Business Routes of Interstate 94 in Michigan - Kalamazoo Business Loop

Kalamazoo Business Loop

Interstate 94 Business Loop or BL I-94 is a Michigan highway looping for 11.21 miles (18.04 km) from the I-94 freeway through downtown Kalamazoo. It partially follows the routing of a former BUS US 12. The highway begins at Exit 74 on I-94 in Portage where it runs concurrent with US 131 until it intersects with BUS US 131 (Stadium Drive) at exit 36 in Oshtemo Township. From there it follows BUS US 131 and M-43 through downtown Kalamazoo. At an interstection between BL I-94/M-43 (Kalamazoo Avenue) and King Highway, BL I-94 turns along King Highway to its eastern terminus at I-94's exit 81.

BL I-94 is freeway from the western terminus concurrent with US 131 to the western junction with BUS US 131, and it is expressway from the eastern terminus northwesterly to the corner of King Highway and Amvets Memorial Parkway in Kalamazoo at a junction with M-96 (OLD US 12).

On December 7, 1959, the I-94/US 12 freeway is opened on the south side of Kalamazoo. This marks the beginning of BUS US 12 in the Kalamazoo area, The highway was routed along the former US 12 on Stadium Drive to a junction with M-43 (Michigan Avenue), BUS US 12 then followed Michigan Avenue to King Highway back to I-94/US 12. BUS US 12 is signed temporarily along 9th Street in Oshtemo from Stadium Drive southerly to I-94/US 12 starting on January 6, 1960. Later in 1960, BUS US 12 is redesignated as BL I-94 in preparation to move the US 12 designation to the US 112 corridor.

On December 16, 1963, the US 131 freeway was opened on the west side of Kalamazoo. Along with the creation of BUS US 131 along a portion of the BL I-94 routing, BL I-94 was rerouted along the US 131 freeway on the west end back to I-94. The section of Stadium Drive west of US 131 and the 9th Street routing was removed from BL I-94.

Kalamazoo and the newly built Michikal avenues were transferred to state jurisdiction on October 4, 1965. To smooth out traffic patterns downtown, Michikal Avenue was built as a connector between Kalamazoo and Michigan avenues. Kalamazoo and Michigan avenues are used as a pair of one-way streets downtown. Kalamazoo and Michikal were then signed as westbound BL I-94 from Stadium Drive to Michigan Avenue while Main Street and Michigan Avenue continue to serve eastbound traffic.