Interstate 496
R.E. Olds Freeway | ||||
Route information | ||||
Auxiliary route of I-96 | ||||
Maintained by MDOT | ||||
Length | 11.907 mi[3] (19.162 km) | |||
Existed | December 1963[1]–present | |||
History | Completed on December 18, 1970[2] | |||
NHS | Entire route | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | I-69 / I-96 in Delta Township | |||
| ||||
East end | I-96 / US 127 in Delhi Township | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Michigan | |||
Counties | Eaton, Ingham | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Interstate 496 (I-496) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that passes through downtown Lansing in the US state of Michigan. Also a component of the State Trunkline Highway System, the freeway connects I-96 to the downtown area. It has been named the R.E. Olds Freeway (sometimes just Olds Freeway) for Ransom E. Olds, the founder of Oldsmobile and the REO Motor Car Company. I-496 runs east–west from I-96/I-69 near the downtown area and north–south along a section that runs concurrently with US Highway 127 (US 127). The trunkline also passes a former assembly plant used by Oldsmobile and runs along or crosses parts of the Grand and Red Cedar rivers.
Construction of I-496 started in 1963, and the freeway opened on December 18, 1970. Segments of the freeway south of downtown Lansing were built in the location of a historically black neighborhood. This neighborhood was formed based on the segregationist practices of the early 20th century. Community leaders worked for different housing opportunities for the black residents displaced by I-496 rather than fight the freeway. As the trunkline neared completion, competing proposals to name it resulted in two similar, but separate designations applied to I-496. The city originally approved one name in honor of a former mayor. The local historical society proposed that the state name it as a memorial to Olds after the demolition of the Olds Mansion. The city renamed it the Oldsmobile Expressway, the name under which it opened in December 1970. Two years later, the Michigan Legislature restored its preferred name and it has been the Olds Freeway since.
Route description
I-496 starts at an interchange with I-96/
Continuing eastward, I-496 passes north of the assembly plant complex and south of the central business district. East of a partial interchange with Walnut Street, the freeway passes the
After crossing the city line, I-496 turns southward and merges with US 127. The two highways run concurrently,[5][6] and they cross a line of the Canadian National Railway.[8] The freeway runs along the western edge of the campus of Michigan State University. South of campus, I-496/US 127 crosses back into Lansing and has an interchange with Jolly Road before entering Delhi Township. About two-thirds of a mile (1.1 km) south of Jolly Road, I-496 meets I-96 and terminates; US 127 continues southward as a freeway toward Jackson.[5][6]
Like other state highways in Michigan, I-496 is maintained by the
History
An east–west freeway was originally planned as an Interstate Highway allowing traffic to access downtown Lansing in the 1955
The section near downtown was to be built through a historically African-American neighborhood. The neighborhood was formed through "unwritten rules of segregation" as real estate agents and mortgage brokers guided black residents to the area when they were looking to buy homes.[17] When the state and federal governments were planning the freeway, the area was chosen for the path of I-496. The neighborhood boasted a community center and several businesses that catered to the black population of Lansing, including the only record store that sold rhythm and blues music. Community leaders did not fight the freeway and instead lobbied for affordable housing and relocation assistance. The construction spurred integration of blacks into the wider community; some were able to move into neighborhoods previously closed to them, purchasing "newer houses near better schools."[17] In total, the construction of the freeway required the demolition or removal of nearly 600 homes, 60 businesses, and 15 farms.[18]
The first section of I-496 was opened in December 1963,
The freeway underwent a $42.4 million reconstruction (equivalent to $69.7 million in 2023
The name applied to the freeway was not without controversy. The Lansing City Council named it in September 1966 after Ralph W. Crego, a former city council member and the longest-serving mayor in the city's history. The Historical Society of Greater Lansing wanted it named the "R.E. Olds Expressway", in part because the new road brought about the demolition of the Olds Mansion,[24] which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places,[29] and to "recogniz[e] the contributions of R.E. Olds to the industries of the city."[24] The society approached the Michigan Legislature, which introduced House Resolution 48 in February 1970 using the historical society's preferred name. The city council realized that they had been bypassed and conveniently discovered that their original resolution was not "formally adopted".[24] They named a park for Crego instead in October 1970 and adopted a resolution to name I-496 the "Oldsmobile Expressway". The Legislature approved its resolution resulting in two names, one for the founder of the car company, and one for the company itself. The council member who introduced the city's resolution criticized the Legislature for taking action without consultation. The state resolution was intercepted before it could be sent to the Michigan Department of State Highways, and the freeway opened on December 18, 1970, with the "Oldsmobile Expressway" name. On August 21, 1972, during the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Oldsmobile, Senate Concurrent Resolution 345 renamed I-496 the "R.E. Olds Freeway".[24]
Exit list
County | Location | mi[3] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ft. Wayne | Exit 95 on I-96/I-69 | |||||
1.637 | 2.634 | 1 | Creyts Road | Signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north) westbound | ||
Eaton–Ingham county line | Delta Township–Lansing city line | 3.561 | 5.731 | 3 | Waverly Road | |
Ingham | Lansing | 4.545 | 7.314 | 4 | Lansing Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
5.306– 5.403 | 8.539– 8.695 | 5 | M-99 south (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) | Northern terminus of M-99 | ||
5.802– 5.950 | 9.337– 9.576 | 6 | Pine Street, Walnut Street – Downtown Lansing | |||
6.273 | 10.095 | 7A | Grand Avenue – Downtown Lansing | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
6.567– 6.921 | 10.569– 11.138 | 7 | collector-distributor roads eastbound only; exit 7A is also attached to collector-distributor roads westbound only | |||
8.576 | 13.802 | 8 | US 127 north – Flint, East Lansing | Northern end of US 127 concurrency | ||
East Lansing | 8.748 | 14.079 | 9 | Trowbridge Road | ||
Lansing | 10.912 | 17.561 | 11 | Dunckel Road, Jolly Road | ||
Exit 106 on I-96; exit 73 on US 127; freeway continues south as US 127 | ||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
|
Related trunkline
Location | Lansing |
---|---|
Length | 2.381 mi[3] (3.832 km) |
Existed | October 13, 1989[30]–March 26, 2024[31] |
The Capitol Loop was a state trunkline highway running through Lansing that was commissioned on October 13, 1989.
The loop was originally proposed in 1986 as part of a downtown revitalization effort.[36] Almost from the beginning before the highway was commissioned in 1989, it was affected by controversial proposals. The first was related to suggestions by community leaders to rename city streets in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.[24] Another controversy dealt with rebuilding the streets as part of a downtown beautification project; the downtown business community protested the original scope of construction,[37] and the Lansing City Council threatened to cancel the project in response to the controversy.[38] In 2010, additional controversies surfaced regarding the posting and enforcement of speed limits on city streets in Michigan, including the streets that make up the Capitol Loop.[39]
The length of the Capitol Loop that ran independent of BL I-96 was transferred to the City of Lansing on March 26, 2024.[31] The city has been converting streets from one-way traffic to two-way since 2022,[40] including plans to convert Ottawa and Allegan streets during 2024.[41] With the transfer, the Capitol Loop designation was removed from the state highway system.
See also
- Michigan Highways portal
References
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ OCLC 6678181. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Michigan Department of Transportation (2021). Next Generation PR Finder (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
- ^ .
- ^ a b c d e Google (July 12, 2012). "Overview Map of I-496" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- OCLC 6678181. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Michigan Department of Transportation (January 2011). Michigan's Railroad System (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (2008). "Traffic Monitoring Information System". Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
- ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006). National Highway System, Michigan (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
- ^ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- OCLC 4165975 – via Wikimedia Commons.
- ^ Michigan State Highway Department (April 25, 1958). "Recommended Interstate Route Numbering for Michigan". Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. Archived from the original on August 5, 2004.
- .
- OCLC 9670912. Retrieved December 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- OCLC 13440201. Retrieved December 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ OCLC 6678181. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- OCLC 6678181. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
- OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
- OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
- OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
- OCLC 12701120.
- ^ OCLC 57425393.
- Gross Domestic Product deflatorfigures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- OCLC 6678181. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- OCLC 6678181. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- OCLC 6678181. Retrieved July 13, 2012 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ O'Hearn, Patricia (n.d.). "Michigan Time Traveler" (PDF). Lansing Newspapers in Education, Michigan Historical Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- ^ (PDF) from the original on January 8, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2008.
- ^ a b Michigan Department of Transportation; City of Lansing (March 26, 2024). "Memorandum of Understanding Between Michigan Department of Transportation and City of Lansing" (Memorandum). Michigan Department of Transportation. MDOT 2023-0611.
- ^ Michigan Department of Information Technology (May 1, 2008). "Appendix C: State Trunkline Connector Routes" (PDF). Michigan Geographic Framework. Michigan Department of Information Technology. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2008.
- ^ Google (October 14, 2008). "Overview Map of the Capitol Loop" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
- OCLC 624374092.
- OCLC 261183721.
- OCLC 6678181. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- OCLC 48427464.
- OCLC 6678181. Retrieved July 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kolp, Stephanie (June 2, 2010). "Some Speeding Tickets Being Waived". Lansing, Michigan: WLNS-TV. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
- ^ Ellis, Mike (April 23, 2024). "Lansing Halts MLK Jr. Blvd. Remake Near Downtown Due to Protests, Criticism". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Thakkar, Arjun (February 29, 2024). "Michigan Avenue, MLK Redesigns on Lansing's 2024 Construction Agenda". WKAR Public Media. Lansing, Michigan: WKAR-FM. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
External links
- Geographic data related to I-496 at OpenStreetMap
- I-496 at Michigan Highways
- I-496 at kurumi.com
- I-496 at AA Roads Interstate Guide