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Highways 180 through 199M-183 | M-185 | M-186 | M-188 | M-189 | I-194 | I-196 | Former M-196 | M-199 | Jump to Bottom | ||||||||||||||
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Southern Terminus: | Entrance to Fayette State Historic Park southwest of Garden | |||||||||||||
| Northern Terminus: | US-2 at Garden Corners | ||||||||||||||
| Length: | 16.376 miles | ||||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-183 | ||||||||||||||
| Notes: | Fayette, an 1800s iron-smelting ghost town, became a state park in 1959. For about 25 years, Delta Co Rd 483 served as the connection from the main highway to the park. Then in the mid-1980s, the county transferred control of the northernmost 16.36 miles of the road to the state who redesignated it M-183, obviously basing the new number on its former Co Rd 483 designation. The highway basically serves as an access road to the park from US-2, seeing as it ends precisely at the park's main entrance. From that point on to Fairport, the road remains in county control as Co Rd 483. | ||||||||||||||
| History: | 1932 (Oct 29) – A new 2.0-mile long state trunkline loop route is created in southeast Livingston Co to serve as an access route into Dodge Brothers No.1 State Park (part of present-day Island Lake State Recreation Area) southeast of Brighton. The new route, designated M-183 and looping between US-16/Grand River Ave and US-23/Whitmore Lake Rd, appears on very few maps and is likely not signed in the field for its entire existence, if at all. | ||||||||||||||
| 1960 (Jul 6) – M-183 is cancelled as a state trunkline in its entirety, the portion along Briggs Lake Dr is turned back to local control while a portion within the state park becomes a park access road with the remainder abandoned as a public roadway. Interestingly, the route at M-183's eastern terminus, US-16, had been cancelled more than two months earlier on May 2 when it was relocated to the new Brighton-Farmington Expressway (present-day I-96). | |||||||||||||||
| 1969 (Summer) – As a result of the development of Fayette State Historic Park, Co Rd 483, the access route from US-2 at Garden Corners, has seen a major increase in the amount of traffic. This has caused the asphalt surface of Co Rd 483 to deteriorate significantly, as it is receiving much more wear and tear than it would if it was still serving just local traffic. As it would cost over $200,000 to resurface the roadway—funds the Delta Co Road Commission cannot spare—the Road Commission has requested the Dept of State Highways to take over jursidiction of the portion of Co Rd 483 between US-2 at Garden Corners and the state park entrance southwest of Garden. Dept Director, Henrik E Stafseth is ordered to "study the situation." | |||||||||||||||
1985 (Feb 19)  – Nearly 16 full years after the Dept of State Highways was instructed to "study" whether or not the county road linking US-2 at Garden Corners with Fayette State Historic Park, the northernmost 16.61 miles of Co Rd 483 is officially established as state trunkline highway and transferred from county to state control. The new route is designated M-183 as a nod to the former route number "483." M-183 route markers are likely erected later in the spring or summer. |
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| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-183 is freeway or expressway. | ||||||||||||||
| Photographs: | |||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-183 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-183 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | ||||||||||||||
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PLEASE NOTE: The M-185 route information has moved to its own page: M-185 Route Listing. |
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Western Terminus: | M-113, 3½ miles west of Fife Lake in southeast Grand Traverse Co | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Terminus: | US-131, ½ mile west of downtown Fife Lake in southeast Grand Traverse Co | ||||||||||||||
| Length: | 2.501 miles | ||||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-186 | ||||||||||||||
| Notes: | M-186 is a short connector highway between US-131 and M-113. | ||||||||||||||
 At some point in the 2020-2023 timeframe, all existing square (24" x 24") M-186 route markers along the entire route were replaced with new wide/rectangular (24" x 36") route markers. |
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| History: | 1932 (Oct 29) – A new 4.3-mile long connector trunkline designated M-186 links US-2 & US-41 at Rapid River with M-35 near Brampton. It mainly serves as a handy connection for westbound US-2 traffic heading for northbound M-35 toward Gwinn and Negaunee. | ||||||||||||||
| 1939 (July 13) – All of M-186 is cancelled as a state trunkline and turned back to local control as part of an overall effort by the State Highway Dept to turn back any routes having a an average daily traffic count of 300 vehicles or less and M-186 has a traffic volume lower than that. While the jurisdictional transfer of M-69 elsewhere in Delta Co to County control as well as M-186 is vehemently opposed by County officials, only the transfer of M-69 is stopped, while the cancellation of M-186 and its transfer to County control goes ahead unimpeded. However, the M-186 designation would not be absent from Michigan's highway system for long... | |||||||||||||||
| 1940 (Aug 17) – A nearly five mile segment of new state trunkline is established as a state trunkline route when US-131 is officially established via its present-day route between Walton Junction and the jct with present-day M-186 on the western edge of Fife Lake. the former route of US-131 from Walton Junction northerly 4 miles is redesignated as an extension of M-113, while the east-west segment from M-113 easterly to the new alignment on the west edge of Fife Lake receives a brand-new route designation: M-186. | |||||||||||||||
| 1979 (Jun 1) ‐ A new angling "cut-off" route is established as a state trunkline, beginning on M-113 just east of Hodge Rd (5 miles east of Kingsley) and trending slightly southeasterly, crossing the existing M-113 approximately ¼ mile north of the M-186 junction and ending on M-186 approximately one mile east of M-113 (1-1/2 miles west of US-131 at Fife Lake). Decades later, this realignment has yet to be built and may have been removed from the books at some point during the 1990s. | |||||||||||||||
| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-186 is freeway or expressway. | ||||||||||||||
| Photographs: | |||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-186 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-186 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | ||||||||||||||
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Southern Terminus: | The old Penn Central (Pennsylvania) Railroad grade near the VFW National Home, 4.5 miles southeast of Eaton Rapids | |||||||||||||
| Northern Terminus: | M-50/M-99 in Eaton Rapids | ||||||||||||||
| Length: | 4.559 miles | ||||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-188 | ||||||||||||||
| Notes: | M-188 was created to be an access road serving the VFW National Home southest of Eaton Rapids, on the Ingham/Eaton county line. | ||||||||||||||
| History: | 1932 (Nov 19) – A new state trunkline spur route is established providing highway access to the V.F.W. National Home from Eaton Rapids in southeast Eaton Co. Certain Michigan State Highway Dept maps only show the 1.7 mile portion of M-188 along Waverly Rd on the Eaton/Ingham Co line as being established with the portion from M-50/M-99 in Eaton Rapids to Waverly Rd indicating no establishment date! Whether this indicates a loss of the original establishment information or was simply an error on the maps is unclear. In any event, the full trunkline from Eaton Rapids to the V.F.W Home was likely established on the same date. | ||||||||||||||
| 1940 – M-188 is hard-surfaced throughout. | |||||||||||||||
| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-188 is freeway or expressway. | ||||||||||||||
| Photographs: | |||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-188 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-188 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | ||||||||||||||
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Southern Terminus: | Wisconsin state line (connection w/STH-139) 7.8 miles south of downtown Iron River | |||||||||||||
| Northern Terminus: | US-2 in downtown Iron River | ||||||||||||||
| Length: | 7.771 miles | ||||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-189 | ||||||||||||||
| Notes: | M-189 is a short highway connecting Iron River and US-2 to the Wisconsin highway system at STH-139. | ||||||||||||||
| At some point in the 2020-2023 timeframe, all existing square (24" x 24") M-189 route markers along the entire route were replaced with new wide/rectangular (24" x 36") route markers. |
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| History: | 1932 (Oct 29) – A new 8.2-mile state trunkline is established beginning at US-2 in downtown Iron River and proceeding southerly to the Brule River at the Wisconsin state line and a connection with an extension of Wisc STH-139 from Tipler, Wisc. | ||||||||||||||
| 1936 – M-189 is hard-surfaced throughout. | |||||||||||||||
| 2013 – As M-189 approaches downtown Iron River from the south, the highway travelling along 4th Ave formerly featured a pair of very closely spaced near-90° turns at Maple St. A project to replace the two sharp turns with a gradular reverse curve is completed with 4th Ave now angling to the east at Boyington St and straightening back out at Maple St. The 0.02-mile (approx 105 feet) segment of Maple St from M-189/4th St westerly to the former west intersection with 4th St becomes a short, unsigned state trunkline segment for the time being. Much of the former north-south segment of M-189 south of Maple St is reconfigured into a one-way street with angle-parking for area businesses. |
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| 2019 (Oct 19) – The 0.02 mile (approx 105 feet) of east-west Maple St from M-189/4th St westerly which was retained as an unsigned state trunkline route after the 2013 project (see above) is officially cancelled and transferred to city control. |
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| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-189 is freeway or expressway. | ||||||||||||||
| Continue on: | STH-139 into Wisconsin – Wisconsin Highways Website | ||||||||||||||
| Photographs: | |||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-189 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-189 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | ||||||||||||||
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Southern Terminus: | I-94 at Exit 98 in southeastern Battle Creek | |||||||||||||
| Northern Terminus: | Cnr of Hamblin Ave & M-66/Division St in downtown Battle Creek |
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| Length: | 3.452 miles – according to MDOT data 3.38 miles – according to Route Log and Finder List – Interstate Highways, FHWA |
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| Map: | Route Map of I-194 | ||||||||||||||
| Notes: | I-194 runs concurrently with M-66 for its entire length. | ||||||||||||||
| This highway, also known as the Sojourner Truth Downtown Parkway, is the only three-digit Interstate spur or loop route from I-94 in Michigan. | |||||||||||||||
| History: | 1961 (Jan 6) – A six miles segment of new limited-access highway is established as a state trunkline route on this date, beginning near Graham Lake north of Joppa in Leroy Twp south of Battle Creek proceeding northerly to Columbia Ave on the south side of Battle Creek. The approximately 2-mile portion of this route from I-94/US-12 northerly to Columbia Ave is designated as part of I-194 as well as carrying the M-78 and BL I-94 designations as well. At Columbia Ave, I-194 terminates while M-78 and BL I-94 turn westerly via Columbia to the previous route of M-78 via Capital Ave. | ||||||||||||||
| 1964–65 – In 1964, the BL I-94 designation is removed from the I-194/M-78 freeway when the new Dickman Rd–M L King Dr routing is completed, while the M-78 designation is replaced through Battle Creek, including on the I-194 freeway, in 1965. | |||||||||||||||
| 1965 (Feb) – The entire northerly extension of the I-194 spur freeway into downtown Battle Creek is put into jeopardy when a landowner at the proposed Columbia Ave interchange refuses to sell the state the land necessary for the upgraded interchange required by the City of Battle Creek. State Highway Dept officials fear the completion of the freeway may not occur at all due to the property aquisition issues. | |||||||||||||||
| 1965 (July 28) – The northernmost portion of I-194/M-66 from Columbia Ave northerly to BL I-94/Michigan Ave is established as a state trunkline route, however it will not open to traffic until late 1966. | |||||||||||||||
| 1966 (late Oct) – The final 1.6 miles of the I-194/M-66 freeway is completed and opened to traffic from Columbia Ave to BL I-94/Michigan Ave this year, with this final segment costing $5.2 million to construct. | |||||||||||||||
| Freeway: | Entire route of I-194 is freeway. | ||||||||||||||
| NHS: | Entire route. | ||||||||||||||
| Photographs: | |||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • I-194 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of I-194 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | ||||||||||||||
| • I-194 Michigan – listing at Kurumi's 3 Digit Interstates website. | |||||||||||||||
| • Interstate 194 Michigan – listing at AARoads' Interstate-Guide. |
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Southern Terminus: | I-94 at Exit 34 northeast of Benton Harbor | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Terminus: | I-96/M-37 at Exit 37 on the eastern edge of Grand Rapids | ||||||||||||||
| Length: | 80.630 miles – according to MDOT data 80.65 miles – according to Route Log and Finder List – Interstate Highways, FHWA |
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| Map: | Route Map of I-196 | ||||||||||||||
| Notes: | I-196 as originally proposed and completed in the late-1950s and early-60s and today's version run via two different routes from Grand Rapids westerly. A Detroit-Muskegon freeway was proposed in the mid-1950s to connect those endpoints with Lansing and Grand Rapids, replacing the existing two-, three-, and four-lane undivided US-16 routing. The Michigan State Highway Dept had planned on simply relocating US-16 onto the new freeway, however the entire route was also assumed into the Interstate Highway System in 1956-57, thus meaning an Interstate designation would follow. After sveral numbering schemes were proposed, it was decided I-96 would be assigned to the route from Detroit through Lansing to Grand Rapids, then southwesterly via Holland before turning southerly to Benton Harbor. The portion of the Detroit-Muskegon Freeway from Grand Rapids to Muskegon was designated as a spur route, assigned I-196. | ||||||||||||||
| By 1961, all of I-196 (Grand Rapids-Muskegon) was complete, as was I-96 from the eastern end of I-196 toward Lansing and for the next two years, the I-96 freeway approaching Grand Rapids simply "turned into" I-196, as the I-96 "crosstown" freeway at Grand Rapids was not yet built. Approximately a year before this east-west crosstown freeway through Grand Rapids was completed, and just before certain Lakeshore segments of I-96/US-31 were to open, State Highway Dept officials petitioned AASHO to flip the I-96 and I-196 desginations west of Grand Rapids. This was granted in October 1963 and the two routes took on their present-day appearance, although the Jenison-to-Holland portion of I-196 would not be completed for more than a decade. | |||||||||||||||
| I-196 is also known as the Gerald R Ford Frwy, named for the 38th president who spent much of his life in the Grand Rapids area. In local usage, Grand Rapidians tend to favor calling this highway "The Ford Freeway" (or just "The Ford") over "I-196." Traffic reporters refer to the junction of "the Ford and US-131 downtown." Also see a 2000 article from Michigan History magazine by Tom Shawver titled "The Ford Freeway Funnies." | |||||||||||||||
| This is one of a handful of "direction-changing" routes in Michigan. At the US-31 junction south of Holland, I-196 changes from a north-south highway to an east-west one. The directional markers mounted with the route markers confirm this, although no specific signage is in place announcing the change as there is along M-5 in Novi and formerly featured along I-69 at Lansing. | |||||||||||||||
| History: |   NOTE: This history section for I-196 includes the history of any earlier route segments which were eventually incorporated into the route of I-196, which largely consists of portions the original I-96 between Benton Harbor and Holland opened from 1960 through 1963. Look for the route marker symbols denoting the original designation being referred to at the beginning of each history entry. |
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| 1957 (Dec 30) – A 9-mile segment of US-16 freeway, which is under consideration for inclusion in the new Interstate Highway System, is assumed into the state trunkline system on this day in Ottawa Co. The new freeway consists of two segments on new alignment as well as a portion of existing trunkline converted to freeway standards. From existing US-16/State Rd on the west side of Coopersville (west of 68th Ave) easterly, bypassing Coopersville to the south, back to existing US-16/Ironwood Dr at 40th Ave is assumed into the state trunkline system. From 40th Ave easterly to 24th Ave, existing US-16/Ironwood Dr is "twinned" and all intersecting roads are closed or grade-separated, converting the highway to a full freeway. From 24th Ave easterly to 8th Ave, the freeway again departs the existing highway onto new alignment bypassing Marne to the north and merges back into existing US-16 at 8th Ave. The two portions of existing US-16 not assumed into the new freeway (through Coopersville and through Marne) are turned back to local control. | |||||||||||||||
| 1958–59 – With Interstate numbering schemes finalized, the Muskegon-Grand Rapids freeway being built as a relocation of US-16 is also designated as part of I-196 while the Interstate route from Benton Harbor via Holland to Grand Rapids is designated as part of I-96, with the I-96 designation from Grand Rapids through Lansing to Detroit being applied to the existing and planned segments of the US-16 freeway. |
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| 1960 (Feb) – Sources indicate the first I-196 route markers are erected along the US-16 freeway (present-day I-96) from west of Coopersville to east of Marne. | |||||||||||||||
| 1960 (Aug 31) – The official route for the segment of I-96 (present-day I-196/US-31) in Berrien, Van Buren and Allegan Cos from I-94/US-12 northeast of Benton Harbor to the south side of Holland is announced by the State Highway Dept. Construction on this segment is scheduled to begin in 1961. |
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| 1961 (Sept 18) – The five-mile long segment of the I-196/US-16 freeway in northern Ottawa Co from Nunica to Coopersville is partially completed and partially opened to traffic. Beginning at 112th Ave (present-day Exit 10) at Nunica, the eastbound lanes of the new I-196/US-16 freeway are opened for five miles to just west of Coopersville. Two-way traffic is maintained on the eastbound lanes while the westbound lanes are completed. | |||||||||||||||
| 1961 (Sept 30) – The I-96/US-31 freeway (present-day I-196/US-31) from I-94 northeast of Benton Harbor northerly to the Van Buren/Allegan Co line at South Haven is established as part of the state trunkline highway system. The only portion completed and opened to traffic at this time, however, is the first 7-mile segment from I-94 to US-31/US-33/Hagar Shore Rd near the Berrien/Van Buren Co line. |
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| 1961 (Nov 15–25) – The I-196/US-16 freeway from US-31 in Norton Shores southeasterly to the western end of the "Nunica–Coopersville" freeway segment (opened in Sept) is completed and opened to traffic on Nov 15. A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the $10 million segment are held at the Muskegon/Ottawa Co line between Fruitport and Nunica. Ten days later on Nov 25, this new segment of freeway is officially added to the state trunkline system. The former route of US-16 from US-31 to Coopersville is turned back to local control. | |||||||||||||||
  1961 (Nov 21) – A seven-mile segment of future I-96/US-16 and future I-196/US-16 freeway is completed and opened to traffic on the northeast side of Greater Grand Rapids. Beginning at BUS US-131/Plainfield Ave (present-day Exit 33), the future I-196/US-16 continues easterly then southerly for four miles to the proposed location of the I-96/M-21 freeway interchange as it connects into downtown Grand Rapids. From that location—just west of the US-131/East Beltline Ave interchange (present-day Exit 38)—southeasterly to the end of the existing freeway at Cascade Rd, the new freeway will be signed as I-96/US-16. (At this time, I-96 is planned to head westerly through downtown Grand Rapids, then southwesterly to Holland and south to Benton Harbor. I-196, on the other hand, is the spur route from Grand Rapids northwesterly to Muskegon.) US-16 and M-50 remain signed along the south and west sides of the "Grand Rapids Beltline" system, though, until the entire section of the "Detroit-Muskegon Expressway" around Grand Rapids is complete and open to traffic. The route of BUS US-16 through downtown Grand Rapids is left intact from the new I-96/US-16 freeway (at present-day Exit 40A-B) westerly and northwesterly through Grand Rapids to Walker. This segment of freeway cost $7.5 million to construct and initially opens to "local traffic only" until the westerly extension of the freeway across the Grand River is completed and opened to traffic in one month. |
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1961 (Dec 22) – A pair of major developments for the route of I-196 in the Grand Rapids area:
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| 1962 (Dec 12) – The final 54½ mile segment of I-96 freeway from the Grand Ledge area easterly past Lansing to east of Howell is completed and opened to traffic. With this completed segment, all of US-16 in the state is "decommissioned" and all US-16 route markers are taken down along I-196 and I-96 (east of Grand Rapids), ending a 36-year run for the US-16 route designation in Michigan. The final segments of US-16 along the route of I-196 are designated thusly:
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| 1963 (Apr 30) – The State Highway Dept begins installing milemarkers along the "Muskegon–Detroit Freeway" between Muskegon and the Eaton/Ingham Co line at Lansing. Milemarkers will start at Mile 0 where I-196 begins at US-31 southeast of Muskegon and increase toward Detroit. It is interesting to note the State Highway Dept is choosing to mark the "Muskegon–Detroit Freeway" as one route even though it bears two different route designations: I-196 from Muskegon to Grand Rapids and I-96 from there to Detroit. The department has been actively campaigning to have the entire freeway from Muskegon to Detroit—which replaced the former US-16 designation—given one route number, although it has been rebuffed to date in that effort. | |||||||||||||||
| 1963 (Aug 30, 11 am–Noon) – A 22½-mile long segment of I-96/US-31 freeway opens from I-94 northeast of Benton Harbor (present-day Exit 34) northerly through western Van Buren Co, bypassing South Haven to the east, and terminating at North Shore Dr (present-day Exit 22), ½ mile north of the Van Buren/Allegan Co line. At the northern terminus of the completed freeway, the US-31 designation temporarily heads westerly via North Shore Dr back to its existing alignment along Blue Star Hwy. The first ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place at the I-94 interchange for the northbound lanes, while a second ceremony at South Haven one hour later opens the southbound lanes of I-96/US-31. Construction on the next segment of the freeway from South Haven to Douglas is nearing completion. This segment of I-96 is separated from the next-nearest open segment by approximately 58 miles. |
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| 1963 (Sept 30) – The 21.925 miles of the 22½-mile long segment of I-96/US-31 freeway opened to traffic one month earlier is established as a state trunkline route from the southern terminus of I-96 at I-94 northeast of Benton Harbor to the Van Buren/Allegan Co line northeast of South Haven. The final ½-mile of this newly-opened segment is not yet officially established as a trunkline route, nor is the connector along North Shore Dr between the new freeway and existing US-31 along Blue Star Hwy. The 12.477-mile portion of the former route of US-31 along Blue Star Hwy from US-33/Hagar Shore Rd in northern Berrien Co northerly to M-140 south of South Haven in Van Buren Co is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to county control. The 0.3-mile long segment of Hagar Shore Rd from the I-96/US-31 freeway westerly to the former route of US-31 is also officially established as a state trunkline route, becoming an extension to the route of US-33 as it heads northerly from St Joseph. The portion of the former US-31 route along the South Haven Bypass between M-140 and North Shore Dr, constructed 1942–43, is retained as a state tunkline route and earmarked to be designated as BL I-96, however it likely the State Highway Dept held off on erecting BL I-96 route markers as a major route designation change was in the planning which would directly affect South Haven's new Interstate Business Connection. |
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| 1963 (Oct 21) – The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO)—whose current president is Michigan's own State Highway Commissioner, John C Mackie—approves the redesignation of all of I-196 (Muskegon to Grand Rapids) as a westerly continuation of I-96, while existing I-96 from Benton Harbor northerly to Holland, then northeasterly to Grand Rapids, is requested by Mackie to be redesignated as I-67. AASHO committee members, however, wishing to reserve the I-67 designation for future Interstate system expansion, instead authorize the State Highway Dept to use either the I-196 or I-194 designations on the Benton Harbor–Grand Rapids freeway. (Oddly, the "Battle Creek Penetrator" freeway has been designated and signed as I-194 since 1961!) Mackie has been campaigning to flip-flop the I-96 and I-196 route designations since they were originally assigned in the late-1950s, wanting what is constantly referred to as the "Detroit–Muskegon Freeway" to bear a single route number, much like the former route the freeway replaced: US-16. State Highway Dept planners choose to designate the Benton Harbor–Grand Rapids freeway as I-196 and preparation begins for the actual swap in 2½ months. Muskegon's BS I-196 leading from the western terminus of the freeway at US-31 to the Mart Dock downtown will be accordingly redesignated as BS I-96, while what was to have been BL I-96 at South Haven will become BL I-196. |
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| 1963 (Dec 16) – Even though official approval to swap the I-96 and I-196 route designations west of Grand Rapids was received nearly two months prior, two segments of the so-called "Benton Harbor–Holland Expressway" are opened to traffic in Allegan Co—bearing the I-96/US-31 designation, albeit temporarily. The segments include a northerly extension of the completed I-96/US-31 freeway from North Shore Dr (present-day Exit 22) north of South Haven northerly past Glenn and Ganges to existing US-31 south of Douglas (at present-day Exit 36). The "Saugatuck–Douglas Bypass" and its span across the Kalamazoo River is not yet complete, so traffic is forced off the new freeway back onto the existing US-31 route (along present-day A-2/Blue Star Hwy) through Douglas and past Saugatuck. Northeast of Saugatuck, the second new segment of I-96/US-31 freeway begins (at present-day Exit 41) and continues northerly to a tie-in with the southern end of the existing US-31 Holland Bypass (at present-day Exit 47) on the southern edge of Holland. These two new segments are opened to traffic with temporary route markers bearing the I-96 designation, as the State Highway Dept is still in the process of implenting the I-96/I-196 route swap. On the same day it opens to traffic, the 14.654-mile South Haven-to-Douglas segment and the 6.609-mile Saugatuck-to-Holland Bypass segment are both officially established as state trunkline routes. Similarly, the two bypassed segments of the former US-31 along present-day A-2/Blue Star Hwy—the 14.312-mile portion from North Shore Dr to present-day Exit 36 south of Douglas and the 6.962-mile portion from present-day Exit 41 north of Saguatuck to the south end of the existing Holland Bypass (present-day Exit 47) are cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control. |
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 1964 (Jan 6–10) – While the I-96 and I-196 designation swap was approved the previous October, the actual swap-out of the route markers on both routes occurs during the first week of January 1964. All I-96 route markers along the completed portions of the so-called Benton Harbor–Holland Expressway are swapped out for I-196 route markers, while the I-196 signs posted along the US-16 freeway between Holland and the east side of Grand Rapids are replaced by I-96 markers. At this point, the planned BL I-96 routing at South Haven will now become a BL I-196 routing, while the existing BS I-196 route from US-31 southeast of Muskegon into downtown at the Mart Dock is redesignated as BS I-96. Interestingly, with this change, the entire length of I-96 outside of Metropolitan Detroit is now complete and open to traffic. I-196, which had been complete as a route for two years, now becomes only partially complete again and won't be completed for a decade. |
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| 1964 (July 31) – The I-196/US-31 Douglas/Saugatuck bypass is established as a state trunkline highway route and simultaneously opened to traffic from existing US-31 at Exit 36 to existing US-31 at Exit 41. The twin spans over the Kalamazoo River are the final pieces remaining before the segment could be opened. This is the first segment of I-196 to be completed and opened to traffic along its new Benton Harbor–Grand Rapids alignment. The former route of US-31 along present-day A-2/Blue Star Hwy is cancelled as a trunkline route and turned back to local control. |
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| 1964 (Dec 14–21) – The 12.5-mile I-196/M-21 freeway through Grand Rapids is opened to traffic on December 14 and is officially assumed into the trunkline system one week later on December 21, from existing M-21/Chicago Dr at Exit 69 in Grandville through downtown Grand Rapids to its terminus at I-96, where M-21 now continues the short distance via I-96 easterly to its existing routing along E Fulton St. This segment of freeway cost $40 million to construct. | |||||||||||||||
| 1972 (Dec 29) – A portion of the "in-town" business routing for the I-196/M-21 freeway through Grand Rapids, designated BUS M-21, is turned back to local control, specifically the portion from US-131 easterly via Franklin St, northerly via Eastern Ave and easterly again via E Fulton St. At this point, BUS M-21 becomes a spur routing from I-196/M-21 at Exit 69 through Grandville and Wyoming to US-131 in Grand Rapids. | |||||||||||||||
| 1973 (Mar 12) – The final segment of I-196 freeway is established as a state trunkline route from the existing I-196/US-31 freeway south of Holland at Exit 44 northeasterly past Zeeland and Hudsonville to the western end of the existing freeway at M-21/Chicago Dr (Exit 69). Sources also seem to indicate the BS I-196 designation debuts at this time in Wyoming and Grand Rapids. The remainder of the former BUS M-21 through the City of Grandville via Chicago Dr becomes an unsigned state trunkline for the time being. | |||||||||||||||
| 1974 (June–July) – All interchanges along the entire (completed) length of I-196 from I-94 near Benton Harbor to Holland and from M-21/Chicago Dr (present-day M-121) at Jenison to I-96 east of Grand Rapids are posted with exit numbers corresponding to the nearest milemarker. The freeway is milemarked from south to north from Benton Harbor to Holland, continuing from west to east from Jenison through Grand Rapids. The first exit on I-196/US-31 north of I-94 at Red Arrow Hwy is at Mile 1 and, therefore, will be numbered as Exit 1. The last exit on I-196 at Fuller Ave in Grand Rapids is near Mile 79 and is now numbered as Exit 79. Those interchanges on the yet-to-be-completed segment of I-196 from Holland to Jenison will be numbered upon completion of the freeway later in the year. | |||||||||||||||
| 1974 (Sept 26) – The Michigan State Legislature approves naming I-196 between Benton Harbor and Grand Rapids after President Gerald R. Ford, the first President to ever come from the State of Michigan and East Grand Rapids native. Sen Robert VanderLaan of Kentwood is the primary sponsor of the legislation while Sen Milton Zaagman of Grand Rapids, Sen Charles Zollar of Benton Harbor and Sen Gary Byker of Hudsonville are all co-sponsors. The resolution to name the freeway is "in recognition of Gerald Ford's outstanding record of public service of our notable statesman." | |||||||||||||||
| 1974 (Dec 8) – The final 24½-mile segment of the I-196/Gerald R Ford Frwy is completed and opened to traffic between the northern end of I-196 southwest of Holland and the western end of the freeway at M-21/Chicago Dr in Grandville, completing an 11-year effort to construct the Benton Harbor-Grand Rapids freeway. The freeway is dedicated in an 11:00 am ceremony at the 44th St interchange in Grandville attended by President Ford's brothers Thomas, Richard and James who brought personal greetings and thanks from the President. The freeway opens to traffic immediately following the ceremony. For the second time, I-196 is completed in its entirety—the first time being completed in 1961 when it occupied the Muskegon-Grand Rapids routing now occupied by I-96. The former connection between completed segments of I-196 freeway, M-21 along Chicago Dr, has its route markers removed between Grandville and Main Ave at Zeeland, becoming an unsigned state trunkline, known internally within the Dept of Transportation & State Highways as OLD M-21, while the portion of M-21/Chicago Dr from Main Ave around the south side of Zeeland, is redesignated as part of the new BL I-196 routing at Holland/Zeeland. | |||||||||||||||
| 1974 (Dec 11) – The short connection from former M-21/Chicago Dr easterly to the new I-196/Gerald R Ford Frwy at Exit 55 east of Zeeland via Byron Rd is transferred to state control. This short new connector is then paired with former M-21 around the south side of Zeeland to US-31 at the Chicago Dr interchange on the eastern edge of Holland and designated as an I-196 Business Connection. Official maps seem to indicate only the portion of the former M-21 from US-31 to I-196 at Exit 55 receives this designation, meaning it would be signed as BS I-196. However, by 1976 official maps show the route continuing through downtown Holland and back to I-196 at Exit 44, meaning the route may have been designated as BL I-196 (as a loop route) from day one, however. | |||||||||||||||
1982 – Two segments of former M-21 via Chicago Dr in Grandville are turned back to local control:
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| 1985 (Dec 1) – The remainder of former BUS M-21/Chicago Dr in the City of Grandville is turned back to local control, from Wilson Ave downtown easterly to the Grandville/Wyoming city limit. | |||||||||||||||
| 2016 (July 25) – The West Michigan Pike Historic Byway is officially unveiled at a ceremony in Muskegon's Heritage Park. Running from the Indiana state line south of New Buffalo up Michigan's west coast to Ludington, the Byway runs along two segments of I-196: | |||||||||||||||
| Freeway: | Entire route of I-196 is freeway. | ||||||||||||||
| NHS: | Entire route. | ||||||||||||||
| Circle Tour: |  Lake Michigan Circle Tour: Two segments:
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| Pure Michigan Byway: |  West Michigan Pike Historic Byway: Two segments:
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| Memorial Highways: | The following Memorial Highway designations have been officially assigned to parts of I-196 by the Michigan Legislature:
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| Business Connections: | BL I-196 – SOUTH HAVEN. From Exit 18 to Exit 20. | ||||||||||||||
| BL I-196 – HOLLAND-ZEELAND. From Exit 44 to Exit 55. | |||||||||||||||
| BS I-196 – WYOMING. From 72 to the Wyoming/Grand Rapids municipal boundary. | |||||||||||||||
| Photographs: | |||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • I-196 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of I-196 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | ||||||||||||||
| • I-196 Michigan – listing at Kurumi's 3 Digit Interstates website. | |||||||||||||||
| • Interstate 196 Michigan – listing at AARoads' Interstate-Guide. |
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| • The Ford Freeway Funnies – article in the July/August 2000 issue of Michigan History magazine. |
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PLEASE NOTE: The Former M-196 route information can be found on its own page: Former M-196 Route Listing. |
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Western Terminus: | I-94 at Exit 119 northwest of Albion | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Terminus: | BL I-94/Eaton St in Albion north of downtown (cnr of Austin St & Eaton St) | ||||||||||||||
| Length: | 4.030 miles | ||||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-199 | ||||||||||||||
| Notes: | One of several jurisdictional transfers in Calhoun Co part of the "Rationalization" effort in 1998. | ||||||||||||||
| While only six blocks separate M-199 from M-99, the two routes do not meet. It is clear, however, M-199's designation is derived from its proximity to M-99. | |||||||||||||||
| At some point in the 2020-2022 timeframe, all existing square (24" x 24") M-199 route markers along the entire route were replaced with new wide/rectangular (24" x 36") route markers. |
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| History: | 1933 (July 12) – On the same day the former route of US-41 from the south side of Stephenson to one mile north of Daggett in central Menominee Co is turned back to local control, bypassed to the east by a new alignment of US-41, two short state trunkline spurs from the new route of US-41 into the "downtowns" of both Daggett and Stephenson are established. Daggett's 0.4-mile spur is designated M-199, while nearby Stephenson's 0.3-mile spur is given the M-200 designation. | ||||||||||||||
| 1939 (Aug 13) – After just over six years in existence, the Daggett (M-199) and Stephenson (M-200) spurs are cancelled and turned back to local control. | |||||||||||||||
| 1998 (Oct 31) – As one of several state trunkline transfers in the short-lived Rationalization program, Michigan Ave from BL I-94/Eaton St westerly to 25½ Mile Rd, then northerly via 25½ Mile & 26 Mile Rds to I-94 at Exit 119 is transferred to state control and designated M-199. | |||||||||||||||
| 2001 (Jan 24) – M-199 route markers are erected along the route of the new highway. | |||||||||||||||
| 2004 (Apr) – M-199 is finally signed along I-94 when a freeway sign replacement project replaces the signage at Exit 119. | |||||||||||||||
| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-199 is freeway or expressway. | ||||||||||||||
| Photographs: | |||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-199 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-199 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | ||||||||||||||
| • M-199 on Austin Avenue – a page on Historical Albion Michigan from the Morning Star, February 25, 2001, includes a history of the route from the 1830s to today. | |||||||||||||||
M-183 | M-185 | M-186 | M-188 | M-189 | I-194 | I-196 | Former M-196 | M-199 | Jump to Bottom |
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