​​Interstate 196 is a freeway connector between Grand Rapids and Benton Harbor, in western Michigan.  The southwestern end of Interstate 196 is a full interchange with Interstate 94 in Benton Harbor.  Interstate 94's initial foray into Michigan follows the eastern shore of Lake Michigan northward to Benton Harbor.  At Benton Harbor, Interstate 94 turns easterly away from Lake Michigan, leaving Interstate 196 to continue northward along the eastern lakeshore.  Interstate 196 starts to deviate away from the lakeside at Holland, curving east-northeasterly toward Grand Rapids.  Interstate 196 heads due east through downtown Grand Rapids, and ends shortly afterward at Interstate 96.  The northeastern end at Interstate 196 is a simple convergence or divergence onto or away from the eastern majority of Interstate 96.

My photo of a cutout shield for Interstate 196 comes from a northbound offramp from Interstate 196 to Michigan Highway 63 near Benton Harbor.  In recent years, the adoption of unisigns for Michigan's Interstate junctions has made cutout shields difficult to find across the state.  Usually, I'm relegated to finding these cutout shields on "To" guide markers, distant from the Interstate itself, or on the "emergency detour" routes that are signed along surface road alternates.  The guide marker shown indicates an emergency detour for Interstate 196, for which MDOT will still use the cutout shields instead of unisigns.  This photo was taken in March 2018, on the way to Traverse City. 

Michigan Interstate guides will come with complete exit lists and a photo for every exit, at some point in the future when I've driven the full lengths of all of them.  This page showing the cutout shield will stay here for now, until that happens​.

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