Business routes of Interstate 196

There are three banner routes of Interstate 196.

outh Haven, Michigan

Business Loop I-196 is a loop that runs in South Haven for just over 3.7 miles. It begins at the Exit 18 of I-196/US 31 and runs due north along the local road of La Grange St it then turns unto Phillips St then merging into Broadway St upon turning east unto Phoenix St where it ends at exit 20 of I-196. It previously had used the Blue Star Highway for a portion of the route in 1963 until the change to the current alignment in 1972.

Holland, Michigan

Business Loop I-196 is a partial loop that runs in Holland and Zeeland. It has a total length of 7.4 miles. It has two segments. The first segment runs from the end of the US 31 concurrency with I-196, exit 44 and continues for a 2.1 miles until the end at the US 31 and the A-2/Blue Star Highway and Washington Ave. interchange in the southern reaches of Holland. The other 5.3 mile section of the loop runs from Chicago Dr. at the interchange with US 31 to the interchange with I-196 at the exit 55 just east of Zeeland.

The creation of the route occurs back in 1974 when I-196 is completed and routed south of the city of Holland. From that point the old route of M-21 inside of the cities to US 31 is now routed as a business loop of I-196 with the state taking control of Washington Ave to the downtown and then from the downtown to looping back up to Chicago Dr, the old M-21. This route does not change until the early 90's when a minor route change was done. The route inside the downtown area of Holland was scheduled to be turned back to local control but never occurred in 1998. This was eventually done when the City of Holland went into talks with the Department of Transportation and was given back the small section of the route in 2004. The following year the department gave back the remaining portions of the route except those already listed.

The southern section of the loop is freeway and the northern section is an expressway.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Business Spur I-196 is a highway route that serves the Godfrey Lee Area of Wyoming and into Grand Rapids. It starts at Exit 72 then moving onto the surface street Chicago Dr for the majority of the distance in Wyoming. Upon entering Grand Rapids City limits it turns into Grandville Ave where it runs until turning onto Franklin St. The spur then ends at the interchange at US 131. Its total length is just over 4.1 miles.

It can only be accessed from East Bound I-196 or from US 131 for the West bound traffic. The first mile of the route serves the mainly industrial center of Godfrey area of Wyoming upon leaving that section it serves primary as a residential route with businesses lining the street for remaining section of the route.

Historical Notes

Its history as a state route starts off as M-51. The route used the current roads to connect Grand Rapids to Holland back in 1918. It was again used for a state route following the US Highway system introduction and was named M-21 in 1926. In 1953 the transportation department completes enough of the Grand Rapids Beltline to reroute M-21 to it. The former routing is now named BUS M-21. With the completion of I-196 from Holland to Grand Rapids in 1973 the route is now named as Business Spur I-196. In the 1980s two cuts of the trunkline turn the route to its present length.

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