Interstate 75 in Michigan

This article is about the section of highway in Michigan. For the entire length of freeway, see Interstate 75.

Interstate 75
Fisher Freeway, Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
I-75 highlighted in red
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 M-10 in Detroit I-94 in Detroit M-59 in Auburn Hills US 23 in Flint I-69 in Flint US 10 near Bay City US 127 near Grayling
North end	Canadian border on Int'l Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie
Location
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Counties	Monroe, Wayne, Oakland, Genesee, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Ogemaw, Roscommon, Crawford, Otsego, Cheboygan, Emmet, Mackinac, Chippewa
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Michigan State Trunkline Highway System Interstate US State Byways
← M-74 → M-75

Interstate 75 (I-75) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state 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. On the Canadian side, drivers must use a series of city streets in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to reach Highway 17, the local route of the Trans-Canada Highway.

The total length in the state is 395 miles (636 km).

Route description

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.

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 Dixie Hwy (exit 144) (3 lanes on each side)
• between Dixie Hwy (exit 144) and north end of I-475 (Exit 125) (4 lanes each way)
• between the northern I-475 interchange (126) and US 23 (Exit 115) (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 was designated Interstate 75, there were already segments of freeway built which became part of it. These 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.
• Alt US 24 between Ohio border and US 25 (now M-125) - Michigan's first segment of I-75 to cross 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 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 February 25, 2008, the Interstate closed completely to traffic in both directions from Rosa Parks Boulevard (Exit 49) to Clark Street (Exit 47) in Detroit. This facilitated 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 was instructed to take I-94 to I-275 and local detours were posted. The freeway re-opened to through traffic in July of 2009.

Route

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.

The section between Grayling, Michigan and M-32 was built in 1961. Between Higgins Lake and Grayling, it 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. The terminus of the freeway near downtown Grayling was converted to a partial interchange for what would become BL I-75. 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 freeway between Standish and West Branch had the designation of M-76. When the I-75 signs were erected along the freeway, 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.

Bridges

Until the mid-1980s, I-75 crossed the Saginaw River via a drawbridge called the Zilwaukee Bridge. This was replaced by a much higher structure slightly north of the former bridge, which was obliterated.

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.

Names

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.

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 of Wayne County and Detroit 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.

Exit list

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
Monroe	Erie Township	1.66	2 (SB)	Summit Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		2.49	2 (NB)	CONN M-125 - Erie	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		4.60	5	Erie Road – Erie, Temperance
	Luna Pier	5.78	6	Luna Pier
	La Salle Township	8.62	9	South Otter Creek Road – La Salle
	Monroe Township	11.36	11	La Plaisance Road – Downtown Monroe
	Monroe	13.45	13	Front Street – Monroe
		13.57	14	Elm Avenue
		15.21	15	Dixie Highway – Downtown Monroe	Former M-50
	Frenchtown Township	18.03	18	Nadeau Road
		20.26	20	I-275 north – Flint	To Detroit Metro Airport
	Berlin Charter Township	21.45	21	Swan Creek Road – Newport	To Newport Road
	South Rockwood	26.32	26	South Huron River Drive – South Rockwood
Wayne	Rockwood	26.93	27	North Huron River Drive – Rockwood
	Brownstown Township	27.96	28	M-85 (Fort Street)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; southern terminus of M-85.
	Flat Rock	28.80	29	Gibraltar, Flat Rock	Signed as exits 29A (Gibraltar) and 29B (Flat Rock) southbound
	Woodhaven	31.79	32	West Road
	Brownstown Township	33.67	34A	To US 24 (Telegraph Road)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		34.00	34B	Sibley Road, Dix Highway	Signed as exit 34 northbound
	Taylor	35.06	35	US 24 (Telegraph Road)	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		35.92	36	Eureka Road
	Taylor, Southgate	37.06	37	Allen Road, Northline Road
	Lincoln Park	39.84	40	Dix Highway
		40.67	41	M-39 (Southfield Road)
	Melvindale	41.81	42	Outer Drive
	Detroit	43.13	43	M-85 south (Fort Street)Module:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated	Signed as exits 43A (south) and 43B (north) southbound; northern terminus of M-85
		44.83	44	Dearborn Avenue	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		45.57	45	Springwells Avenue, Fort Street
		46.46	46	Livernois Avenue
		47.42	47A	Clark Avenue	Former M-3
		48.02	47B	Lafayette Boulevard, Porter Street – Ambassador Bridge to Canada	To Highway 3
		48.27	47C	Vernor Avenue
		48.85	48	I-96 west (Jeffries Freeway) – Lansing	Eastern terminus of I-96
		49.87	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
		50.16	50	Grand River Avenue	Comerica Park
		50.82	51B	M-3 (Gratiot Avenue via Fisher Freeway)
		50.97	51C	I-375 south (Chrysler Freeway) – Downtown Detroit	Sharp turn 25 miles per hour (40 km/h)
		51.76	52	Mack Avenue
		52.50	53A	Warren Avenue
		53.06	53B	I-94 (Ford Freeway) – Port Huron, Chicago
		53.48	54	East Grand Boulevard, Clay Avenue
	Hamtramck	55.14	55	Holbrook Avenue, Caniff Avenue
	Detroit	56.17	56	M-8 (Davison Freeway)	Signed as exits 56A (east) and 56B (west)
		56.95	57	McNichols Road
		58.02	58	7 Mile Road
		59.01	59	M-102 (8 Mile Road)
Oakland	Hazel Park	60.11	60	John R. Street, 9 Mile Road	9 Mile Road bridge destroyed after a tanker explosion. MDOT have no plans made for bridge construction.
		61.40	61	I-696 (Reuther Freeway) – Port Huron, Lansing
	Royal Oak, Madison Heights
		62.38	62	11 Mile Road, 10 Mile Road west
	Madison Heights	63.38	63	12 Mile Road
		65.41	65	14 Mile Road	Signed as exits 65A (east) and 65B (west)
	Troy
		67.62	67	Rochester Road
		69.17	69	Big Beaver Road
		72.28	72	Crooks Road
	Bloomfield Township	74.31	74	Adams Road
		75.64	75	BL I-75 north (Square Lake Road) – Pontiac
	Auburn Hills	77.58	77	M-59 – Utica, Pontiac	Signed as exits 77A (east) and 77B (west)
		78.59	78	Chrysler Drive
		79.25	79	University Drive – Rochester
		81.22	81	M-24 / BL I-75 south – Lapeer, Pontiac	The Palace of Auburn Hills
		83.11	83	Joslyn Road	Signed as exits 83A (north) and 83B (south) southbound East Entrance to Great Lakes Crossing
		84.34	84	Baldwin Road	Signed as exits 84A (north) and 84B (south) northbound West Entrance to Great Lakes Crossing
	Independence Township	88.75	89	Sashabaw Road
		90.99	91	M-15 – Clarkston, Davison
	Springfield Township	92.79	93	US 24 (Dixie Highway) – Waterford	Northern terminus of US 24
		98.21	98	East Holly Road
	Groveland Township	101.19	101	Grange Hall Road – Fenton, Ortonville
	Holly Township	106.33	106	Dixie Highway	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		106.63	106	Saginaw Road – Grand Blanc	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Genesee	Grand Blanc	108.86	108	Holly Road – Grand Blanc
		110.08	109	M-54 (Dort Highway) – Burton	Southern terminus of M-54
		111.88	111	I-475 north – Downtown Flint	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Mundy Township	115.12	115	US 23 south – Ann Arbor	South end of US 23 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Flint	116.49	116	Bristol Road	Signed as exits 116A (east) and 116B (west) southbound; former M-121, Exit to Bishop International Airport
	Flint Township	117.38	117	I-69 – Port Huron, LansingModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated	Signed as exits 117A (I-69) and 117B (Miller Road) northbound
		118.91	118	M-21 (Corunna Road) – Owosso
	Mt. Morris Township	122.11	122	Pierson Road – Flushing
		125.59	125	I-475 south – Downtown Flint
		126.13	126	Mt. Morris
	Vienna Township	131.21	131	M-57 – Clio, Montrose
Saginaw	Birch Run	136.29	136	M-54 / M-83 – Birch Run, Frankenmuth	Northern terminus of M-54; southern terminus of M-83
	Bridgeport Township	144.69	144	Frankenmuth, Bridgeport	Signed as exits 144A (Frankenmuth) and 144B (Bridgeport) northbound
	Buena Vista Township	149.40	149	M-46 (Holland Avenue) – Sandusky	Signed as exits 149A (east) and 149B (west)
		149.72	150	I-675 north – Downtown Saginaw
		151.88	151	M-81 – Caro, Reese
		153.08	153	M-13 (East Bay City Road) – Saginaw
		Zilwaukee Bridge over Saginaw River
	Zilwaukee
		154.02	154	Zilwaukee
	Zilwaukee Township	155.96	155	I-675 south – Downtown Saginaw
Bay	Frankenlust Township	160.30	160	M-84 (Saginaw Road)
	Monitor Township	162.81	162	US 10 west / M-25 east / BL I-75 east – Downtown Bay City, Clare	Eastern terminus of US 10; western terminus of M-25 and BL I-75
		164.31	164	M-13 CONN, Wilder Road - Kawkawlin
	Kawkawlin Township	168.05	168	Beaver Road
	Fraser Township	173.01	173	Linwood Road – Linwood
	Pinconning Township	181.02	181	Pinconning Road – Pinconning
Arenac	Lincoln Township	188.65	188	US 23 north – Alpena, Standish	North end of US 23 overlap
		190.97	190	M-61 – Gladwin, Standish
	Adams Township	195.08	195	Sterling Road – Sterling
	Moffatt Township	202.87	202	M-33 north – Mio
Ogemaw	Horton Township	212.13	212	BL I-75 north (Cook Road) – West Branch
	Ogemaw Township	215.73	215	M-55 east / BL I-75 south – Tawas City, West Branch	South end of M-55 overlap
Roscommon	Richfield Township	222.83	222	Old 76 – St. Helen	Former M-76
	Backus Township	227.60	227	M-55 west – Cadillac, Houghton Lake	North end of M-55 overlap
	Higgins Township	239.61	239	M-18 / BL I-75 north – Roscommon, Houghton Lake
	Gerrish Township	244.26	244	BL I-75 south – Roscommon, North Higgins Lake State Park
Crawford	Beaver Creek Township	250.02	249	US 127 – Lansing, Clare	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; northern terminus of US 127
	Grayling Township	251.03	251	4 Mile Road
	Grayling	254.11	254	BL I-75 north to M-72 – Downtown Grayling, Traverse City	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		256.14	256	North Down River Road	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Grayling Township	259.19	259	M-93 (Hartwick Pines Road) / BL I-75 south to M-72 – Downtown Grayling, Traverse City
	Maple Forest Township	264.23	264	Frederic, Lewiston
Otsego	Otsego Lake Township	270.83	270	Waters
	Bagley Township	279.05	279	BL I-75 north (Old 27) – Downtown Gaylord	Former US 27
	Gaylord	281.95	282	M-32 / BL I-75 south – Downtown Gaylord, Alpena
	Vanderbilt	290.70	290	Old 27 – Vanderbilt
Cheboygan	Nunda Township	300.97	301	CR C-58 – Wolverine
	Indian River	310.16	310	M-68 – Indian River, Rogers City
		313.49	313	M-27 north – Cheboygan, Indian River	Southern terminus of M-27
	Munro Township	322.51	322	CR C-64 – Cheboygan, Pellston
	Hebron Township	326.71	326	CR C-66 – Cheboygan, Cross Village
	Mackinaw Township	335.69	336	US 31 south – Petoskey, Charlevoix	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; northern terminus of US 31
	Mackinaw City	337.72	337	M-108 (Nicolet Street) – Mackinaw City	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; southern terminus of M-108
Emmet		338.47	338	US 23 – Cheboygan, Rogers City, Alpena	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; northern terminus of US 23
			338	Michigan Welcome Center	Northbound exit only
		339.22	339	Jamet Street
Mackinac Bridge over Straits of Mackinac
Mackinac	St. Ignace	343.80	343	Bridge View Park	Southbound exit only
		344.38	344	US 2 west / BL I-75 north – St. Ignace, Escanaba, Manistique	Signed as exits 344A (north) and 344B (west) northbound Eastern terminus of the western US segment of US 2; southern terminus of BL I-75
		345.08	345	Portage Street – St. Ignace	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	St Ignace Township	348.10	348
		352.15	352	M-123 north – Tahquamenon Falls, Newberry, Moran, Trout Lake	Southern terminus of M-123
		359.37	359	M-134 east – Drummond Island, De Tour Village	Western terminus of M-134
Chippewa	Rudyard Township	373.71	373	M-48 east (H-40) – Pickford, Rudyard	Western terminus of M-48
	Kinross Township	377.88	378	M-80 east – Kinross	Western terminus of M-80
		379.64	379	Gaines Highway – Barbeau Area
	Dafter Township	386.27	386	M-28 – Munising, Newberry
	Sault Ste. Marie	392.57	392	BS I-75 north (3 Mile Road) – Sault Ste. Marie
		394.74	394	Easterday Avenue – Sault Ste. Marie, Soo Locks
International Bridge over St. Marys River to Canada

External links

• I-75 at Michigan Highways
• Interstate 75 at Michigan Highway Ends