Interstate 75 in Michigan

Interstate 75
Fisher Freeway, Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length	395.54 mi (636.56 km)
Existed	1958 (completed 1973)–present
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
South end	I-75 at Ohio state line
Major intersections	I-96 in Detroit I-94 in Detroit I-69 in Flint
North end	Highway 17 / TCH at Canadian border on Int'l Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie
Location
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Michigan State Trunkline Highway System Interstate US State Byways
← M-74 → M-75

In the U.S. state of Michigan, Interstate 75 (I-75) begins at the state line just north of Toledo, Ohio and runs to Detroit then heads towards Pontiac and then north to Bay City. It then heads towards the middle of the state going northwest then up to the Mackinac Bridge and finally to the Canadian border at Sault Ste. Marie. The total length in the state is 395 miles (636 km).

Major cities Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs
Toledo, Ohio Detroit Flint Saginaw Mackinac Bridge (northbound) St. Ignace (southbound) Sault Ste Marie

Mileage signing

Even though Saginaw is the control city for southbound Interstate 75 from Mackinaw City to just north of Interstate 675, Detroit and Flint are often shown as cities for long distance on the mileage signs as far north as the Mackinac Bridge. Just south of the Bridge, Detroit is listed as 288 miles (463 km) away, making it the largest distance for any city listed on the Interstate 75 corridor. Even though Interstate 75 does not go near Lansing at all, the Michigan state capital is still listed as 224 miles (360 km) just south of the Mackinac Bridge, on the same mileage sign. Flint is listed on another mileage sign, as 214 miles (344 km) away, further down Interstate 75.

This helps motorists who have to travel far to reach their destinations. It also makes sense for Detroit to be mentioned, since it is the largest city in the state.

Exit list

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
Monroe	Erie Township		2	Summit Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
			3	Erie, Temperance	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
			5	Erie Road – Erie, Temperance
	Luna Pier		6	Luna Pier
	La Salle Township		9	South Otter Creek Road – La Salle
	Monroe Township		11	La Plaisance Road – Downtown Monroe
	Monroe		13	Front Street – Monroe
			14	Elm Avenue
			15	Dixie Highway – Downtown Monroe	Former M-50
	Frenchtown Township		18	Nadeau Road
			20	I-275 north – Flint
	Berlin Charter Township		21	Newport Road – Newport
	South Rockwood		26	South Huron River Drive – South Rockwood
Wayne	Rockwood		27	North Huron River Drive – Rockwood
	Brownstown Township		28	M-85 (Fort Street)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Flat Rock		29	Gibraltar, Flat Rock	Signed as exits 29A (Gibraltar) and 29B (Flat Rock) southbound
	Woodhaven		32	West Road
	Brownstown Township		34A	To US 24 (Telegraph Road)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
			34B	Sibley Road, Dix Highway	Signed as exit 34 northbound
	Taylor		35	US 24 (Telegraph Road)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
			36	Eureka Road
	Taylor, Southgate		37	Allen Road, Northline Road
	Lincoln Park		40	Dix Highway
			41	M-39 (Southfield Road)
	Melvindale		42	Outer Drive
	Detroit		43	M-85 (Fort Street)Module:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated	Signed as exits 43A (south) and 43B (north) southbound
			44	Dearborn Avenue	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
			45	Springwells Avenue, Fort Street
			46	Livernois Avenue
			47A	Clark Avenue	Former M-3
			47B	Lafayette Boulevard, Porter Street – Ambassador Bridge to Canada
			48	I-96 west (Jeffries Freeway) – Lansing
			49	M-10 (Lodge Freeway)Module:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated – Civic Center, Tiger Stadium	Signed as exits 49A (Rosa Parks Boulevard) and 49B (M-10) southbound
			50	Grand River Avenue
			51B	M-3 (Gratiot Avenue)
			51C	I-375 south (Chrysler Freeway) – Downtown Detroit	Northbound I-75: Sharp turn 25 MPH (40 km/h)
			52	Mack Avenue
			53A	Warren Avenue
			53B	I-94 (Ford Freeway) – Port Huron, Chicago
			54	East Grand Boulevard, Clay Avenue
	Hamtramck		55	Holbrook Avenue, Caniff Avenue
	Detroit		56	M-8 (Davison Freeway)	Signed as exits 56A (east) and 56B (west)
			57	McNichols Road
			58	7 Mile Road
			59	M-102 (8 Mile Road)
Oakland	Hazel Park		60	John R. Street, 9 Mile Road
			61	I-696 (Reuther Freeway) – Port Huron, Lansing
	Royal Oak, Madison Heights
			62	11 Mile Road, 10 Mile Road west
	Madison Heights		63	12 Mile Road
			65	14 Mile Road	Signed as exits 65A (east) and 65B (west)
	Troy
			67	Rochester Road
			69	Big Beaver Road
			72	Crooks Road
	Bloomfield Township		74	Adams Road
			75	BL I-75 north (Square Lake Road) – Pontiac
	Auburn Hills		77	M-59 – Utica, Pontiac	Signed as exits 77A (east) and 77B (west)
			78	Chrysler Drive
			79	University Drive – Rochester
			81	BL I-75 south / M-24 – Lapeer, Pontiac
			83	Joslyn Road	Signed as exits 83A (north) and 83B (south) southbound
			84	Baldwin Road	Signed as exits 84A (north) and 84B (south) northbound
	Independence Township		89	Sashabaw Road
			91	M-15 – Clarkston, Davison
	Springfield Township		93	US 24 (Dixie Highway) – Waterford
			98	East Holly Road
	Groveland Township		101	Grange Hall Road – Fenton, Ortonville
	Holly Township		106	Dixie Highway	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
			106	Saginaw Road – Grand Blanc	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Genesee	Grand Blanc		108	Holly Road – Grand Blanc
			109	M-54 (Dort Highway) – Burton
			111	I-475 north – Downtown Flint	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Mundy Township			US 23 south – Ann Arbor	South end of US-23 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Flint		116	Bristol Road	Signed as exits 116A (east) and 116B (west) southbound; former M-121
	Flint Township		117	I-69 – Port Huron, LansingModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated	Signed as exits 117A (I-69) and 117B (Miller Road) northbound
			118	M-21 (Corunna Road) – Owosso
	Mt Morris Township		122	Pierson Road – Flushing
			125	I-475 south – Downtown Flint
			126	Mt. Morris
	Vienna Township		131	M-57 – Clio, Montrose
Saginaw	Birch Run		136	M-54 / M-83 – Birch Run, Frankenmuth
	Bridgeport Township		144	Frankenmuth, Bridgeport	Signed as exits 144A (Frankenmuth) and 144B (Bridgeport) northbound
	Buena Vista Township		149	M-46 (Holland Avenue) – Sandusky	Signed as exits 149A (east) and 149B (west)
			150	I-675 north – Downtown Saginaw
			151	M-81 – Caro, Reese
			153	M-13 (East Bay City Road) – Saginaw
			Zilwaukee Bridge over the Saginaw River
	Zilwaukee
			154	Zilwaukee
	Zilwaukee Township		155	I-675 south – Downtown Saginaw
Bay	Frankenlust Township		160	M-84 (Saginaw Road)
	Monitor Township		162A	M-25 east – Downtown Bay City
			162B	US 10 west – Midland
			164	To M-13 – KawkawlinModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
	Kawkawlin Township		168	Beaver Road
	Fraser Township		173	Linwood Road – Linwood
	Pinconning Township		181	Pinconning Road – Pinconning
Arenac	Lincoln Township		188	US 23 north – Alpena, Standish	North end of US 23 overlap
			190	M-61 – Gladwin, Standish
	Adams Township		195	Sterling Road – Sterling
	Moffatt Township		202	M-33 – Alger, Rose City
Ogemaw	Horton Township		212	BL I-75 north (Cook Road) – West Branch
	Ogemaw Township		215	BL I-75 south / M-55 east – Tawas City, West Branch	South end of M-55 overlap
Roscommon	Richfield Township		222	Old 76 – St. Helen	Former M-76
	Backus Township		227	M-55 west – Cadillac, Houghton Lake
	Higgins Township		239	BL I-75 north / M-18 – South Higgins Lake, Roscommon, Gladwin, Houghton Lake
	Gerrish Township		244	BL I-75 south – Roscommon, North Higgins Lake State Park
Crawford	Beaver Creek Township		249	US 127 – Lansing, Clare	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Grayling Township		251	4 Mile Road
	Grayling		254	To BL I-75 north / M-72 – Downtown Grayling, Traverse City	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
			256	North Down River Road	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Grayling Township		259	BL I-75 south / M-93 (Hartwick Pines Road) to M-72 – Downtown Grayling, Traverse City
	Maple Forest Township		264	Frederic, Lewiston
Otsego	Otsego Lake Township		270	Waters
	Bagley Township		279	BL I-75 north (Old 27) – Downtown Gaylord	Former US-27
	Gaylord		282	BL I-75 south / M-32 – Downtown Gaylord, Alpena
	Vanderbilt		290	Sturgeon Valley Road (C-48) – Vanderbilt
Cheboygan	Nunda Township		301	CR C-58 – Wolverine
	Indian River		310	M-68 – Rogers City, Petoskey
			313	M-27 north – Cheboygan, Indian River, Topinabee
	Munro Township		322	CR C-64 – Cheboygan, Pellston
	Hebron Township		326	CR C-66 – Cheboygan, Cross Village
	Mackinaw Township		336	US 31 – Petoskey, Charlevoix	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Emmet	Mackinaw City		337	M-108 (Nicolet Street) – Mackinaw City	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
			338	US 23 – Cheboygan, Alpena	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
			338	Michigan Welcome Center	Northbound exit only
			339	Jamet Street
			Mackinac Bridge over the Straits of Mackinac
Mackinac	St. Ignace
			343	Bridge View Park	Southbound exit only
			344	BL I-75 north / US 2 west – St. Ignace, Escanaba, Manistique	Signed as exits 344A (north) and 344B (west) northbound
			345	Portage Street – St. Ignace	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	St Ignace Township		348	BL I-75 south – St. IgnaceModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
			352	M-123 – Tahquamenon Falls, Newberry, Moran, Trout Lake
			359	M-134 – Drummond Island, De Tour Village
Chippewa	Rudyard Township		373	M-48 (H-40) – Pickford, Rudyard
	Kinross Township		378	Kinross (M-80)
			379	Gaines Highway – Barbeau Area
	Dafter Township		386	M-28 – Munising, Newberry
	Sault Ste. Marie		392	BS I-75 (3 Mile Road) – Sault Ste. Marie
			394	Easterday Avenue – Sault Ste. Marie, Soo Locks
			International Bridge over the St. Marys River

Spur Routes

I-275 - Begins as a loop from Northern Monroe County and continues to connect up with Interestate 696. Was going to connect back up with I-75 north of Pontiac. Serves the Western population centers of Wayne County and the Metro Airport.

I-375 - Is the shortest signed Interstate in the nation. It serves the immediate downtown Detroit area.

I-475 - Known as the U.A.W. Freeway. Serves Flint's downtown areas as I-75 goes to the west side of the city.

I-675 - A loop into the city of Saginaw and back out north of the city. Served as an alternate to I-75 when the drawbridge over the Saginaw River was still operating.

Lane configurations

• between northern terminus and south end of Grayling Business Loop I-75 (2 lanes on each side; excluding Mackinac Bridge toll booth)
• between south end of Grayling's BL I-75 and US 127 (formerly US 27) (3 lanes southbound, 2 lanes northbound)
• between US 127 and Exit 164 (M-13 Connector) (2 lanes on each side)
• between Exit 164 and Exit 162 (US 10) (4 lanes each way)
• between US 10 and Adam Street Exit (exit 154) (3 lanes on each side)
• between Adams St./Zilwaukee (exit 154) and M-13 (exit 153) (4 lanes on each side) — Zilwaukee Bridge
• between M-13 and Mile Marker 138 (3 lanes on each side)
• between mile marker 138 (2 miles before Birch Run Road M-54/M-83) and north end of I-475 (Exit 125) (4 lanes each way)
• between the northern I-475 interchange (126) and US 23 (Exit 117) (3 lanes each way)
• between US 23 and southern end of I-475 (2 lanes on each side)
• between I-475 and Joslyn Road (Exit 83) (3 lanes on each side)
• between Joslyn Road (Exit 83) and Exit 75 (Square Lake Road) (4 lanes each way)
• between Exit 75 and Exit 59 (M-102/Eight Mile Road) (3 lanes each way)
• from Exit 59 to I-375 (4 lanes each way)
• through I-375 interchange (2 lanes each way around ramps)
• from I-375 to I-96 (4 lanes each way)
• through I-96 interchange (2 lanes each way)
• from I-96 to Exit 43 (M-85/Fort Street) (4 lanes each way)
• from Exit 43 to Ohio line (3 lanes each way)

History

Before any segment of freeway in Michigan received a designation of Interstate 75, there were already segments of freeway built which are now part of I-75. These freeway segments were built from the mid to late 1950s; they include:

• US 2 between what is now known as BL I-75 in St. Ignace and M-123. The Upper Peninsula's first segment of freeway.
• Alt US 24 between Ohio border and US 25 (now M-125) - Michigan's first segment of freeway to connect the state border; and the only freeway to cross the border until the late 1960s.
• Mackinac Bridge (then US 27)
• M-20 (now part of US 10) - when this segment of freeway became US 10; it carried the temporary Interstate 75 designation.

The most congested portion of Interstate 75 within Michigan is the stretch between Flint and Saginaw. This stretch has had constant additions of lanes due to the urban sprawl that has occurred between the 2 towns.

Beginning on 25 February 2008, the Interstate closed completely to traffic in both directions from Rosa Parks Boulevard (Exit 49) to Clark Street (Exit 47) in Detroit. This will facilitate the complete rebuilding of the road as part of the Gateway Project to better connect Interstates 75 and 96 to the Ambassador Bridge. Through traffic on 75 is instructed to take I-94 to I-275 and local detours are posted. The highway is scheduled to re-open at the end of 2009.

Miscellanea

In Detroit, the spur route I-375 is the shortest signed spur of I-75 at 1.06 miles (1.71 km). Interstate 375 is the shortest signed interstate highway. In addition, at that same junction, the I-75 curve where it shifts from the Fisher Freeway to the Chrysler Freeway is one of the sharpest on a mainline route in the entire Interstate system, with a 25 mph (40 km/h) advisory speed.

I-75 connects Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas via the 5-mile (8.0 km) long suspension Mackinac Bridge.

Mackinac Bridge

At the northern end of I-75, at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge leads into Canada, into Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This is the closest connection of any Interstate to the Trans-Canada Highway. However, there is no direct freeway connection; bridge traffic funnels onto city streets.

The section between Grayling, Michigan and M-32 (Michigan highway) was built in 1961. This section was built by converting the northbound lanes of U.S. Route 27 to southbound lanes and building a new set of northbound lanes leaving the former southbound lanes as a strip of grass, most likely because of plans to upgrade that stretch to Interstate Highway standards. The terminus of the freeway near downtown Grayling was converted to a partial interchange for what would become BL I-75 between that and M-93/Hartwick Pines Road.

Alongside that, the former segment of US 27 between Grayling and Gaylord, Michigan was turned back to local control. After this individual segment of freeway was completed, it left a gap between Gaylord and Indian River which was filled in a year later. While the gap was being filled in, a special "TO I-75" designation was applied to the former segment of US 27. Around that time, US 27's northern terminus was scaled back to 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Grayling until it was redesignated as an extension of US 127 in 2001.

Until the early 1970s, I-75 between Bay City and Grayling was routed west to Clare (along US-10 then north along then-US-27, and was signed as "TEMP I-75". This freeway segment had some at-grade intersections at the time. In 2002 the portion between Clare and Grayling was redesignated as an extension of US 127, although it was posted as US 127 on a National Geographic road atlas in the year 2000.

In the 1960s, I-75 had several discontiguous segments connected with roads with "TO I-75" signs in addition to US 10 doubling as "TEMP I-75".

The routing between Alger and Roscommon was completed in 1973, and the temporary section reverted to U.S. routes, although of freeway quality.

Until the completion of I-75 in 1973, the stretch of expressway between Standish and West Branch had the designation of M-76. When the I-75 signs were erected along the expressway, M-76 vanished from the state road map after 53 years of existence.

Until 1987, US 10 and I-75 were the same road between Bay City and Clarkston. Both also overlapped US 23 between Bay City and Flint. Now, Bay City serves as the eastern terminus of US 10.

As late as 1990, US 31 and US 23 both had their northern termini on I-75's southern approach to the Mackinac Bridge. Even though US 27 was scaled back 94 miles (from Mackinaw City to south of Grayling) in 1961, a lone sign assembly showed all three US highways ending at the same place as late as 1971.

As recently as 2007, many revisions have been done to I-75 in much of Michigan. Many of the solid white and yellow lines indicating non-travel lanes (shoulders) have been marked with a double line for extra indication to make the rumble strips more visible. Also, the overpass signs for Cheboygan-Levering Road and Miami Beach Road have been renamed to Levering Road and Mullet-Burt road respectively. Also, the stretch of I-75 between Flint and Saginaw has been upgraded from 3 lanes on each side to 4 lanes on each side; the Bay county stretch between I-675 and CONN M-13 is scheduled to be upgraded from 3 lanes to 4 lanes on each side in the near future. Other revisions include replacing mile markers with big vertical digits to ones with smaller horizontal digits along with the route number and direction, and upgrading freeway signs with the Clearview font.

The G. Mennen Williams Freeway is the name given to the portion of I-75 in Cheboygan County, Michigan beginning at the southern end of the Mackinac Bridge and proceeding southerly. The Prentiss M. Brown Freeway is the name given to the portion of I-75 in Mackinac County, Michigan beginning at the northern end of the Mackinac Bridge and proceeding northerly. The (Walter P.) Chrysler Freeway is a section of I-75 between downtown Detroit and Pontiac, and is one of busiest segments of I-75 and hosts one of the perennially busiest segments of freeways in Michigan. The Chrysler continues south as I-375.

External links

• Interstate 75 (Michigan Highway Ends.com)