MDOT finally recognizes M-8
Dan Garnell
Fwy. in Detroit, the original urban depressed freeway. It opened in
1944, and had its original pavement & original attributes until 1996,
when MDOT took it over & totally reconstructed. They assigned the
number M-8 to it, but it only got recognized on the mainline freeway.
M-10 & I-75 kept their original 70s & 80s BGSs identifying it as
only "Davison Ave." or "Davison Fwy.". Until now. Coming back from
work yesterday on M-10, I noticed that, as part of resigning projects
on both freeways, the signs now say "M-8 Davison Fwy." About time.
One note, though: M-10 north to Davison Ave. west is identified as "M-8
Davison Ave." Can anyone clarify if this is due to that 0.1 mile
stretch that exists west of M-10, or is there a potential for future
extension west to I-96, which I think would be very logical?
Dan Garnell
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Chris Bessert
>
> Those of you from or familiar w/ Michigan may recognize the Davison
> Fwy. in Detroit, the original urban depressed freeway. It opened in
> 1944, and had its original pavement & original attributes until 1996,
> when MDOT took it over & totally reconstructed. They assigned the
> number M-8 to it, but it only got recognized on the mainline freeway.
> M-10 & I-75 kept their original 70s & 80s BGSs identifying it as
> only "Davison Ave." or "Davison Fwy.". Until now. Coming back from
> work yesterday on M-10, I noticed that, as part of resigning projects
> on both freeways, the signs now say "M-8 Davison Fwy." About time.
"About time" is right! If you recall, the "Davison Ave" and/or "Davison
Fwy EAST" signs along M-10/John C Lodge Frwy were removed during the
closure and reconstruction of the Davison. I expected--maybe naively--
to see new signs with M-8 markers on them erected when the Davison was
reopened. Actually, 2-3 years isn't bad for MDOT... :^|
> One note, though: M-10 north to Davison Ave. west is identified as "M-8
> Davison Ave." Can anyone clarify if this is due to that 0.1 mile
> stretch that exists west of M-10, or is there a potential for future
> extension west to I-96, which I think would be very logical?
Logical, yes. Will it happen, slight chance. Should you hold you breath?
Definately not. As you may or may not be aware, the original Detroit
Expressway Plan included many freeways never built, including the
Davison East & West, the Mound Road Freeway, the freeway along the
Vernor Hwy/Kercheval Ave corridor, the Wyoming Ave Freeway, the
'original' Jeffries Freeway along Grand River Ave (the 'current' Jeff-
ries Frwy was also on the list to be built), etc. The current I-96/
Jeffries Frwy was built to accommodate a connection with the Davison
West freeway, running along Davison Ave from M-10/Lodge Frwy to I-96
at the goofy-looking bend between Livernois and Wyoming.
Some years ago Mayor Coleman Young, I believe, proclaimed there would
be no more freeways built in Detroit (someone correct me if I'm wrong).
Then, when Dennis Archer became mayor, he inquired for a time about
the feasibility of building the Davison East, which would loop east
around City Airport and intersect the I-94/Edsel Ford Fwy on the east
side. Archer wondered if it would help ease congestion on the Ford
and facilitate easier movement in the city. It sounds as if he has
dropped that idea, as I have heard no further discussion on this for
some time.
So, to finally answer your question, I think it was likely a standard
MDOT 'oops,' as they have been known for in the past. While there
are many other states with freeway signage much more deplorable than
Michigan's, MDOT can and does make errors on their freeway signage.
(Hey, nobody's perfect!) But, it's still a reason to keep an eye on
this area for future changes...
Later,
Chris
--
Chris Bessert
Bess...@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/Hwys
D Outen
"Chris Bessert" <Bess...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:398889F0...@aol.com...
> Logical, yes. Will it happen, slight chance. Should you hold you
breath?
> Definately not. As you may or may not be aware, the original Detroit
> Expressway Plan included many freeways never built, including the
> Davison East & West, the Mound Road Freeway, the freeway along the
> Vernor Hwy/Kercheval Ave corridor, the Wyoming Ave Freeway, the
> 'original' Jeffries Freeway along Grand River Ave (the 'current' Jeff-
> ries Frwy was also on the list to be built), etc. The current I-96/
> Jeffries Frwy was built to accommodate a connection with the Davison
> West freeway, running along Davison Ave from M-10/Lodge Frwy to I-96
> at the goofy-looking bend between Livernois and Wyoming.
>
The only freeway proposal that I can recall ever got "serious" attention
was the Davison(M-8) from the Jeffries(I-96) east to the Lodge(M-10) to
the Chrysler(I-75) and then up Mound Rd and over to the Van Dyke
Freeway(M-53). That proposal was set in concrete to the extent that
the Davison/Jeffries(I-96) and the Reuther(I-696)/Mound Rd. junctions
were constructed as freeway to freeway interchanges.
> Some years ago Mayor Coleman Young, I believe, proclaimed there would
> be no more freeways built in Detroit (someone correct me if I'm
wrong).
It was something more along the lines that no more neighborhoods would
be destroyed. Constructing the Davison between the Lodge and the
Jeffries would have done just that. Many in the City are still bitter
about how the Chrysler(I-75) was plowed through a minority community.
Hard to build a freeway in an urban area without wiping out communities.
That's why we ended up with the Jeffries(I-96) and Southfield(M-39)
interchange constructed on the right of way of industrial rail
line/yard.
Dave
Chris Bessert
>
> "Chris Bessert" <Bess...@aol.com> wrote:
> > Logical, yes. Will it happen, slight chance. Should you hold you
> > breath? Definately not. As you may or may not be aware, the original
> > Detroit Expressway Plan included many freeways never built, including
> > the Davison East & West, the Mound Road Freeway, the freeway along
> > the Vernor Hwy/Kercheval Ave corridor, the Wyoming Ave Freeway, the
> > 'original' Jeffries Freeway along Grand River Ave (the 'current' Jeff-
> > ries Frwy was also on the list to be built), etc. The current I-96/
> > Jeffries Frwy was built to accommodate a connection with the Davison
> > West freeway, running along Davison Ave from M-10/Lodge Frwy to I-96
> > at the goofy-looking bend between Livernois and Wyoming.
>
> The only freeway proposal that I can recall ever got "serious" attention
> was the Davison(M-8) from the Jeffries(I-96) east to the Lodge(M-10) to
> the Chrysler(I-75) and then up Mound Rd and over to the Van Dyke
> Freeway(M-53).
In later years, yes. Some of the proposed expressways I mentioned above
date back to the early- to mid-1950s, including those on a 1950s Detroit
Freeway Plan. Some of them faded into oblivion earlier than others did.
The Grand River alignment of the Jeffries was scrapped in the early
1960s. Speaking of which, the following might be of interest along those
lines...
From the "I-96 Freeway: Detroit Metropolitan Area Corridor Planning
Study" published on May 1, 1964:
"The recommended corridor differs substantially from that tenatively
approved by the Bureau of Public Roads on June 14, 1957, and also on
the 104(b)(5) study alignment submitted to the Bureau of Public Roads
for cost determination purposes on July 1, 1960."
"It was the unanimous conclusion of the Planning Committee that a
more effective overall regional interstate freeway system would be ob-
tained through the location of I-96 in a corridor other than the pre-
viously considered Grand River Avenye Corridor. The Bureau of Public
Roads has concurred with this conclusion and approved the new corridor
by letter dated December 23, 1963."
From that same report, a map titled "Detroit Area Freeway System" in-
cluded the following routes symbolized as "Future Freeways":
1. M-14 - from Ford Rd to I-275 south of Plymouth Rd. (Built north
of Plymouth Rd.)
2. I-275 from I-96 & I-696 northerly. (Never built.)
3. Northwestern Highway. (Never built.)
4. M-53 "Mound Road Freeway" - from jct I-75 & I-375 in downtown
Detroit due northerly to connection with current M-53 free-
way. (Never built. Almost, as Dave noted.)
5. Davison Freeway - east extension to I-94, and west extension
to junction of proposed Jeffries Frwy & "Schoolcraft Free-
way". (Neither built.)
6. Southfield Freeway - southern extension from I-94 to I-75.
(Never built.)
7. I-375 - along Jefferson Ave connecting the Lodge & Chrysler Free-
ways. (Never built.)
So, by the mid-1960s, most of the odd proposals (Vernor-Kercheval
route, for example) were discarded. Right-of-way for the Chrysler Free-
way was being aquired and cleared, which--as Dave noted--really soured
people on more new freeways which would likely cause similar neighbor-
hood destruction.
Personally, I'm grateful the core of the system was completed with no
hanging ends, unlike Milwaukee, Memphis and Washington DC. While I
realize the reasons those cities' freeway systems were never completed,
I'm still grateful Detroit has a somewhat-complete system now.