Michigan Highways: Highways 1 through 9

Highways 1 through 9

M-1 | US-2 WEST | US-2 EAST | M-3 | M-5 | M-6 | US-8 | M-8 | Jump to Bottom

Southern Terminus:

Downtown Detroit at cnr Woodward Ave & Adams St, three blocks south of I-75/Fisher Frwy

Northern Terminus:

Jct BL I-75 & BUS US-24 at cnr of Woodward Ave & Square Lake Rd between Pontiac and Bloomfield Hills

Length:

21.48 miles

Map:

Route Map of M-1

Notes:

M-1 is known as Woodward Ave for its entire length. Also once a portion of US-10, Woodward Ave is also referred to as "Detroit's [or Southeast Michigan's] Main Street.

M-1/Woodward Ave was designated a Michigan Heritage Route by the Michigan Department of Transportation-Design Division in July 1999 and as a National Scenic Byway by FHWA National Scenic Byways Program on June 13, 2002.

The current M-1 is the only such designation in the history of state trunklines in Michigan. Prior to 1970, there was no M-1 routing in the state. M-1 was one of the first of the "single-digit" state routes in Michigan since the late-1930s and a precursor to several other single-digit state route designations around Detroit added in the 1970s (e.g. M-3, the former M-4, M-5 and M-8).

History:

1970 - US-10 routing was transferred from Woodward Ave to the John C Lodge Frwy and Telegraph Rd, and the M-1 designation was created and added to the route.

Late 1970s - At some point in the late-1970s, M-1 was either 'chopped' into a discontinuous route in downtown Detroit, or scaled back to Adams St altogether. When the so-called "Woodward Mall" was created along the portion of Woodward Ave from US-12/Michigan Ave & Cadillac Square northerly to Adams St, only public transportation was allowed on the street, thus relieving this part of the route of its state highway designation. Official MDOT maps show the portion of Woodward Ave from US-10/Jefferson Ave to US-12/Michigan Ave as "M-1" through 1981, and as part of US-12 from 1982-1991, again as M-1 from 1992-1996, and once again as US-12 from 1997-present. Additionally, from 1980-87, Rand McNally maps showed M-1 as following E Elizabeth St easterly from Woodward to Beaubien St, then south on Beaubien to M-3/Gratiot Ave for southbound traffic, and as beginning at M-3/Gratiot Ave and heading northerly on Brush St to E Columbia St, west on Columbia back to Woodward Ave for northbound traffic. Since no official source has been found, to date, to verify this, it can only be assumed M-1 was truncated to Adams St in the 1970s.

1996 - The name of the downtown Birmingham "bypass" was changed from Hunter Blvd to Woodward Ave. The older alignment of Woodward through downtown Birmingham was renamed Old Woodward Ave.

1999 (July) - The entire length of M-1/Woodward Ave is designated as a "Historic Heritage Route" by MDOT. See the Heritage Routes section of this website for more information.

2001 (Mar 15) - During a spate of jurisdictional transfers in the City of Detroit, which included several former state trunklines in the Campus Martius area of downtown being transferred back to City of Detroit control, M-1 was actually extended south by three city blocks, or 0.23 mile. The three blocks transferred to the state, from Adams to Grand River, were part of the segment transferred to the city in the late-1970s as part of the "Woodward Mall" project. The southern terminus of M-1 is now Grand River Ave, which is the northern boundary of Detroit's Campus Martius project. Map of Campus Martius transfers.

2004 (Apr 1) - In an odd reversal (on April Fool's Day, no less!), just three years after the route of M-1 was extended southerly along Woodward Ave from Adams St to Grand River Ave, those same three blocks were transferred back to the City of Detroit again! No clear reasoning as been uncovered as to why the three blocks of Woodward Ave from Adams to Grand River were transferred to state control in 2001 and then back to the City again in 2004.

Freeway/Expwy:

No portion of M-1 is freeway or expressway.

NHS:

From I-75/Fisher Frwy in downtown Detroit to northern terminus at BL I-75 & BUS US-24 south of Pontiac.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• M-1 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of M-1 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website.

• Downtown Detroit Trunklines Map - PDF map showing the official routings and termini of all state trunklines in downtown Detroit. Many of these termini and some of the trunklines themselves are unsigned, making this map particularly helpful.

• Detroit Jurisdictional Transfers - showing the various 2001 jurisdictional transfers in Detroit, courtesy of MDOT.

• Campus Martius Jurisdictional Transfers - showing the various jurisdictional transfers in downtown Detroit, courtesy of MDOT.

•

Wayne County Roads: History Section - a site containing a bunch of Woodward Avenue history and tidbits from Wayne County.

• Woodward Avenue: a Road to the Heart and Soul of America - a good Woodward Ave overview exceprted from MDOT's MDOT Today newsletter.

•

Woodward Avenue: The Original Urban Byway - The Woodward Avenue Action Association (WA3) is an economic and community development organization working to enhance and improve the visual, economic, functional and historic character of Woodward Avenue through a local and regional effort

• Woodward Avenue (M-1) Automotive Heritage Trail - from the National Scenic Byways Program website.

•

The Woodward Dream Cruise - An annual car-centered event reliving the glory days of "Cruising Woodward."

Western Entrance:

From Wisconsin in Ironwood

Eastern Entrance:

From Wisconsin 10.0 miles south of Crystal Falls

Length (segment):

109.51 miles

Length (total):

305.54 miles

Map:

Route Map of US-2 (West segment)

Notes:

This is the western one-third of US-2 in Michigan. US-2 dips into Wisconsin for approximately 15 miles between Crystal Falls and Iron Mountain.

Sometime in the early 1990s, MDOT began erecting milemarkers along this western segment of US-2. Smaller than the standard Interstate highway-type milemarkers, these new markers were posted on one side of the pavement between Ironwood and the US-41 junction at Powers. No other non-freeway milemarking is evident in any other portion of the Upper Peninsula.

Effective September 23, 1949, the vast majority of US-2 was designated as the "United Spanish War Veterans' Memorial Highway." Specifically, Act 104 of 1949 designated US-2 from Sault Ste Marie to Iron Mountain, M-95 from Iron Mountain to Sagola, M-69 from Sagola to Crystal Falls and US-2 again from Crystal Falls to Ironwood as a memorial to those who fought in the Spanish-American War.

History:

1926-27 - With the creation of the US Highway system, US-2 supercedes the entire route of M-12 in Michigan, with the exception of the portion between Crystal Falls and Iron Mountain, where US-2 dips into Wisconsin.

1934 - A northern "bypass" of Ironwood is constructed to carry US-2 through traffic directly into Wisconsin along present-day Cloverland Dr, instead of through the downtowns of both Ironwood and Hurley, although it seems Wisconsin did not complete its connector to the new highway until early 1935. The former route of US-2 through Ironwood was redesignated M-54. Also in 1934, a new, more direct alignment opens between Beechwood and Iron River in Iron Co. The former route is turned back to local control.

1936-37 - The route of US-2 is realigned and straightened for approximately 6 miles in either direction of Marenisco, subtracting two miles from the distance, with the part west of Marenisco completed in 1936 and the part east in 1937. Much of the former route is turned back to local control.

1939 - A new alignment opens for approximately 5 miles to the east of Wakefield in Gogebic Co. The former route is turned back to local control.

1940 - A new, straighter alignment of US-2/US-141 opens from south of Crystal Falls to the Wisconsin state line. The former route is turned back to local control.

1940-41 - A newly-constructed, paved alignment opens from just west of US-45 at Watersmeet to the Golden Lake area west of Beechwood in Iron Co and saves 5 miles on the route. Much of the new highway alignment was graded in 1939 and 1940, some of it passable at that time. Final paving was completed in 1941. With the new alignment, which bypasses Watersmeet to the south, all of US-2 in Michigan is finally completely paved.

1942-44 - In 1942, the M-28 designation is extended westerly along US-2 from Wakefield to the Wisconsin state line at Ironwood. By 1944, the route M-54 through downtown Ironwood is redesignated as BUS US-2.

1948 - US-2 is realigned onto a direct route between Bessemer and Wakefield in western Gogebic Co, subtracting a mile from the distance.

1951 - The concurrent M-28 designation from Wakefield to Ironwood is removed from US-2 when M-28 is scaled back to end in Wakefield at its pre-1942 terminus.

1965 - A new highway alignment between Marenisco and Watersmeet opens with the old route along Old US-2 being turned back to local control.

1998 - US-2 through Iron River is realigned onto a more direct route east of downtown. Previously, US-2 headed easterly through Iron River via Adams St, then southerly via First Ave, easterly again via Genesee St across the Iron River before curving back northeasterly to leave the city. Now, US-2 continues due easterly via Adams St across the Iron River. The former route is temporarily retained as an unmarked state trunkline

2001 (Dec 19) - The former route of US-2 east of downtown Iron River along First Ave and Genesee St is turned back to city control. US-2 was routed onto Adams St in 1998.

Freeway/Expwy:

No portion of US-2 (West Segment) is freeway or expressway.

NHS:

Entire Length.

Circle Tour:

Lake Superior Circle Tour: From Wisconsin at Ironwood to jct M-28 in Wakefield.

Business Connection:

BUS US-2 - Ironwood: From Wisconsin state line between downtown Hurley, Wisc. and Ironwood, Mich. to US-2 in Ironwood.

Continue on:

US-2 into Wisconsin

- West Segment

Continue on:

US-2 into Wisconsin

- East Segment

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• US-2 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of US-2 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website.

• US-2 / Iron River Bridge - The Iron River Bridge (1918) is historically and technologically significant as an unaltered, relatively early example of concrete arch bridge construction by the state highway department.

•

End of US highway 2 (western segment) - The US-2 (Western Segment) endpoints page from Dale Sanderson's excellent "US Ends.com" website.

Western Entrance:

At Wisconsin state line 4.04 miles northwest of downtown Iron Mountain

Eastern Terminus:

I-75 at Exit 344 in Saint Ignace (at jct I-75 & BL I-75)

Length (segment):

196.04 miles

Length (total):

305.54 miles

Map:

Route Map of US-2 (East segment)

Notes:

This is the eastern two-thirds of US-2 in Michigan. US-2 dips into Wisconsin for approximately 15 miles between Crystal Falls and Iron Mountain.

The proposed US-2/US-141 "Iron Mountain bypass" previously mentioned on this website will not come to be. MDOT has pledged to make some improvments, however, to the current, somewhat congested route through the center of the city. Increasing traffic volumes on the two major US Highways funnelled through downtown Iron Mountain may cause further congestion without a bypass, though. From the MDOT's "Five Year Road & Bridge Program, Volume II," which covers 2000-2004:

The study of roadway alternatives for the proposed US-2 Bypass of Iron Mountain was completed during 1999. The study determined that construction of a bypass was not feasible and, therefore, improvements to the existing US-2 alignment will be implemented. The Superior Region Office, in cooperation with the City of Iron Mountain, has identified a series of operational and geometric improvements with implementation to begin in 2000. Early preliminary engineering (EPE) for the widening of US-2 from Washington Street to Michigan Avenue will begin in 2001.

It is not clear what made construction of the bypass infeasible, be it cost or engineering obstacles, but overwhelming public opposition to the project seemed to be absent.

Effective September 18, 1952, the portion of US-2 running from St Ignace to Sault Ste Marie was designated as part of the "Blue Star Memorial Highway," in addition to the entire route of US-31 in the Lower Peninsula from Niles to Mackinaw City. Act 71 of 1952 made the designation official.

Act 144 of 1950, effective March 19, 1960, officially designated US-2/US-41/M-35 "from the north city limits of the city of Escanaba running north 1-1/10 miles to the junction of county road number 426, also known as the extension of Sheridan Avenue" as the "Amvets Memorial Drive".

History:

1930 - The first 4-mile stretch of what would later become US-2 is completed from M-28 (now 5 Mile Rd) to Dafter in Chippewa Co—it seems this stretch was un-numbered for the time being.

1930 - US-2/US-41 is relocated in Delta Co to its current alignment from Ludington Ave in Escanaba to north of Wells. The former route along M-35 retained the M-35 designation until the M-35 bypass of Escanaba was completed, while the former US-2/US-41 along Ludington Ave from downtown westerly to the new highway was turned back to local control.

1933 - A major realignment between St Ignace and Sault Sainte Marie is completed, shaving 11 miles from the route of US-2. Formerly, US-2 headed northerly from Rogers Park (north of St Ignace), then easterly to the Les Cheneaux Islands area along much of present-day M-134, then northerly via present-day M-129 to Sault Sainte Marie. The entrire former route of US-2 was renumbered as M-121 at the time. The route was realigned onto what is more commonly known as "Mackinac Trail" (present-day H-63).

1932-34 - US-2/US-141 was realigned onto its present routing from just north of downtown Iron Mountain to the Wisconsin state line, including a new bridge over the Menominee River, completed in 1934. While official MDOT sources show this section of highway was completed in segments in 1932 and 1934, the change does not show up on the Official highway map until 1939. The former route of US-2/US-141 along Bass Lake Rd and Co Rd 607 was turned back to local control.

1936 - A new, more-direct alignment of US-2 opens between Rapid River and Ensign in Delta Co, with the former route being turned back to local control.

1936 - A realignment of US-2 takes the highway due easterly from Cooks in western Schoolcraft Co to Thompson, then along the Lake Michigan shore into Manistique. The first segment of the former route from Cooks to M-149 was returned to county control. The next segment from M-149 to M-125 becomes part of M-149 (which was rerouted along M-125 to Thompson, decommissioning that route number). Between there and M-94 at Manistique, the former route is again turned back to county control.

1936-37 - A major alignment of the highway opens between Brevort and St Ignace in Mackinac Co. Formerly, US-2 ran east along today's Worth Rd from Brevort to the Tahquamenon Tr (later M-123), then southeasterly through Moran to meet US-31 at Rogers Park north of St Ignace. The first 18 miles of the new highway were completed in 1936, linking Brevort with the present-day westernmost intersection of US-2 & Pointe La Barbe Rd west of St Ignace. The final 5 miles into St Ignace were completed in 1938 and the US-2 designation was transferred to its present routing. The newly built highway takes US-2 along the Lake Michigan shoreline from Brevort, past Gros Cap, and into St Ignace. There, the US-2 routing supplants the US-31 designation northward to Rogers Park and the old route. US-31 is scaled back to the Lower Peninsula to end at the state ferry docks in Mackinaw City and the spur from the new US-2 in Saint Ignace to the state ferry docks there is designated M-122.

1939 - A new alignment opens northeast of Gulliver (formerly White Dale) in Schoolcraft Co, shaving 2 miles from the route. The former route along today's Co Rd 432 and Co Rd 433 is turned back to local control.

1941 - A major new alignment of US-2 is completed and opens to traffic. The new route begins at Gould City in western Mackinac Co, heads due easterly to Naubinway, then southeasterly along the Lake Michigan shore to the former route at Epoufette and is completely paved. The former route from Gould City through Engadine and Gilchrist to Garnet (Hiawatha Tr) is turned back to local control. The former route (formerly co-signed as US-2/M-48) from Garnet east for six miles becomes just M-48 and the final segment of old US-2 south to Epoufette is re-designated as M-117.

c.1941 - The steel superstructure of the Cut River Bridge, spanning the Cut River Gorge in central Mackinac Co east of Epoufette, is completed, but further construction on the bridge and its approaches is halted by World War II. The Cut River Bridge is the final link in the realignment of US-2 along the Lake Michigan shore from Gould City to St Ignace, begun in 1936. During the halt in construction during the war, US-2 traffic is maintained on Cut River Rd.

1946 - The magnificent Cut River Bridge finally opens to traffic with the completion of the bridge deck and approach roadways. The former route along Cut River Rd is turned back to local control.

1948 - The M-28 designation is extended northerly along US-2 from its eastern terminus to end in Sault Sainte Marie.

1950 - After just two years co-signed with US-2, M-28 was scaled back to its pre-1948 terminus at US-2, removing the concurrent designation.

1957 - The first portion of the US-2 freeway opens between Evergreen Shores and M-123 north of Saint Ignace, marking the first freeway segment ever built in the U.P. Also, on November 1, 1957, the Mackinac Bridge opens for traffic, with a new interchange at US-2 adjacent to Straits State Park on the west side of Saint Ignace.

1961 - A new portion of the US-2 freeway opens from end of northern Mackinac Bridge approach (at present-day Exit 344) northerly past Saint Ignace to connect with the already open freeway segment there. With this freeway opening, the I-75 designation is applied to the route across the Mackinac Bridge and north to the end of the completed freeway at M-123. The old alignment through downtown Saint Ignace becomes BL I-75. As an interesting aside, the next-closest segment of signed I-75 south of the Mackinac Straits area is at Birch Run, some 200 miles distant!

1962 - Two new sections of I-75/US-2 freeway open for traffic in Chippewa County:

From Kinross at present-day Exit 378 (present-day M-80) to Mackinac Tr (Old US-2) at Dafter. The former US-2 becomes a county road;
From BS I-75/Three Mile Rd (present-day Exit 392) in Sault Ste Marie to the newly completed International Bridge leading into Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. The former route of US-2 into downtown Sault Ste. Marie becomes BS I-75.

1963 - In the fall of 1963, the two final sections of I-75/US-2 freeway open for traffic, with the former sections of US-2 being turned over to county control:

Between end of completed freeway at M-123 (present Exit 352) and beginning of freeway at Kinross (present Exit 378);
From Mackinac Tr (Old US-2) near Dafter to BS I-75/Three Mile Rd in Sault Ste. Marie.

1971 - A four-lane divided expressway (limited-access with some crossroads) on a new alignment carrying US-2/US-41 is completed between Gladstone and Rapid River. The former route becomes a county road. Some MDOT sources seem to indicate this expressway segment was originally to be constructed as a fully controlled-access freeway, or to be converted to such with the later addition of grade separations and interchange ramps.

1983 - A new Manistique River bridge is constucted in Manistique, shortening the route by a couple miles, as well as bypassing the historic Siphon Bridge. The portion of US-2 along Chippewa Ave on the west side of Manistique becomes an unsigned state route while the remainder of the former US-2 routing through the city is designated as an extension of M-94.

1983 - The US-2 designation is scaled back from Sault Ste. Marie to end in St. Ignace at I-75's Exit 344, its present terminus, for a loss of 54 route-miles. US-2 had run concurrently with I-75 for more than 20 years.

Freeway:

No portion of US-2 (East segment) is freeway.

Expressway:

From the south side of Gladstone northerly to jct US-41 at Rapid River.

NHS:

Entire Length.

Circle Tour:

Lake Michigan Circle Tour: From southern jct of M-35 in Escanaba to eastern terminus at I-75 in St Ignace.

Continue on:

US-2 into Wisconsin

- East Segment

Photographs:

US-2 Is NOT A Freeway - set of three photos from September 4, 2006.

Weblinks:

• US-2 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of US-2 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website.

• Cut River Bridge - One of only two cantilevered deck truss bridges in Michigan, it is 641 feet long and contains 888 tons of structural steel.

• Mackinac Straits Historical Photos - a collection of photos from the 1950s with scenes during and just after construction of the Mackinac Bridge.

•

End of US highway 2 (western segment) - The US-2 (Western Segment) endpoints page from Dale Sanderson's excellent "US Ends.com" website.

Southern Terminus:

Jct M-10 & BS I-375 (cnr Randolph St & Jefferson Ave) in downtown Detroit.

Northern Terminus:

Jct I-94 & M-29 at Exit 243 in Chesterfield Twp west of New Baltimore.

Length:

27.2 miles

Map:

Route Map of M-3

Notes:

Known as Gratiot Ave for most of its length. Before 1972, this route was a portion of US-25 in Michigan.

Until 1998, the northernmost 3.5 miles of M-3 were concurrently designated with M-59. However, with the completion of the M-59/Hall Rd upgrade, the M-59 designation was transferred from Gratiot Ave & 23 Mile Rd onto the portion of Hall Rd east of Gratiot to I-94. Gratiot and 23 Mile Rd north of Hall Rd is now designated only as M-3.

History:

1972 - With the removal of US-25 from the state of Michigan, the former route of US-25 from Detroit to Chesterfield Twp along Fort St, Gratiot Ave and 23 Mile Rd is re-designated as M-3.

1981 (Jan 28) - The former route of Sbd M-3 through downtown Mount Clemens via Welts Ave and Gratiot Ave (from Welts southerly to halfway between Robertson & Kibbee Sts) is turned back to local control after a new westerly bypass of the downtown district is completed. Sources indicate the new relocation of Sbd M-3 opened the previous year, however. The former route of Sbd M-3 along Gratiot Ave is also renamed Main St by the City of Mount Clemens.

1998 - The final portion of the M-59 upgrade is completed and the concurrent M-59 designation is removed from M-3 north of Hall Rd, leaving the M-3 designation as the sole route number there.

2001 (Mar 15) - During a spate of jurisdictional transfers in the City of Detroit, which included several former state trunklines in the Campus Martius area of downtown being transferred back to City of Detroit control, M-3 is actually severed into two discontinuous portions. The two blocks of Cadillac Sq from Woodward Ave to Randolph St designated as part of M-3, as well as Fort St between Woodward and Griswold St, are transferred to the City of Detroit. (Please see the jurisdictional transfer maps linked under "Weblinks" below.) This leaves two issues, solved thusly:

The discontinuous segment of M-3 along Fort St from Griswold St westerly to Clark St, then northerly on Clark St to the I-75/Fisher Frwy is redesignated as part of M-85. This is possible as MDOT also assumes control of Fort St from Clark St southwesterly to the former northern terminus of M-85. The one block stretch of former M-3 from Fort St to I-75 is an unsigned state trunkline connector.
Since M-3 has been truncated to the cnr of Cadillac Sq & Randolph St and since Randolph St from Cadillac Sq southerly to M-10/BS I-375/Jefferson Ave is an unsigned state trunkline connector, the M-3 designation is simply extended southerly via Randolph to end at Jefferson.

Freeway/Expwy:

No portion of M-3 is freeway or expressway.

NHS:

From BS I-375/Jefferson Ave in downtown Detroit to northern terminus west of New Baltimore.

Photographs:

Weblink:

• M-3 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of M-3 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website.

• Detroit Jurisdictional Transfers - showing the various 2001 jurisdictional transfers in Detroit, courtesy of MDOT.

• Campus Martius Jurisdictional Transfers - showing the various jurisdictional transfers in downtown Detroit, courtesy of MDOT.

Eastern Terminus:

I-96/Jeffries Frwy at Exit 185 in northwestern Detroit

Northern Terminus:

Pontiac Tr in Commerce Twp at the northern end of the "Haggerty Connector"

Length:

20.86 miles

Map:

Route Map of M-5

Notes:

M-5 can, in many ways, be described as "A Tale of Three Highways," in that it is made up three distinct sections.
     The current M-5 routing came into existence as a replacement for the BS I-96 designation in Detroit when the I-96/Jeffries Frwy was completed in the 1970s. Previously, BS I-96 proceeded from the end of the I-96 freeway at Farmington along Grand River Ave, terminating in downtown Detroit. When I-96 was completed, the BS I-96 designation was retired and M-5 was designated along the route from M-102/8 Mile Rd southeasterly to the first junction with the I-96/Jeffries Frwy in Detroit. Former BS I-96 northwest of 8 Mile Rd became part of M-102, while the portion southeast of the first junction with the I-96/Jeffries Frwy into downtown became an unsigned state trunkline with an internal designation of "Old BS I-96."
     The second chapter in the current M-5 routing begins in 1994 when the designation was extended northwesterly along what had been part of M-102 via Grand River Ave then bypassing downtown Farmington using the freeway originally constructed as part of I-96. The M-102 designation was scaled back to terminate at the intersection of 8 Mile Rd & Grand River Ave. The extension of M-5 to the massive I-96/I-275/I-696 interchange was done in preparation for the "Haggerty Connector" construction.
     The third part of the M-5 story involves the "Haggerty Connector"—a limited-access expressway (access only at select crossroads) leading northerly from the massive I-96/I-275/I-696 interchange into central Oakland Co along the right-of-way of what had originally been proposed as the I-275 northerly extension. The "Haggerty Connection" was built to relieve some of the traffic problems created when local citizens rejected the completion of the I-275 freeway. Instead of adding a fifth route designation to the already complicated junction of I-96/I-275/I-696, MDOT simply extended the M-5 routing northerly along the new highway, thus creating a route which runs basically east-west from downtown Detroit to the Novi/Farmington Hills area, then north-south between Novi and Commerce Twp.

Until a late-September 1997 press release from MDOT reported the remaining portion of the "Haggerty Connector" would only consist of a 4-6 lane "boulevard" with "Michigan turnarounds," a fully-limited access freeway had been originally planned for that route, likely using the original I-275 plans for the design.

In c.2000, MDOT moved to more directly control the regular maintenance on the "surface" state trunklines in the City of Detroit. Regular maintenance on all non-freeway state highways within Detroit had long been contracted to the city, but had begun to decline over the years. When MDOT re-took control of maintenance, a few trunkline designation changes within the city were made as well, some actual and some on paper. Beginning with the 2001 Official Transportation Map, it seemed as if MDOT was indicating that M-5 continued southeasterly along Grand River Ave all the way into downtown Detroit, supplanting the unsigned trunkline designation of "Old BS I-96" that had been in place since 1977. However, the state made no attempt at signing this portion of Grand River Ave as M-5 and it was later learned that while the department has a general rule to not mark unsigned state trunklines on its official transportation map, the "Old BS I-96" extension of M-5 was included as a red line (indicating state trunkline status) into downtown Detroit for unknown (likely political) reasons.

On June 9, 1999, the section of M-5 between M-102/Eight Mile Rd east of Farmington and the I-96/I-275/I-696 interchange was dedicated as the Keith Deacon Memorial Highway. Mr. Deacon, according to Farmington Hills Mayor Aldo Vagnozzi, "was a former member of the Economic Development Corporation who worked diligently" to make the reconstruction of the Grand River Ave & M-5 interchange a reality. Statutorily, it was Act 12 of 1999, effective April 27 of that year, which wrote the memorial designation into law. (More on Michigan's Memorial Highways from MDOT.)

History:

1926 - A six-mile long spur route beginning in Cedarville and continuing northerly (along a portion of the current routing of M-129), ending at US-2 in the hamlet of Rockview along the Chippewa/Mackinac Co line is designated. (US-2 in this area becomes M-121 in the early 1930s.)

1934 - Several highway changes occur in the extreme eastern U.P.: M-121 from its junction with M-5 at Rockview is redesignated as an extension of M-5, 28 miles north to end at US-2 in Sault Ste Marie. M-5 is now 35 miles long, and completely occupies the routing of today's M-129. Most of M-121 west of Rockview is redesignated as M-4, roughly along the alignment of today's M-134.

1939 - In the first half of 1939, M-5 is redesignated M-129 in its entirety. Also, M-4 is redesignated as M-134. These redesignations come at a time when the State Highway Department is removing all single-digit highway numbers from the state, reportedly to be reserved for a proposed "superhighway" system. In Lower Michigan, M-3 becomes M-39, M-6 becomes M-111, M-7 becomes M-86, and M-9 becomes M-99.

1977 - With the completion of the I-96/Jeffries Frwy, the portion of BS I-96/Grand River Ave between M-102/Eight Mile Rd and I-96 is renumbered as M-5. This route had been BS I-96 since the removal of US-16 in 1962.

1994 (Oct) - In October, the M-5 designation is extended along the route of M-102 from Clarenceville (Livonia/Farmington Hills line at cnr of Grand River Ave & Eight Mile Rd) past Farmington, then along the completed portion of the "Haggerty Connector" freeway in Novi. M-102 is scaled back to end at M-5. This first segment of the newly-completed "Haggerty Connector" cost $35 million to complete, and consists of a full freeway with 11 miles of pavement, seven bridges and 11 ramps, according to MDOT reports.

1999 (Aug 2) - Monday, August 2, 1999 saw the opening of an additional 2.2 miles of the "Haggerty Connector," from 12 Mile Rd north to 14 Mile Rd as a four-lane controlled-access "expressway." Originally, MDOT had wanted to just open the highway in the middle of the night with no fanfare, but the Novi City Council wanted to mark the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was held at noon that day at 12 Mile Rd. The road was to be opened fully to traffic by 1:00pm. Construction on this phase of the "Haggerty Connector" began in late July 1996, and cost approximately $23 million to build.

2002 (Nov 1) - The final two miles of the M-5 "Haggerty Corridor" between 14 Mile Rd and Pontiac Tr are opened to traffic, completing a project begun more than a decade earlier. No further construction north of Pontiac Tr will occur for the same reasons I-275 was never constructed there—homeowner opposition and new, stronger environmental regulations. MDOT Press Release.

Freeway:

From just south of 13 Mile Rd in Novi to jct Grand River Ave southeast of downtown Farmington.

Expressway:

From the end of the freeway just south of 13 Mile Rd in Novi northerly to northern terminus at Pontiac Tr in Commerce Twp.

NHS:

Entire route.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• M-5 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of M-5 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website.

South Beltline Frwy

Western Terminus:

I-196/Gerald R Ford Frwy at Exit 64 in Ottawa County's Georgetown Twp, between Hudsonville and Grandville.

Eastern Terminus:

I-96 at Exit 46 near Cascade southeast of Grand Rapids, at the Thornapple River.

Length:

19.71 miles

Map:

Route Map of M-6

Notes:

The Grand Rapids South Beltline is a freeway bypass connecting I-96 southeast of Grand Rapids to US-131 in the Cutlerville area then over to I-196/Gerald R Ford Frwy in Georgetown Twp. With the 1997 hike in the state gas tax, funding was approved for commencement of construction, which began in November 1997. The 20-mile-long project was projected to cost $700 million, but came in approximately $50 million under budget. The construction of the South Beltline was separated into three phases: Phase I from I-96 to M-37 (2002), Phase II from M-37 to US-131 (2008), and Phase III from US-131 to I-196 (2008). Phase I was completed six months ahead of schedule, while completion of Phases II and III were moved up from 2008 to 2005 due to a more expedited construction schedule. In the end, due to a string of good weather and other factors, Phases II & III were opened to the public on November 17, 2004, more than a half year ahead of schedule. View the MDOT Press Release and the author's photographs from the opening of Phases II & III of the South Beltline.

While the South Beltline would be an excellent candidate for a three-digit Interstate designation, such as I-296, sources indicate no such designation is being persued at this time.

The first five miles of the M-6/South Beltline Frwy, or Phase I, was opened to traffic on November 21, 2001, approximately six months ahead of schedule. The portion of the freeway opened connects the "Y"-interchange on I-96 at the Thornapple River crossing with M-37/Broadmoor Ave in northeastern Gaines Twp. All westbound M-6 traffic was forced to exit the freeway at M-37 from that time until the rest of the freeway opened in November 2004. View the MDOT Press Release from the opening of Phase I of the South Beltline.

On June 2, 1998, the Michigan Legislature voted to name the South Beltline after Paul B. Henry, former West Michigan state and federal legislator, who died in 1993. According to an MDOT press release, "Paul B. Henry of Grand Rapids served with distinction in the Michigan House of Representatives, Michigan Senate and U.S. House of Representatives between 1979 and 1993. His public service career spanned three decades, beginning with the Peace Corps in 1963. It would end 30 years later with his untimely death in 1993." After that time, MDOT has seeminlgy setting on using the name "Paul B Henry Freeway" in many of their publications concerning the South Beltline. On July 16, 1999, MDOT unveiled large green signs along routes intersecting the new South Beltline (at I-96 east of Cascade, M-37/Broadmoor Ave south of Kentwood, US-131 at Cutlerville, and I-196 east of Hudsonville) complete with the "Paul B Henry Freeway" name. The Grand Rapids Press stated the legislation to name the new freeway after Henry was sponsored by Rep. William Byl in the House and by Sen. Glenn Steil in the Senate. Regardless of the new name, locals will likely continue to refer to the route as the "South Beltline" for many years to come.

The Michigan Dept of Transportation has created a handy brochure which contains an overview of the M-6/South Belfline project, as well as a map showing the location of the new freeway, as well as the various on- and off-ramps at each interchange. This brochure can be obtained by calling or writing MDOT's Grand Region Office, their main office in Lansing, or viewed/downloaded online. (The free Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.)

Several site visitors have written asking if 11 Mile Rd in Macomb Co was designated M-6 prior to the completion of the I-696/Walter P Reuther Frwy between I-75 and I-94 in the mid-1970s. At that time, the only source available which showed an M-6 running along 11 Mile Rd was the AAA road map of Michigan from that time period—it never appeared on any of the Official highway maps of Michigan. It seemed doubtful that the M-6 on the AAA map was anything but a simple cartographic error. This is until Mike Austerman wrote in with the following:

When construction of phase II of I-696 was going on (between I-94 and I-75, primarily in Macomb county) during the 1970's, the service drive was designated as M-6. Throughout much of Macomb county, I-696 lies directly on what was 11 Mile Rd. Today, the service drive is known as 11 Mile Rd. I remember riding my bicycle on the new concrete on yet-to-be opened freeway- and the road signs with M-6 on them. As soon as 696 opened to traffic, the M-6 signs were gone. They never used them for phase III - between I-75 and the 'Mixing Bowl' (then US-10, US-24, and M-4).

Another site visitor, Phil Singer, wrote in to add that he recalls travelling down the 10 Mile Rd portion of the present I-696 service drives on the Oakland Co side of Dequindre Rd and those drives were also signed as M-6. Mike & Phil's recollections indicate the entire service drive system for the second phase of I-696 from I-75 easterly to I-94 was designated as M-6 until the freeway was completed and opened to traffic. —Many thanks to both Mike & Phil for the information!

In addition to the two 'iterations' of M-6 detailed above, an even earlier routing of M-6 existed in the Keweenaw Peninsula in the 1920s and 30s. See the "History" notes below for more informaiton on this routing.

History:

1926 - A short, two-mile long highway leading from US-41 at Phoenix in Keweenaw Co to Eagle River is designated as M-6, although the 1927 Rand McNally "Auto Road Map of Michigan" lables the route as M-9—it is assumed this is an error as other, more official sources all indicate this route to be numbered M-6.

1939 - In mid-1939, the entire two-mile length of M-6 between Phoenix and Eagle River is re-designated as M-111 when all single-digit highway designations are removed and banked for future use along a proposed "superhighway" system. This marks the beginning of a more than 30-year absence of M-6 from the state highway system.

1970s - As noted above, the M-6 designation is applied to the newly constructed service drives for the yet-to-be-completed I-696/Walter P Reuther Frwy in southern Macomb and southeastern Oakland Counties. It is unclear, though, how well-signed M-6 was on intersecting state highways as well as on I-94. As Mike Austerman noted above, once I-696 was completed, the M-6 designation disappeared.

1995 - After being discussed and bandied about since the mid-1950s, imminent construction work the South Beltline project is announced, however a route designation was not yet assigned to the new freeway.

1997 - The route designation for the new South Beltline Frwy is announced and will be M-6.

1997 (Nov 14) - Construction begins on the South Beltline project with the ceremonial turning of the first shovel of dirt along Phase I: I-96 to M-37/Broadmoor Ave. At the outset of the project, Phase I is scheduled for completion in 2002.

1998 - On June 2, the Michigan Legislature names the South Beltline after Paul B. Henry, former West Michigan congressman. By year's end, the twin South Beltline overpasses spanning M-37/Broadmoor Ave are complete.

1999 - The eastbound M-6/South Beltline ramp to eastbound I-96, spanning the Thornapple River, is completed. It is the only one of the four ramps to have construction begun—or completed in this case—during 1999.

2001 (Nov 21) - The first five miles of the M-6/South Beltline Frwy are opened to traffic with a ribbon-cutting ceremony near the I-96 interchange at 10:30 am. Until Phases II and III are completed, signage along I-96 reads "M-6 TO M-37."

2004 (Nov 17) - The remainder of the M-6/South Beltline (Paul B Henry) Frwy is opened to traffic. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held at the Byron Center Ave interchange at 10:00 am and the first traffic starts flowing at 12:15 pm with all ramps and lanes completely open by 1:30 pm. While motorists may now travel from I-96 on the east to I-196 on the west, one ramp at the western end of the freeway at I-196 does not open to traffic, due to flaws found in the bridges carrying that ramp over I-196 and westbound M-6 in 2002.

Freeway:

Entire length.

NHS:

Entire length.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• M-6 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of M-6 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website.

• M-6 Commemorative History - produced by MDOT for the completion of the South Beltline Frwy on November 17, 2004.

• M-6 Fact Sheet - another publication from MDOT about the M-6/South Beltline.

• South Beltline Phases II & III Ribbon-Cutting Photos - a three-page set of images taken at the ceremonies on November 17, 2004.

• Michigan Highway 6 - at canhighways.com.

• 1937 Photo of M-6 route marker

- along US-41 in Keweenaw County, from the Michigan Technological University Archives

Western Entrance:

Wisconsin state line, 2.3 miles south of downtown Norway.

Eastern Terminus:

US-2 in downtown Norway (cnr Brown St & 7th Ave).

Length:

2.34 miles

Map:

Route Map of US-8

Notes:

In addition to being one of the state's shorter state-maintained highways, US-8 is also Michigan's shortest mainline US Highway.

As noted at Robert Droz' U.S. Highways: From U.S. 1 to U.S. 830 website, US-8 was originally designated to begin at Powers, Michigan and head westerly into Wisconsin. Many early official Michigan Dept of State Highways sources show the department had intended to route US-8 over the Menominee River via a crossing at Faithorn in Menominee Co, then run generally easterly to a junction with US-2 at Hermansville. (It is unclear whether the MSHD would have co-signed US-2 and US-8 together from Hermansville to Powers, as per the federal designation.) While a 1927 Rand McNally highway map of Michigan does show US-8 along this route, an H.M. Gousha map from the next year shows US-8 entering the state from the Niagara, Wisconsin area via present-day US-141 and ending at US-2 between Quinnisec and Iron Mountain, with US-8 still proposed to run to Hermansville in the future. By 1929, US-8 had been transferred to its present corridor into Norway. The proposed highway alignment via Faithorn to Hermansville lasted at least into the early 1960s; it is assumed MDOT has no present plans to construct a new highway along the long-proposed corridor and US-8 will stay put at Norway. It should be noted, however, that at present the Wisconsin Department of Transportation still officially lists the proposed US-8 realignment easterly from Pembine to the Michigan state line as a "mapped corridor." Of course if MDOT refuses to construct the road, WisDOT will take no action on their side of the river.

History:

1926 - The newly-designated US-8 enters Michigan from Wisconsin via present-day US-141 and ends at US-2 just east of Iron Mountain. As noted above, a proposed alignment would bring US-8 into Michigan at Faithorn and proceed easterly to US-2 at Hermansville.

1928-29 - By early 1929, US-8 has been realigned to its present corridor into Norway from the south, with US-141 being added along the short highway segment from Niagara, Wisconsin to US-2 east of Iron Mountain.

1966 - A new highway bridge over the Menominee River and Piers Gorge leading into Wisconsin is completed and the highway is realigned slightly. Also, it is assumed the plans to route US-8 into Michigan via Faithorn and Hermansville have been officially abandoned.

Freeway/Expwy:

No portion of US-8 is freeway or expressway.

NHS:

Continue on:

US-8 into Wisconsin

Photographs:

Weblink:

• US-8 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of US-8 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website.

•

End of US highway 8 - The US-8 endpoints page from Dale Sanderson's excellent "US Ends.com" website.

•

U.S. Route 8 (Michigan) - at canhighways.com.

Western Terminus:

I-96/Jeffries Frwy at Exit 186B in northwest Detroit.

Eastern Terminus:

Cnr Davison Ave & Gallagher St, 4 blocks west of Conant in northern Detroit.

Length:

5.18 miles

Map:

Route Map of M-8

Notes:

M-8 is known as either Davison Freeway or Davison Ave for its entire length. The Davison Frwy portion of the route was constructed along a portion of Davison Ave through Highland Park in 1944. This freeway is hailed as the "first urban depressed freeway" ever built.

While the original Davison Expwy constructed in the 1940s only ran a short distance, as the Detroit area expressway system was being proposed and laid out during the 1950s and 1960s, the tiny Davison was destined to become part of a much longer freeway. Plans had been seriously considered to extend the Davison westerly to the proposed Jeffries Expwy at US-16/Grand River Ave, then westerly along Schoolcraft Ave into Livonia, as well as extending the freeway easterly to Mt Elliot Ave and looping around City Airport and down to the proposed "Crosstown Expwy," which is now I-94/Edsel Ford Frwy. As some of the originally proposed routes were gradually excluded, the Davison was to run westerly to hook into a realigned Jeffries Frwy and easterly to the proposed Mound Freeway, running north-south along Mound Rd from the Edsel Ford in Detroit to the M-53 freeway in Sterling Heights. The I-96/Jeffries and I-696/Walter P Reuther Freeways were even built with these connections in mind. Construction on the Davison never progressed east of Conant or west of the Lodge, so today the Davison Frwy is a short (less than 3-miles long) freeway in the heart of Metro Detroit.

By the early 1990s, the Davison Frwy, not yet designated M-8, was in deplorable condition. Reports have it that MDOT hoped to simply "fill-in" the Davison, and re-create a surface Davison Ave, which had been taken in the 1940s to build the freeway. Many citizens, commuters and groups, notibly the City of Detroit and especially the City of Highland Park, pushed long and hard to have the state reconstruct the Davison as a freeway. With much haggling between local and state officials—including a reported exchange between Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer and Michigan Gov. John Engler—the state finally gave in and agreed to rebuild the Davison as a freeway. The M-8 designation was applied to the reconstructed Davison in 1997, with new signs along M-10/John C Lodge Frwy showing the M-8 shields erected in July 2000.

In 2001 and 2002, jurisdictional transfers between the City of Detroit and MDOT moved control of Davison Ave between I-96/Jeffries Frwy from city control into the hands of the state as a state trunkline. Now, M-8 not only acts as a connector between the M-10/John C Lodge Frwy and I-75/Walter P Chrysler Frwy, but it now continues westerly along a logical routing to also connect with the I-96/Jeffries Frwy at the point where the proposed but never-built westerly extension of the Davison Freeway was to connect to the Jeffries. Whether this is a sign of state-led improvements to come or simply meant to be an aid in motorist navigation in Detroit is yet to be known.

A website developed by the Wayne County Roads folks on the history of Woodward Ave contains the following quote: "Legend has it that German engineers used Wayne County's Davison Freeway accomplishment as inspiration for the world famous Autobahn." Unfortunately, this cannot possibly be the case, as construction on the the German Autobahnen began in the 1930s and in 1944, when the Davison was completed, the Third Reich was on its last legs battling the Allied advances. Not to discount the very high quality construction of the Davison itself, which lasted 53 years before having to be reconstructed, but the Autobahn network in Germany was well underway before construction on the Davison even began.

History:

1944 - The Davison Expressway is opened through Highland Park to provide better access to the automobile manufacturing facilities in the area. It is hailed as the first urban "depressed" freeway. Unlike most other freeways constructed in Michigan, the Davison was built by the Wayne Co Road Commission.

1966 (Apr 4) - A new easterly extension of the Davison Expwy is officially "determined" as a state trunkline highway from just west of the I-75/Walter P Chrysler Frwy (under construction) easterly to Conant Ave. The actual freeway would not be open to traffic until 1968, however. A state trunkline designation appears not to have been assigned to the new route

1966 (May 11) - An additional short segment of the Davison from just west of the I-75/Walter P Chrysler Frwy (under construction) westerly to Brush St in Highland Park. The remainder of the Davison Expwy from Brush St westerly to the M-10/John C Lodge Expwy remains as a county-maintained freeway.

1968 - With the opening of the I-75/Chrysler Frwy, the Davison Expwy is extended easterly from Oakland Ave into Detroit to end just west of Conant Ave.

1993 (June) - After having been built in the 1940s and maintained (although some may question the inclusion of the word "maintained") by the Wayne County Road Commission for next five decades as the only county freeway in Michigan, the entire Davison Frwy is transferred to MDOT as a state trunkline highway. It can be presumed MDOT assigned the M-8 designation to the route at this time, although it was not widely used outside of the Department for the next few years.

1996-97 - Between April 1996 and October 10, 1997, the Davison Frwy between M-10/John C Lodge Frwy and I-75/W P Chrysler Frwy was closed for a $45 million reconstruction project. Up until this time, the Davison still had its original 1944 concrete surface and original narrow single-span overpasses. (It was built with three lanes in each direction with no shoulders and a small grassy median only a few feet wide.) The newly opened freeway now has a total of eight lanes (four each firection), as well as ample shoulders on the left and right sides. There is now an interchange at M-1/Woodward Ave, where there used to be none. The eastbound lanes opened at 1:00pm, while the westbound lanes were open to traffic by 4:00pm on Wednesday, October 10th. The portion of the Davison east of I-75 was constructed in the 1960s in conjuction with the I-75 construction. This segment of the freeway is in pretty bad shape, however there seems to be little funding to upgrade this segment in the near future.

1997 (Oct 10) - The M-8 designation is physically added to the Davison Frwy when it reopens for traffic on October 10, 1997. Prior to this, M-8 was designated on paper only.

2001 (Mar 15) - The 1.9 miles of Davison Ave between I-96/Jeffries Frwy and Rosa Parks Blvd in Detroit are transferred to state control as a state trunkline. Ironically, the 0.14 miles of Davison Ave/Frwy between Rosa Parks Blvd and the M-10/John C Lodge Frwy interchange were not included in the transfer! This meant there was a 0.14 mile gap in the route of M-8.

2002 (Feb 22) - Nearly a year after the 1.9 miles of Davison Ave were transferred to the state (see above), the remaining 0.14 mile gap between Rosa Parks Blvd and the M-10/John C Lodge Frwy interchange are now transferred to state control. Thus, M-8 is one, continuous route.

Freeway:

From Rosa Parks Blvd in Detroit immediately west of the M-10/John C Lodge Frwy interchange to the eastern terminus of M-8.

NHS:

Entire route

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• M-8 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of M-8 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website.

• Davison: Nation's first freeway was built right the first time - from The Building Tradesman website.

• Davison Freeway

- historic photos from the University of Michigan collections.

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