When the State of Michigan Enlisted Superman to Promote the S-Curve in Grand Rapids

You might say that the tricky section of freeway known as the S-Curve in Grand Rapids would take a super power to drive without white-knuckling the steering wheel. Or perhaps driving the S-Curve in your personal Kryptonite.

The S-Curve is the tricky section of US-131 in downtown Grand Rapids that curves across the Grand River at the point where that northbound freeway meets the east-west running Interstate 196.

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During the late 1990s, a construction project called for a complete overhaul and rebuild of the roadway after significant structural damage was observed on the bridge of the Grand River. It was a roughly two-year project that caused significant traffic headaches.

This traffic disruption occurred about a half-decade after the 'Detour City' years, when I-196 was rebuilt through the same area.

READ MORE: What Exactly Happens to US-131 at the Michigan State Line?

An interesting side note to the years of construction of the time was to low-key call on the Man of Steel, Superman, to thank the community for the disruption.

The S-Curve Superman Billboard in Grand Rapids

A Federal Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration case study guided future urban planners and traffic engineers through the rebuild of the S-Curve. Part of the case study discussed public relations for the major project. Following the completion of the project, billboards were erected in the area that utilized the iconic chesty-Superman 'S' with the S standing in place of the name of the freeway section.

The message on the billboard says simply The 'S' Curve and thanks the Michigan Department of Transportation and the construction company.

Why was the S-Curve in Grand Rapids Built Like That?

The S-Curve is a dicey proposition sometimes on perfect weather days. Add in wintery conditions or simply a daily rush hour and the roadway is a messy chokepoint of traffic.

The reason for the freeways low-speed curves was detailed in the federal case study.

The freeway was planned in the 1950s and built during the early 1960s, the era of rapid expressway construction across the nation. In Grand Rapids,

city leaders wanted a roadway that brought travelers close to downtown, local businesses refused to relinquish sufficient property for the right-of-way. The result was a series of bridges that curved around downtown buildings.

It also is the reason for some of the odd left-hand on and off ramps and narrow lanes.

👇🏼BELOW: These Michigan Highways Come to a Complete Dead End👇🏼

For better or worse, the decisions made by city fathers of the era (and it was city fathers for sure), are the highway legacies we're living with today.