Amtrak travelers between Detroit and Chicago should take note of the recent announcement regarding the temporary suspension of select Wolverine train routes. This move is part of a joint effort between Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation to improve infrastructure. Specifically, trains 350 and 353 of the Wolverine service will be affected by this suspension. From July 31 to October 5, these trains will not operate on Mondays through Thursdays.
During the temporary suspension of specific Wolverine train routes between Detroit and Chicago, trains 350 and 353 will continue to operate but with modified schedules. These trains will only run on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with the exception of Labor Day, Monday, September 4. Passengers planning to travel on these trains should be aware of the revised operating days.
Meanwhile, trains 351, 352, 354, and 355 will continue to operate as usual. Additionally, Blue Water Trains 364 and 365 will operate normally and will also serve Wolverine stations in southwestern Michigan, providing an alternative travel option for passengers in that region.
Last year, Amtrak temporarily suspended two trains on the Wolverine route. At that time, In August, trains 350 and 355, which normally travel between Chicago and Pontiac with stops in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Ann Arbor, and Detroit, are canceled without alternative transportation. It was reported that this suspension was due to the lack of manpower and equipment.
To access the most up-to-date schedules, it is recommended to visit Amtrak’s official website at Amtrak.com, utilize the Amtrak mobile app, or reach out via call or text to 800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).
Michigan: Our 1 Mile Freeway + More Fun Facts About Our Roads
Michigan's shortest freeway is 1.1 miles long.
Currently, Michigan has one of the nation’s shortest signed interstates. The shortest freeway in Michigan is only 1.1 miles long. Though not signed, New York has a 0.70 miles freeway, which is even smaller than Michigan’s smallest.
Michigan has the longest remaining camelback bridge.
The three-span US-12 camelback bridge in Mottville is Michigan’s longest remaining bridge of this type. Constructed in 1922, these bridges are found primarily in Michigan and Ontario, Canada.
Michigan has a bridge with towers almost as tall as the Washington Monument.
The towers on the Mackinac Bridge or “Mighty Mac” (552 feet high) are almost as tall as the Washington Monument (555 feet high). The Mackinac Bridge is currently the fifth longest suspension bridge in the world.
Michigan's first road map only had 3 roads on it.
The first Michigan road map, with only three roads on it, was published by the United States Congress in 1826. As a matter of fact, the first surveyed road in Michigan was Pontiac Road (now called M-1 or Woodward Avenue) connecting Detroit and Pontiac in 1819.
Michigan has the only state highway in the nation where motor vehicles are banned.
M-185 on Mackinac Island is the only state highway in the nation where motor vehicles are banned. Motorized vehicles have been prohibited on Mackinac Island since 1896 because the horses were disturbed by the noisy engines of some of the island’s first cars. Furthermore, carriage drivers formed an association, convincing islanders to ban automobiles.
The longest highway in Michigan passes through six different states.
The longest highway in Michigan is I-75, which runs 395 miles from the Ohio border to the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie. I-75 also passes through six different states. At its north end, it starts on the Canada/U.S. border at the top of Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie. Then it heads south to Naples in Florida, where it bends east and runs across to Miami.
Michigan has a total of 120,256 miles of paved roadway.
MDOT says that there is enough pavement on Michigan roadways to build a one-lane road from the Earth to the moon. Michigan has a total of 120,256 miles of paved roadway. This includes 9,669 route miles of state trunkline, 89,444 route miles of county roads, and 21,198 route miles of city and village streets. However, according to NASA, the Moon us an average of 238,855 miles away from Earth.
Several Michigan highways began as Native American trails.
Eight Michigan highways began as Native American trails, US-2 (from Sault Ste. Marie to Green Bay); I-75 (from Detroit to Saginaw), I-94 (from Detroit to St. Joseph; I-96 (from Detroit to Grand Rapids), I-94 (from Detroit to Port Huron), US-41 (from L’Anse to Marquette), and US-12 (from Ypsilanti to Chicago). Michigan’s three largest tribes are the Ojibwe (also called Chippewa), the Odawa (also called Ottowa) and the Potawatomi (also called the Bode’wadmi). Michigan also federally recognizes these tribes and others in the state.
