Interstate 296 - Route Description

Route Description

I-296 begins at the I-196 interchange west of the Grand River and downtown Grand Rapids. Here the three northbound lanes are on the left and the three southbound lanes are on the right, opposite of the normal traffic arrangement in the US. This arrangement is reversed north of the ramps for I-196 as the southbound lanes go over the northbound lanes. Running parallel to the Grand River on the west bank, the freeway designation begins across the river from the 6th Street Bridge Park and Belknap Hill north of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and the DeVos Place Convention Center. The west side of the freeway faces residential neighborhoods and the east side borders commercial businesses and the river. South of the Ann Street interchange, the highway crosses a rail line. After crossing both the railroad and Ann Street, the highway widens to allow for a grassy median. The freeway leaves Grand Rapids an enters Walker north of Ann Street.

Approaching I-96 from the south, the freeway runs to the east of the DeltaPlex Arena and the median widens further across the river from Comstock Riverside Park in Walker. An extra lane is added on the left, widening the freeway to four lanes. Unsigned I-296 follows the left two lanes that form the left exit for I-96 from US 131. At the split between I-296 and US 131, I-296 curves northwest, and US 131 curves northeast following a bend in the Grand River. Once I-296 diverges from US 131, the highway crosses West River Drive and there are exits on the right for eastbound I-96 and the left for northbound M-37/Alpine Avenue. Past these two exits, I-296 merges into westbound I-96 and terminates. Southbound unsigned I-296 begins where the ramps to US 131 southbound split from eastbound I-96 at the Alpine Avenue overpass, merging with southbound US 131 north of Ann Street.