-96 Exit 72 To US 131 Exit 83B. Eastbound, this route is on Chicago Drive through Wyoming and Grandville Ave. to Franklin Ave. in Grand Rapids, where it ends at US-131.
References
- ^ Route Log - Auxiliary Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 2. Federal Highway Administration (2007-03-22). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
- ^ Memorial Highways. Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
- ^ List of Control Cities for Use in Guide Signs on Interstate Highways (2007-03-22). Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
- ^ Michigan Department of Transportation, I-196 @ Chicago Drive Conceptual Ramp Alternatives, accessed October 2007
- ^ Grand Rapids Press, Baldwin detour starts, October 5, 2007
External links
 | Auxiliary routes of Interstate 96 | |
| Current and Future (F) | Former | |
| Michigan | |
|
| Michigan | |
| Michigan | |
| Michigan | |
