This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009)

Interstate 196
Gerald R. Ford Freeway
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length:	80.65 mi[1] (129.79 km)
Existed:	1963 – present
Tourist routes:	20px Lake Michigan Circle Tour
Major junctions
South end:	I-94 / US 31 near Benton Harbor
	US 31 near Holland M-6 near Grandville US 131 in Grand Rapids
East end:	I-96 / M-37 near Grand Rapids
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main • Auxiliary • Business Michigan State Trunkline Highway System Interstate • US • State • Heritage Routes ← x20px M-195 M-196 x20px →

Interstate 196 (I-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,^[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.

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 80.65 miles (129.79 km).

I-196 Entering Grand Rapids

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 (MDOT) 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 Consideration was also made to name the Grand Rapids-to-Benton Harbor freeway I-67, but was later withdrawn.

Route description[link]

I-196 Reconstructed Black River Bridge, South Haven

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 shore of Lake Michigan. 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 northerly is when it comes close to Chicago Drive on the east side of Zeeland. That is also when Business Loop I-196 begins. 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 Avenue/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.

I-196 overpass at 64th Avenue Hudsonville

History[link]

Previous designation[link]

The Interstate 196 designation was originally planned for a spur route from Grand Rapids to Muskegon. The first segment of freeway built was a relocated section of US 16 near Coopersville and Marne. The freeway opened at the end of 1957, and the first markers for I-196 were erected in 1960. The full Grand Rapids – Muskegon freeway was completed and opened to traffic in 1961. At this time, I-96 is planned to run from Grand Rapids south to Benton Harbor. In late 1963 the two designations were flipped west of Grand Rapids. The previously completed I-196 is redesignated as a part of I-96 and completed freeway segments south of Grand Rapids are redesignated as I-196.^[3]

Current designation[link]

Bridges carrying I-196 over the Grand River

In late 1961, a section of freeway along US 31 was opened between I-94 and the Berrien – Van Buren county line. This section was originally designated as part of I-96/US 31. After the designation switch, additional freeway mileage is opened from the northern end of I-196 to Douglas, and from Saugatuck north to Holland as I-196/US 31. The bypass of Saugatuck–Douglas was opened the next year, linking the two sections of freeway. An additional section of freeway was opened between Grandville through downtown Grand Rapids to meet I-96 at the end of 1964. M-21 was moved to the freeway from its previous surface-street routing.^[3]

The previous routing of M-21 was created as Business M-21 (BUS M-21) when M-21 was moved to the freeway. In 1972, this business loop was truncated in the middle, creating a business spur. East of US 131, BUS M-21 was turned back to local control and removed from the state highway system. The final link in the freeway was completed in 1973, completing I-196 for a second time. The Holland–Grandville segment was opened, and BUS M-21 was redesignated BS I-196 between Wyoming and Grand Rapids. The signs were removed from the segment of the business spur in Grandville, making it an unsigned highway. In 1974 through 1976, a business loop for Holland was created along Chicago Drive in Zeeland into downtown Holland. The signs were removed from Chicago Drive between Zeeland and Grandville, making that stretch of road another unsigned state highway.^[3]

The unsigned highways were slowly turned back to local control. In 1982, sections of Chicago Drive in Grandville were turned back with the remainder in 1985. In 2007, the remaining unsigned highway was redesignated M-121 (Michigan highway) between BL I-196 in Zeeland and I-196 on the Jenison–Grandville border.^[3]

Future[link]

This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (November 2010)

MDOT 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 and the CSX railroad tracks.^[4]

I-196 near 28th and Chicago Drive, Grand Rapids, Michigan

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 planning part of the website the Federal Government found a Finding of No Significant Impact in December 2005. As such the department has decided that a 2010 start date will be used for this project.^[5]

Exit list[link]

This section contains a table that is missing mileposts for one or more junctions. Please help by adding the missing mileposts.

County	Location	Mile	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Berrien	Benton Charter Township	0.00	0.00		I-94 / US 31 south – Chicago, Niles, Detroit	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; southern end of US 31 concurrency
				1	Red Arrow Highway
	Hagar Township			4	Coloma, Riverside
				7	M-63 south (Hagar Shore Road) / LMCT south – St. Joseph, Benton Harbor	Southern end of LMCT concurrency
Van Buren	Covert Township			13	Covert
	South Haven Township			18	BL I-196 north / M-140 to M-43 – Bangor, South Haven, Watervliet
	South Haven			20	BL I-196 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
	Ganges Township– Saugatuck Township			34	M-89 – Fennville
	Saugatuck Township			36	A-2 – Douglas, Saugatuck, Ganges, Allegan
	Laketown Township			41	A-2 (Blue Star Highway) – Douglas, Saugatuck
				44	BL I-196 east / US 31 north / LMCT north – Grand Haven, Holland, Lake Michigan, Muskegon, Ludington	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; northern end of US 31 and LMCT concurrencies; I-196 signage changes from north–south to east–west
	Holland			49	M-40 – Allegan
Ottawa	Holland Charter Township			52	Adams Street, 16th Street
	Zeeland Township			55	BL I-196 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	M-121 west / Chicago Drive – Jenison	Signed as exits 69A (east) and 69B (west) westbound
				69C	Baldwin Street
				70	M-11 (28th Street, Wilson Avenue) – Walker, Grandville	Signed as exits 70A (east) and 70B (west) eastbound
	Wyoming			72	BS I-196 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
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

See also[link]

Michigan Highways portal

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 Avenue to Franklin Street in Grand Rapids, where it ends at US 131.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Interstate 196 (Michigan Highway Ends.com)
• Michigan Highways
• 3-digit Interstates from I-96

v t e Auxiliary routes of Interstate 96 Michigan 196 2961 496 696 1Unsigned