‘US 2 Is Not a Freeway’ Sign in Northern Michigan Divides Internet
US 2 is one of the main highways in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Running nearly the full length of the UP from I-75 at St. Ignace to the western border with Wisconsin at Ironwood, US 2 is about as Yooper as it gets.
There was once a sign drivers saw when leaving St Ignace that has gotten people to talking.
The sign is from the Michigan Department of Transportation and it's a reminder (or is it an admonishment?) to not treat US 2 like a freeway - meaning a controlled access expressway like I-75 which drivers likely just exited.
Speeds on US 2 are lower and they're cross-traffic at every intersection.
The sign was posted in 2006 and removed in 2017 when improvements were made to the roadway. The history of the sign and the rationale behind it is shared on the indispensable MichiganHighways site maintained by Chris Bessert.
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While the sign is now gone, it has taken on new life as a photo of the sign has been shared on several Facebook groups and pages:
So why might drivers want to speed on this section of US 2? It's a long stretch of not much as proven by this mileage sign when leaving St Ignace heading west.
86 miles to the next city in the UP, Manistique and then 54 more miles before another population center at Escanaba.
You could imagine drivers get antsy on a road like this - and they do. The state has installed 12 passing lanes of the course of 128 miles.
So will drivers pay heed to the call to take it easy on 2? That's what is dividing the commenters on the posts related to the sign. The comments on the share of the photo on the Yooper Pasty group largely lean one of two ways:
I love this sign, and wish everyone would pay attention to it. slow down, take a deep breath, and enjoy the scenery. You're in the U.P.
OR
I've never seen it but I would likely ignore it
What's interesting is that this sign may be unique in the UP. Yoopers from the Western Upper Peninsula say they've never seen anything similar on highways on their side of the Yoop.
It's likely since there are no interstate highways in that part of the state, there isn't as pressing a need to acclimate drivers to the lower speeds and narrower roads.
In fact, the Western Upper Peninsula is the farthest location in the continental United States from in interstate highways - and we've got the math to prove it.
Other than the Mackinac Bridge, did you know there are 24 other bridges that enter Michigan's Upper Peninsula - here's every single one of them: