Interstate 475 Michigan
Overview
Interstate 475 forms an urban loop joining Interstate 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
Interstate 475 was designated as a 17.5-mile 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 M-21 freeway near Downtown Flint. The northern 3.4-mile portion connected I-75 east with Saginaw Street (Exit 13).3 The remaining section of I-475 was finished in 1981.1
Route Information
North End – Flint, MI
South End – Flint, MI
Mileage – 16.90
Cities – Flint
- Junctions –
Source: December 31, 2018 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
South End
– southern Flint, Michigan
Sources:
- Michigan Highways: Highways 250 through 696 (Chris Bessert).
- “Flint Freeway Finished Dec. 21.” The Owosso Argus-Press, 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 February 1, 2016.