Interstate 69 in Michigan
Encyclopedia
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
. A north–south route from the Indiana–Michigan border to Lansing, it changes direction to east–west and continues to Port Huron
and the US–Canadian border. In Flint, I-69 is also known as the Chevrolet
-Buick
Freeway, as a tribute to the Flint automotive industry. A 30 miles (48 km) stretch of I-69 between Flint and Perry
is designated as the Pearl Harbor
Memorial Highway. Until 2002, US 27
was concurrent
with I-69 from the Indiana–Michigan state line north to the Lansing area.
, which carries I-80
and I-90. From there, I-69 runs northward, passing through Coldwater and then Marshall
, where it encounters I-94
for the first of two times. Near Olivet
, I-69 begins to turn in a northeasterly direction, passing through Charlotte
on its way into the Lansing–East Lansing
metropolitan area.
On Lansing's west side, I-69 is concurrent with I-96
, the only such palindromic
pairing in the entire Interstate Highway System
. Upon leaving the I-96 multiplex, I-69 changes cardinal orientation and is signed as east–west from that point on northwest side of Lansing through Flint to Port Huron. There, I-69 joins I-94 before both routes cross the Blue Water Bridge
s over the St. Clair River
at the Canadian border, their common eastern termini and the only jointly named Interstate freeway to make a Canadian border crossing. I-69 is also at present the only mainline Interstate Highway in the state of Michigan that does not enter the Metro Detroit area.
as the M-78 freeway. In 1962, the stretch of I-96, which now overlaps with I-69, was built west of Lansing. Another stretch of current I-69 alignment was built in 1964 as part of I-94 in the Port Huron area which ended at the foot of the Blue Water Bridge. In 1966, another stretch was built as M-21 near Port Huron which connected with I-94. The M-78 freeway was extended eastward passing through Flint and ending at Lapeer
in 1971. The M-78 portion of the extended freeway ended in Flint and the stretch of the freeway from the Genesee
–Shiawassee
county line to Lapeer was designated M-21. The original stretch of I-69 between Fort Wayne, Indiana
, and Lansing was concurrently designated as US 27 until that route was truncated to Fort Wayne in 2002.
Temporary I-69 between Charlotte and Morrice
was a divided highway originally designated as part of M-78. I-69 also replaced part of M-21 east of Flint. In 1984, two portions of I-69 alignment were completed, a stretch from I-96 to US-27 northwest of Lansing (designated US-27 at first) and the portion between Lapeer and Port Huron which was designated I-69 upon its completion. The final 12 miles (19 km) stretch of I-69 between Charlotte and I-96 was opened in October 1992. It completed Michigan's original state-wide Interstate Highway System
, although plans for a northern stretch of I-275
outside Detroit
were abandoned because of local opposition.
The Lansing-to-Port Huron segment shortened travel time between those two cities, allowing motorists to bypass Detroit along the way. The northeastern portion of I-69 in Michigan provides a more direct route from Chicago
to Toronto
, east of the junction with I-94 near Marshall.
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
that currently runs from Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, to the US–Canadian border at Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
. In Michigan
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"....
, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of Coldwater
Coldwater, Michigan
Coldwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County....
and passes through the cities 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 Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
. A north–south route from the Indiana–Michigan border to Lansing, it changes direction to east–west and continues to Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
and the US–Canadian border. In Flint, I-69 is also known as the Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
-Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
Freeway, as a tribute to the Flint automotive industry. A 30 miles (48 km) stretch of I-69 between Flint and Perry
Perry, Michigan
Perry is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,065 at the 2000 census. The city is located within Perry Township and has both Perry High School and Middle School...
is designated as the Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
Memorial Highway. Until 2002, US 27
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
was concurrent
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 I-69 from the Indiana–Michigan state line north to the Lansing area.
Route description
I-69 in Michigan begins at the Indiana state line just south of Kinderhook. This is just north of an interchange with the Indiana Toll RoadIndiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line...
, which carries I-80
Interstate 80 in Indiana
In the U.S. state of Indiana, Interstate 80 consists entirely of the following two routes:* The Borman Expressway, from the Illinois state line to Lake Station, Indiana, running concurrently with Interstate 94....
and I-90. From there, I-69 runs northward, passing through Coldwater and then Marshall
Marshall, Michigan
Marshall is a city located in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,459. It is the county seat of Calhoun County...
, where it encounters 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...
for the first of two times. Near Olivet
Olivet, Michigan
Olivet is a city in Eaton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,758 at the 2000 census. Olivet College is located there.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
, I-69 begins to turn in a northeasterly direction, passing through Charlotte
Charlotte, Michigan
Charlotte is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,074. It is the county seat of Eaton County....
on its way into the Lansing–East Lansing
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
metropolitan area.
On Lansing's west side, I-69 is concurrent with I-96
Interstate 96
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 and Business US Highway 31 , on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the...
, the only such palindromic
Palindrome
A palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or other sequence of units that can be read the same way in either direction, with general allowances for adjustments to punctuation and word dividers....
pairing in the entire Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
. Upon leaving the I-96 multiplex, I-69 changes cardinal orientation and is signed as east–west from that point on northwest side of Lansing through Flint to Port Huron. There, I-69 joins I-94 before both routes cross the Blue Water Bridge
Blue Water Bridge
The Blue Water Bridge is a twin-span international bridge across the St. Clair River that links Port Huron, Michigan, USA and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada...
s over the St. Clair River
St. Clair River
The St. Clair River is a river in central North America which drains Lake Huron into Lake St Clair, forming part of the international boundary between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan...
at the Canadian border, their common eastern termini and the only jointly named Interstate freeway to make a Canadian border crossing. I-69 is also at present the only mainline Interstate Highway in the state of Michigan that does not enter the Metro Detroit area.
History
The earliest freeway portion of I-69 in Michigan is a stretch built in three stages from 1959 to 1961 running from near Perry to Swartz CreekSwartz Creek, Michigan
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 5,102 people, 2,233 households and 1,460 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,269.6 per square mile . There were 2,355 housing units at an average density of 586.0 per square mile...
as the M-78 freeway. In 1962, the stretch of I-96, which now overlaps with I-69, was built west of Lansing. Another stretch of current I-69 alignment was built in 1964 as part of I-94 in the Port Huron area which ended at the foot of the Blue Water Bridge. In 1966, another stretch was built as M-21 near Port Huron which connected with I-94. The M-78 freeway was extended eastward passing through Flint and ending at Lapeer
Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...
in 1971. The M-78 portion of the extended freeway ended in Flint and the stretch of the freeway from the Genesee
Genesee County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
–Shiawassee
Shiawassee County, Michigan
-Transportation:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 71,687 people, 26,896 households, and 19,849 families residing in the county. The population density was 133 people per square mile . There were 29,087 housing units at an average density of 54 per square mile...
county line to Lapeer was designated M-21. The original stretch of I-69 between Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, and Lansing was concurrently designated as US 27 until that route was truncated to Fort Wayne in 2002.
Temporary I-69 between Charlotte and Morrice
Morrice, Michigan
Morrice is a village located within Perry Township in Shiawassee County, of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 882...
was a divided highway originally designated as part of M-78. I-69 also replaced part of M-21 east of Flint. In 1984, two portions of I-69 alignment were completed, a stretch from I-96 to US-27 northwest of Lansing (designated US-27 at first) and the portion between Lapeer and Port Huron which was designated I-69 upon its completion. The final 12 miles (19 km) stretch of I-69 between Charlotte and I-96 was opened in October 1992. It completed Michigan's original state-wide Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, although plans for a northern stretch of 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...
outside 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...
were abandoned because of local opposition.
The Lansing-to-Port Huron segment shortened travel time between those two cities, allowing motorists to bypass Detroit along the way. The northeastern portion of I-69 in Michigan provides a more direct route from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, east of the junction with I-94 near Marshall.