Interstate 475 Michigan
Overview
Interstate 475 forms an urban loop joining I-75 with Downtown Flint from the west. The freeway carries four lanes north to Exit 4 (Bristol Road), six lanes north to Exit 13 (Saginaw Street) and four lanes along the rural stretch west back to I-75. A four level interchange joins the below grade freeway with Interstate 69 amid ramps to Downtown.
History
The Michigan State Highway Department Recommenced Interstate Route Numbering in 1958 numbered the urban route for Interstate 75 at Flint as I-175. The State revised the numbering of loops and spurs to conform with the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) recommendations of assigning odd number prefixes for spurs and even number prefixes for loops. Subsequent correspondence on August 15, 1958 reassigned the loop at Flint as Interstate 475, which AASHO concurred with on August 29, 1958.
Interstate 475 was designated as a 17.5 mile long freeway through Flint in 1970.1 The second level of the stack interchange with Interstate 69 opened as part of the M-21 and M-78 freeway completed from Saginaw Street to Center Road on December 21, 1971.2 Opening of the first two sections of the I-475 mainline occurred by 1973. The southern portion ran north 6.4 miles from I-75 to the freeway along M-21 near Downtown Flint. The northern 3.4 mile long segment connected I-75 east with Saginaw Street (Exit 13).3 The remaining section of I-475 was finished in 1981.1
Route Information
Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
The initial route of Interstate 475 proposed in 1969 replaced what was M-54 Business.
Construction was scheduled for completion on the six mile stretch of Interstate 475 leading north from Flint to Beecher at the end of 1979 (it was not opened until 1981). Attempts in 1974 were made to speed up the environmental impact statement from November 15 to September 1, with the Flint City Manager advocating for a June finish. Governor William Milliken indicated that the timetable could be sped up by 12 to 14 months had that occurred.4
North End – northern Flint, Michigan
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South at
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North End Throwback
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According to Isaac Wilson IV, this signage was replaced in 2004. I-75 between I-475 and M-57 was expanded from six to eight lanes, with an auxiliary lane between I-475 (Exit 125) and Mt. Morris Road (Exit 126) added in both directions. The ramp from I-475 north to I-75 north was also widened. Photo by Don Hargraves (09/15/02).
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South End Throwback
Sources:
- Michigan Highways: Highways 250 through 696 (Chris Bessert).
- “Flint Freeway Finished Dec. 21.” The Owosso Argus-Press (MI), December 4, 1971.
- “Michigan Freeway System Passes 1,500 Mile Mark.” The Argus-Press (Owosso, MI), January 29, 1973.
- “Flint Officials Hopeful Of Getting a Construction Speed-Up on I-475.” The Argus-Press (Owasso, MI), March 19, 1974.
Page updated July 26, 2021.