| Interstate 496 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R.E. Olds Freeway | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by MDOT | ||||
| Length: | 11.78 mi[2] (18.96 km) | |||
| Existed: | December 23, 1963[1] – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end: | I-69 / I-96 in Lansing | |||
| US 127 in Lansing | ||||
| East end: | I-96 / US 127 in Lansing | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System Michigan State Trunkline Highway System
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Interstate 496 (I-496) is an Interstate Highway that passes through downtown Lansing, Michigan and is a "child" of Interstate 96. It is ceremonially designated the R.E. Olds Freeway along the portion that cuts through the city of Lansing. I-496 has both of its termini on I-96, the western one feeding only to and from Interstate 96 and Interstate 69 (which run concurrently) and the southern one feeding to and from US 127, a freeway that coincides with the north–south segment of I-496. US 127 continues as freeway through Lansing to the north and to Jackson, Michigan in the south.
Named after one of the pioneers of the automobile industry, Ransom E. Olds the founder of Oldsmobile and the REO Motor Car Company, it is heavily traveled by commuters who work in nearby automobile factories, as well as Michigan state government. I-496's maximum speed limit is 70 mph (110 km/h) for its entire length.
Ironically, while the highway bears R.E. Olds' name, the construction of the highway forced the demolition of the house that he built in 1903. Attempts to move the Olds Mansion, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, failed, and the house was demolished in order to continue the construction of the Interstate.[3] The construction of the freeway also required the demolition or removal or nearly 600 homes, 60 businesses, and 15 farms.[4]
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The route is a divided-highway with two lane-numbering configurations. The sections between the western terminus and exit 1, exits 7 through 9, and exit 11 to the eastern terminus have three lanes in each direction. The rest is configured with two lanes in either direction.[5] From exit 8 to the eastern terminus, I-496 runs north–south concurrent with US 127.
The western terminus looks as if it could accommodate a westward extension, having been built with unusually long and widely-separated ramps. These ramps were built to accommodate the intersection with the originally proposed alignment of Interstate 69.[6]
The first section of I-496 was opened on 23 December 1963 running from I-96 northerly to M-43/M-78 between Lansing and East Lansing. The freeway section, comprising the southern two-thirds, was designated I-96/M-78/BL I-96 while the northern portion was on city streets as M-78/BL I-96. A new US 127 freeway was opened on 18 November 1966. US 127 would be routed along I-496/M-78. BL I-96 was removed from I-496/US 127/M-78 and routed along the former US 127. The next section opened was the western section from I-96 to M-99 on 22 October 1968. The remaining section between M-99 and I-496/US 127 opened on 18 December 1970 completing construction.
The freeway underwent a $42.4 million reconstruction between April and September 2001 which includes the rehabilitation or reconstruction of 35 bridges, 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of freeway, and the addition of a weave–merge lane between Pennsylvania Avenue and US 127.[7]
| County | Location | Mile | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eaton |
Delta Township | 0.00 | I-69 / I-96 – Flint, Grand Rapids, Ft. Wayne, Detroit | ||
| 1.35 | 1 | Creyts Road | Signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north) westbound | ||
| Eaton– Ingham |
Delta Township – Lansing |
3.37 | 3 | Waverly Road | |
| Ingham |
Lansing | 4.39 | 4 | Lansing Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 5.11 | 5 | M-99 south / Capitol Loop east (Martin Luther King Boulevard) | |||
| 5.69 | 6 | Pine Street, Walnut Street – Downtown Lansing | |||
| 6.08 | 7A | Grand Avenue – Downtown Lansing | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| 6.73 | 7 | BL I-96 / Capitol Loop west (Pennsylvania Avenue, Cedar Street, Larch Street) | |||
| 8.47 | 8 | US 127 north – Flint, East Lansing | Northern end of US 127 concurrency; former M-143 | ||
| East Lansing | 8.66 | 9 | Trowbridge Road | ||
| Lansing | 11.23 | 11 | Jolly Road | ||
| Delhi Township | 11.82 | I-96 – Detroit, Grand Rapids US 127 south – Jackson |
Exit 106 on I-96; exit 73 on US 127; freeway continues south as US 127 | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus • Closed/Former • Incomplete access • Unopened |
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