Interstate 296

Interstate Highway in Michigan

Interstate 296 (I-296) is an Interstate Highway near Grand Rapids in Kent County, Michigan, United States. It runs between the Interstate 196 near Downtown Grand Rapids; and the Interstate 96 in Walker. It is around 3 miles (4.8 km) long and is part of the U.S. Route 131 for most of the route. It first opened in December 1962, but is now not shown on signs and is only shown as the U.S. Route 131.[4][5]

I-296 marker

I-296

I-296 runs north–south parallel to the Grand River connecting I-196 in Grand Rapids with I-96 in Walker, Michigan
I-296 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-96
Length3.393 mi[1] (5.461 km)
ExistedDecember 17, 1962[2]–present
HistoryApproval granted to remove signage on December 3, 1979[3]
Major junctions
South end I-196 / US 131 in Grand Rapids
North end I-96 / US 131 / M-37 in Walker
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountiesKent
Highway system
M-294M-311

Exit list change

The entire highway is in Kent County.

Locationmi[1]kmExit[4][a]DestinationsNotes
Grand Rapids0.0000.00086  I-196 (G.R. Ford Freeway)  – Lansing, Holland
  US 131 south  – Kalamazoo
Signed as exits 86A (east) and 86B (west); southern end of unsigned I-296 concurrency on US 131
0.8151.31287Leonard StreetPreviously Bus. US 131
1.5662.52088Ann Street
Walker2.6484.26289  US 131 north  – CadillacNorthern end of US 131 concurrency; I-296 designation continues along the ramps between I-96 and US 131
2.9574.759   I-96 east / M-37 south  – LansingNorthbound exit only
3.1855.126  M-37 north (Alpine Avenue)Secondary left exit northbound for M-37 north (Alpine Avenue)
3.3935.461  I-96 west  – MuskegonNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Notes change

  1. Most of I-296 is concurrent with US 131 and uses the exit numbers of the latter.

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 Michigan Department of Transportation & Michigan Center for Shared Solutions and Technology Partnerships (2009). MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  2. "Driver's Boon: Int. 296 Opening Finishes City Freeway, Links Kalamazoo, Muskegon". The Grand Rapids Press. December 17, 1962. p. A1. OCLC 9975013.
  3. Merchant, David A. (December 3, 1979). "Removal of I-296 Designation, Grand Rapids". Letter to John P. Woodford. Lansing, Michigan: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved June 3, 2019 – via Wikisource.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Michigan Department of Transportation (2013). Pure Michigan: State Transportation Map (Map). c. 1:221,760. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Grand Rapids inset. OCLC 42778335 and 861227559.
  5. Google (December 22, 2009). "Overview Map of Unsigned I-296" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 22, 2009.

Other websites change

Route map:

KML is from Wikidata
  • I-296 at Michigan Highways
  • I-296 at Interstate Guide—Photos of termini and scan of 1970s Michigan map before the freeway designation was "hidden"
  • I-296 at kurumi.com