Capitol Loop Signage Photos (2003, 2025)

The following is a set of photos of various route marker and related signage along Lansing's Capitol Loop from April 12, 2003 and December 4, 2025. The 2004 pictures date to a time when the entire Capitol Loop was a state trunkline highway under MDOT jurisidiction. However, in March 2024, three-quarters of the route was transferred from state to municipal control, but still remains signed as a municipally-maintained route.

Capitol Loop signs at eastern terminus at I-496 in Lansing, Michigan, 2003.

2003: Signage at the western terminus of the Capitol Loop on southbound Martin Luther King Jr Blvd approaching St Joseph St and I-496/R.E.Olds Frwy. Taken April 12, 2003. ©2003 Christopher J. Bessert, All Rights Reserved.

2003: Closeup of the signage at the western terminus of the Capitol Loop on southbound Martin Luther King Jr Blvd approaching St Joseph St and I-496/R.E.Olds Frwy. Taken April 12, 2003. ©2003 Christopher J. Bessert, All Rights Reserved.

Capitol Loop signs at eastern terminus at I-496 in Lansing, Michigan, 2025.

2025: Signage at the western terminus of the Capitol Loop on southbound Martin Luther King Jr Blvd approaching St Joseph St and I-496/R.E.Olds Frwy in 2025, but on the left (east) side of the street and indicating the turn for I-496 EAST. There was no signage similar to that found in 2023 on the right (west) side of the street. Also note the grossly oversized "ENDS" sign, using green lettering on a white background instead of the standard white on green.

Capitol Loop route turn assemblies on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in Lansing, 2003.

2003: Route turn assemblies (foreground and background) on northbound Martin Luther King Jr Blvd approaching Allegan St west of the State Capitol in Lansing. Taken April 12, 2003. ©2003 Christopher J. Bessert, All Rights Reserved.

Two more examples of comically large and poorly-designed route markers along Holland's former BUS US-31 and BL I-196 in 2004.

2003: Closeup of the Capitol Loop route turn assembly on westbound Ottawa St approaching Martin Luther King Jr Blvd west of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. Taken April 12, 2003. ©2003 Christopher J. Bessert, All Rights Reserved.

BUS US-31 and BL I-196 reassurance route marker assembly along northbound Michigan Ave at Cherry St just north of Holland Hospital.

2003: Capitol Loop route directional assembly on northbound Grand Ave approaching Michigan Ave east of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. Taken April 12, 2003. ©2003 Christopher J. Bessert, All Rights Reserved.

Northbound Michigan Ave approaching State St south of downtown Holland in 2004.

2025: Capitol Loop route turn assembly on northbound Grand Ave approaching Michigan Ave east of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. This replaces the WEST / EAST assembly from the previous photo from 2003. Taken December 3, 2025. ©2025 Christopher J. Bessert, All Rights Reserved.

JCT BL I-96 and BUS US-27 route assembly on the Capitol Loop in downtown Lansing, 2003.

2003: JCT BL I-96 and BUS US-27 route markers on the eastbound Capitol Loop (Michigan Ave) east of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. The issue here is the entirety of US-27 in Michigan been decommissioned (replaced by US-127 north of Lansing) in 2001, the years before this photo was taken, and Lansing's BUS US-27 became an unsigned state trunkline. This BUS US-27 assembly was overlooked when the others were removed at that time. During a street reconstruction project in c.2006, the "JCT" sign was replaced, but the remainder of the route junction assembly was erroneously omitted. Taken April 12, 2003. ©2003 Christopher J. Bessert, All Rights Reserved.

Captiol Loop and BL I-96 signs on eastbound Michigan Ave in downtown Lansing, 2003.

Captiol Loop and BL I-96 signs on eastbound Michigan Ave in downtown Lansing, 2025.

2025: Captiol Loop and BL I-96 route directional assembly on eastbound Michigan Ave in downtown Lansing. This is very likely the exact same route marker assembly from 2003, just 22 years later. Taken December 3, 2025. ©2025 Christopher J. Bessert, All Rights Reserved.

2005: Captiol Loop directional marker atop signage for I-496 WEST on southbound Cedar St at Larch St in Lansing. The reason for the existence of the Captiol Loop marker here is unclear, as this is the eastern terminus fo the route. Turning left places you on westbound I-496/R.E.Olds Frwy. Taken December 3, 2025. ©2025 Christopher J. Bessert, All Rights Reserved.

2003: Junction I-496 and Capitol Loop on westbound BL I-96/Cedar St approaching the I-496 interchange southeast of downtown Lansing. Taken April 12, 2003. ©2003 Christopher J. Bessert, All Rights Reserved.

Capitol Loop Signage Photos (2003, 2025)

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