Interstate 496 - History

History

The first section of I-496 was opened in 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 in 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 segment north of the Trowbridge Road interchange continuing northward as part of US 127 was opened in 1968. The next section opened was the western section from I-96 to Lansing Road (then US 27) in 1969. The remaining section between M-99 and I-496/US 127 opened on December 18, 1970, completing construction. The freeway underwent a $42.4 million reconstruction between April and November 2001 which included 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. Speed limits were raised along the I-496 from 55 to 70 miles per hour (89 to 110 km/h) in 2007 to reflect the speeds motorists were driving in speeds studies conducted by MDOT and the Michigan State Police.

The section near downtown was built through a historically black neighborhood. The neighborhood was formed through "unwritten rules of segregation" as real estate agents and mortgage brokers steered African-American residents looking to buy homes in the area. When the state and federal governments were planning the freeway, the area was chosen for the path of I-496. The neighborhood sported a community center and several businesses that catered to the black population of Lansing, including the only record store that sold rhythm and blues music. Community leaders did not fight the freeway and instead lobbied for affordable housing and relocation assistance. The construction spurred integration of blacks into the wider community. Some were able to move into neighborhoods previously closed to them, purchasing "newer houses near better schools." In total, the construction of the freeway also required the demolition or removal or nearly 600 homes, 60 businesses, and 15 farms.

The name applied to the freeway was not without controversy either. The Lansing City Council named it in September 1966 after Ralph W. Crego, a former city council member and mayor. He had been the longest serving major in the city's history. The Historical Society of Greater Lansing wanted it named the "R.E. Olds Expressway", in part because the construction meant the demolition of the Olds Mansion, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and to "recogniz the contributions of R.E. Olds to the industries of the city." The society approached the Michigan Legislature, which introduced House Resolution 48 in February 1970 using the historical society's preferred name. The city council realized that they had been bypassed and conveniently discovered that their original resolution was not "formally adopted". They named a park for Crego instead in October 1970 and adopted a resolution to name I-496 the "Oldsmobile Expressway". The Legislature approved its resolution resulting in two names, one for the founder of the car company, and one for the company itself. The council member who introduced the city's resolution criticized the Legislature for its actions without consultation. The state resolution was intercepted before it could be sent to the Michigan Department of State Highways, and the freeway opened on December 18, 1970, with the "Oldsmobile Expressway" name. On August 21, 1972, during the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Oldsmobile, Senate Concurrent Resolution 345 renamed I-496 the "R.E. Olds Freeway".