The I-196/US 131 interchange is one of the *tightest* freeway to freeway connections that I know of. US 131 is a very old and substandard freeway in the Grand Rapids area, and its interchange with I-196 is no exception. All of the ramps that connect the two routes are very sharp, and appear to have precious little accelleration and decelleration room. However, the most striking part of this junction is that the through lanes of US 131 are 'flipped' through the interchange, sort of 'twisted', much like a rope. On I-196, the through lanes do an 'over-under' with the twisted part of US 131, with wide grade seperations on the bridge over the Grand River. Very intreaguing.
Other notes:
*US 131 has 'Texas style' one-way frontage roads from its Grand River
bridge to about 2 km north of I-196, with the NB side neatly threaded
between the 'over-under' roadways of I-196.
*The south end of the Business route of US 131 has an interesting 'spur' feed into US 131, with the connection overlapping US 131's Wealthy Av. interchange. The NB off and on ramps at Wealthy Av. are on the left, as is the SB on ramp from BR US 131. This interchange complex is also *very* tight.
*Just off the map to the left, I-196 avoided a major local park by being 'dug' into the western Grand River valley hillside. It goes into the hillside for about 1.3 km and back into the valley south from Highway M-45.
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