▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁saw ▁the ▁US   1 3 1 ▁fre ew ay ▁expand ▁to ▁north ▁of ▁Grand ▁Rap ids . ▁The ▁section ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁M - 5 7 ▁j unction s ▁near ▁Rock ford ▁and ▁in ▁C ed ar ▁Spr ings ▁opened ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁at ▁a ▁dedic ation ▁ceremony ▁featuring ▁then - C ong ress man ▁Ger ald ▁R . ▁Ford . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁would ▁be ▁open ▁as ▁far ▁north ▁as ▁Howard ▁City . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁M - 4 6 ▁was ▁real igned ▁to ▁extend ▁south ▁down ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁to ▁C ed ar ▁Spr ings ▁and ▁west ▁to ▁replace ▁M - 5 7 ▁west ▁of ▁Rock ford . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁to ▁complete ▁these ▁sections ▁north ▁of ▁Grand ▁Rap ids ▁had ▁been ▁delayed ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁Before ▁the ▁del ays , ▁the ▁M SH D ▁planned ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁gap ▁in ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁between ▁Grand ▁Rap ids ▁and ▁Cad illa c ▁completed ▁by ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁The ▁state ▁even ▁proposed ▁adding ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁north ▁of ▁Grand ▁Rap ids ▁to ▁Pet os key , ▁with ▁a ▁further ▁continu ation ▁to ▁Mack ina w ▁City ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Inter state ▁Highway ▁System ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁receive ▁additional ▁fund ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9