I’ve significantly revised and updated this post which first appeared here in 2009.
This is Michigan Rd. at 86th St., a major Indianapolis intersection.
Michigan Road is eight lanes wide here – three northbound through lanes, two southbound through lanes, plus several turn lanes. It needs all those lanes; this is the gateway to the Northwestside’s best shopping and many of its employers, as well as to I-465.
This intersection is always busy, but it’s especially so at rush hour. It can be a dangerous place – in 2007 there were 227 accidents here.
It is hard to imagine now just how far out in the boonies this intersection once was. This video, compiled of screen shots of historic aerial imagery found at MapIndy, shows you. Watch the years melt away.
If you build it, (they) will come. Or did we build it because they came?
I think the biggest part of this was just the normal pushing out of a growing city.
I wonder if we will come to regret the loss of vast amounts of farm land to accommodate the sprawl of car culture?
I do already.
Now an 8 lanes road in MI is harder to find :D
Haven’t you ever been to Detroit? ;-)
I said “harder”, but yes I have been to Detroit. However roads are definitely not as wide everywhere else in MI. I just like how roads in other states named after Michigan seems to be “busier” than most of Michigan itself. E.g. Michigan Ave(?) in Chicago.
I’ve spent a lot of time on roads in southwestern Michigan, primarily in Cass County. The widest road I know of there is 4 lanes. When I was a kid, if it wasn’t highway, it wasn’t paved.
Further north you go, narrower they get (well probably with one exception) :D Should come back to MI with a road trip one of these days.