7 2 , ▁the ▁US   1 3 1 ▁Area ▁Development ▁Association ▁lo bb ied ▁Congress ▁to ▁" exp ed ite ▁fund ing ▁and ▁priority ▁for ▁the ▁reconst ruction ▁of ▁US   1 3 1 ▁in ▁Michigan ." ▁ ▁The ▁ ▁section ▁of ▁US   1 3 1 ▁fre ew ay ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁W ex ford – O sce ola ▁county ▁line ▁was ▁opened ▁on ▁November ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁at ▁a ▁cost ▁of ▁$ 7 . 4 ▁million ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁$ ▁in ▁). ▁By ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁the ▁state ▁post pon ed ▁any ▁plans ▁to ▁complete ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁north ▁of ▁Cad illa c . ▁The ▁department ▁c ited ▁rising ▁construction ▁material ▁costs ▁and ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁in ▁Pet os key . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁de cade , ▁I - 2 9 6 ▁signs ▁were ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁section ▁of ▁fre ew ay ▁in ▁Grand ▁Rap ids . ▁However , ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁remains ▁listed ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Inter state ▁Highway ▁System . ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁section ▁of ▁fre ew ay ▁opened ▁between ▁Howard ▁City ▁and ▁Stan wood ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁Another ▁segment ▁was ▁opened ▁farther ▁north , ▁by pass ing ▁Big ▁Rap ids ▁by ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁The ▁former ▁route ▁through ▁town ▁and ▁a ▁section ▁of ▁M - 2 0 ▁were ▁designated ▁as ▁a ▁business ▁loop ▁simultaneously . ▁US   1 3 1 ▁followed