 A freeway running north of Novi to the <unk> area was included in the original Interstate Highway plans for Michigan . Originally included in the corridor for I @-@ 275 , the Michigan Highway Commission canceled the northern section of the highway on January 26 , 1977 , after it spent $ 1 @.@ 6 million ( equivalent to $ 6 @.@ 65 million in 2016 ) the year before purchasing land for the roadway . This northern section was not planned as an Interstate Highway at that time , bearing the designation M @-@ 275 instead . Opposition to construction came from various citizen 's groups and different levels of local government . Additionally , both The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press opposed the project . The Detroit City Council , led by then @-@ Chairman Carl Levin opposed the plan . Levin said at the time , " At last I think people are waking up to the dangers of more and more <unk> . At some point we 've got to say enough . And I think we 've reached it . " The US Department of the Interior reviewed the state 's environmental impact study of the project and stated the project , " will cause <unk> damages on recreation lands , wetlands , surface waters and wildlife habitat . " The total project to link Farmington Hills with <unk> with the 24 @-@ mile ( 39 km ) freeway would have cost $ 69 @.@ 5 million ( equivalent to $ 271 million in 2016 ) and saved drivers an estimated eight minutes off travel time around the city of Detroit . 
