About as far west as you'll find a shield, Sternberg Rd. EB from US 31 at Exit 109. The beginning of I-96 is Exit 110, but... no, I'm actually not sure why this shield is here. It was removed though.

This EB sign is somehow too yellow.


Unnecessarily narrow shields on the EB Exit 38 ramp in Grand Rapids. M-37 leaves I-96 here, and M-44 extended south to M-11 at the time I took this photo in 2009. By 2010, M-44 was revised to end here and eliminate the useless concurrency. Therefore, in addition to featuring narrow shields, this photo is now a historic relic.


I'm not a fan of mixed-case directionals, EB at Exit 44. (The actual M-6 is Exit 46.)


Heading east from M-50 (Exit 52) to the Clinton County line. Why did I take the last photo? Check out the faded painted chevrons on the bridge piers. That was safety before guiderails were installed.


I-69 switches directions in Lansing. Therefore, I-96 feels that 69 is less important, especially because these directions will soon become East-West and directly countermand I-96's authority. Consider this a lesson in subordination - or an error.


Grand River Ave, formerly US 16, EB under the northwestern junction of the Interstates. US 16 doesn't even get past Wyoming anymore thanks to the efforts of I-90 to replace it, so even though the road stays completely distinct from I-96, it had no chance of staying a US highway in Michigan.


WB up to and down the Exit 104 ramp in Lansing. US 127 deserves a full-width shield, and NBd/SBd are growing on me as I try to think of a clever way to make fun of them. I've read that people don't understand what NB and SB mean, and there's certainly no room to spell them out (N./S. or North/South would imply street name instead of direction).


Construction of the new Latson Rd. interchange (Exit 140) in Genoa Twp., seen EB.


I hate Clearview. I hate bubble shields. I hate the missing directional banners and Series B shield font. On the other hand, I like the left exit tab without "LEFT" inside and the use of a diagrammatic arrow. Other intrigues are the full-width exit tab only on one sign, the M-standard abbreviation of Grand as "Gd," and the directional change of M-5 that's due to its relatively recent extension north as the last leg of this interchange. (It really didn't have to change directions, though.)


One of the ramps in the complicated five-way interchange with these routes, where I-275 ends because I-96 was supposed to follow what's now M-5 and Michigan never got around to truncating I-275 when that fell through. Look closer at the I-696 shield. Compare the 6's. Then look at the M-5 shield and tell me where the M went.


6 Mile Rd. EB at the unnecessarily concurrent highways. I'm surprised I-96 didn't somehow end up in a 3-digit shield.


Repeat with me: You can't junction a route you're already following. This WB signage makes it look like M-14 is the route you're on and I-275/96 are already together.


Davison Ave., the frontage road for I-96, WB at Wyoming St. US 10 hasn't been in Detroit for more than 20 years, and this cutout is certainly older than that. It appears to be the style that belongs on an overhead sign, as opposed to a true cutout of the 1960s or earlier.


All through Livonia, the frontage roads have relatively modern state-named shields on them. Because this is rare in Michigan (outside of Detroit's green trailblazer signs), enjoy the treats in both directions if you visit. (These are indeed WB shields, signed for U-turns in the Michigan Left idiom of not allowing true left turns at any intersection.)


At the Detroit Road Meet, we saw a few more of these (I'm not sure if the lone shield is a duplicate, so better to err on the side of extra signs). The first and last ones are Middlebelt Rd. SB and NB, and the second is on the WB frontage road where we made a Michigan left from Middlebelt to I-96 EB.


There's a short dualized highway section east of Livonia, and this is the only sign for it with green lane lines instead of black. The FHWA would have the sign be five lanes wide and probably even taller with up arrows over every lane.


Where I-96 EB ends at I-75, you'd expect the mainline Interstate to head east (75 north) on its prior path. Well, the fact there are exit numbers suggests I-96 follows the long ramp to I-75 SB, which doubles back on the path but does lead to the bridge to Canada. (Unnamed since it's privately owned?) The flag seems against standards - what, the word "Canada" doesn't give it away?

Exit 104 to Business I-96, Lansing

Exit 38 to M-37
Onto I-69
To US 127
Onto I-275
Onto M-5
Exit 163 to I-696
Back to the Detroit Road Meet
Back to Michigan Roads
Back to Roads