I-94 in Michigan Was First Border-to-Border Interstate in the U.S.
Michigan was the first state to have a border-to-border interstate and to pave those damn roads.
Michigan has the honor of being the first state in a lot of different groundbreaking ways in the United States. For example:
- The first 3 tunnels in the world.
- The first to get phone numbers.
- The first human was killed by a robot.
OK, that last one wasn't so great. However, we can add this little nugget to the list of Michigan firsts. This first-ever border-to-border interstate was constructed in 1960 according to the Michigan Department of Transportation,
Nation's first state to complete a border-to-border interstate (I-94 running 205 miles from Detroit to New Buffalo).
We can also add the first state to have a paved road to that list according to Wikipedia,
In 1909, the first mile (1.6 km) of concrete roadway in the country was paved between 6 and 7 Mile roads at a cost of $14,000 (equivalent to $290,000 in 2019).
That was the beginning of Woodward Avenue becoming the most iconic street in Detroit, maybe even the nation. The Henry Ford website tells us that this is also the first road to use a three-color traffic signal,
This first traffic light was installed at Woodward Avenue and Fort Street in Detroit, Michigan.
These are just two of many moments in history that have cemented Woodward Avenue also known as M-1 as a historic roadway in the United States.
Do you know a fun fact about Michigan that you think most people don't know? Tell us in the comments. We might feature your fun fact on our next #WednesdayWisdom.
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