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Highways 140 through 159M-140 | US-141 | M-142 | M-143 | Former M-147 | Former M-148 | M-149 | M-150 | Former M-151 | M-152 | M-153 | M-154 | M-156 | M-157 | Jump to Bottom | |||||||||||||
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PLEASE NOTE: The M-140 route information has moved to its own page: M-140 Route Listing. |
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| PLEASE NOTE: The US-141 route information has moved to its own page: US-141 Route Listing. |
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PLEASE NOTE: The M-142 route information has moved to its own page: M-142 Route Listing. |
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Western Terminus: |  Cnr Michigan Ave & Detroit St in the City of Lansing, approximately 497 feet west of the centerline of US-127 sbd |
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| Eastern Terminus: | M-43/Grand River Ave in downtown East Lansing just west of Abbot St | |||||||||||||
| Length: |  1.386 miles |
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| Map: | Route Map of M-143 | |||||||||||||
| Notes: | M-143, a rather short state trunkline route linking US-127 in the eastern portion of the City of Lansing with M-43/Grand River Ave in downtown East Lansing, has had a rather interesting and complex history as a trunkline route designation, even dating back to before the iteration of the route as a spur highway serving the original Cheboygan State Park—which is not the present-day Cheboygan State Park. In late 1929, a new state trunkline route was established across northern Osceola Co between US-131 at Tustin and M-66 at Marion, although no evidence of this route being signed in the field has been uncovered to date. This first iteration of M-143 only lasted a year at most, with it becoming an easterly extension of M-53 by the end of 1930. The second iteration—and the first one to be definitely signed in the field—debuted in mid-1931 serving the original Cheboygan State Park, which itself was established a decade prior on E Lincoln Ave in the City of Cheboygan. M-143 begame a spur highway serving to connect the park with the rest of the state highway system at US-27/Main St (present-day M-27). This 0.9-mile trunkline even outlasted its sole reason for existence, when this first Cheboygan State Park was sold to Cheboygan County for use as the location for the County Fair in 1945. A decade-and-a-half later, M-143 was finally cancelled as a state trunkline in 1960 and turned back to local control. |
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| Then in 1962, when I-96 was completd around the Greater Lansing area, M-43 was rerouted between Lansing and East Lansing to follow the former route of US-16, leaving the segment formerly designated as part of M-43 along Michigan Ave between downtown Lansing and downtown East Lansing needing a trunkline designation, which then became M-143. Soon after, the Dept of State Highways requests the City of Lansing take over jurisdiction of M-143, but the City refused. But with the coming of the Capitol Loop through downtown Lansing in 1989, the City agreed to swap that rotue to the state in exchange for the City taking over the route of M-143 from nbd BL I-96/BUS US-27/Larch St easterly to the East Lansing city limit. However, the City of East Lansing never took over its portion of M-143 along Michigan Ave from the Lansing city limit easterly to M-43/Grand River Ave, leaving it as an unsigned state trunkline route designated internally within MDOT as "OLD M-143" beginning in 1989. Then, in 2013, MDOT reversed course and actually re-signed the remaining segment of M-143 within East Lansing, even though it has a "non-standard" western terminus at the city limit. This was finally remedied in 2024 when the City of Lansing and MDOT (partially) reversed the 1989 transfers: The Capitol Loop (1989–2024) was transferred to city jurisdiction, while the portion of Michigan Ave from Detroit St just west of US-127 easterly to the Lansing/East Lansing city limit was transferred back to state control after 35 years of being under municipal control, meaning M-143 now had two logical termini: US-127 on the west and M-43 on the east. |
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| From the point when OLD M-143 was re-signed as M-143 in the field in 2013 until its westerly extension to US-127 in 2024, the western terminus of M-143 existed in two places. This was because the portion of Michigan Ave within the City of Lansing had been transferred to municipal control, but the portion in East Lansing was not. Since the Lansing/East Lansing city boundary actually runs down the median of Michigan Ave for approximately 700 feet, where it crossed the eastbound lanes differs from where it crosses the westbound lanes. Thus the western terminus of M-143 along the westbound side of Michigan Ave was approximately 125 feet west of Highland Ave, while the western terminus of the eastbound side was, of course, 700 feet farther to the west or about 825 feet west of Highland Dr. This meant the length of M-143 was 0.936 mile when measured in the eastbound lanes but just 0.826 mile long when measured in the westbound lanes. Due to the 2024 cancellation of the Capitol Loop in downtown Lansing and the re-extension of M-143 along Michigan Ave from the Lansing/East Lansing city limit westerly through the US-127 interchange, the route once again had one overall length |
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| History: | 1929 (Dec 8) – A 14.7-mile long route is officially established as a state trunkline highway in Osceola Co along 20 Mile Rd from US-131/Mackinaw Trl just east of Tustin to M-66/Mill St in downtown Marion. It is initially designated as M-143, although it is not clear whether it is actually signed as such in the field. | |||||||||||||
| 1930 (Late) – At some point in the last half of 1930, the designation of the new M-143 route in northern Osceola Co from US-131 near Tustin easterly to M-66 in Marion is redesignated as an eastern extension of M-63, which now continues northerly with US-131 from the existing M-63 routing southwest of LeRoy to Tustin, then easterly to Marion. Thus, the first iteration of M-143—whether it was actually sigend as such in the field or not—comes to a close. Within a year, however a second iteration of M-143 would debut. | ||||||||||||||
| 1931 (Aug 17) – A short, new state trunkline is established at Cheboygan and designated M-143 to serve as an access route from US-23/US-27 to the Cheboygan State Park on the southern edge of town. (Note: This early Cheboygan State Park should not be confused with the modern-day Cheboygan State Park east of the city off present-day US-23.) The new M-143 begins at US-23/US-27/S Main St (present-day M-27) on the south side of Cheboygan and proceeds easterly 0.9 miles via Lincoln Ave, terminating at Lafayette St. | ||||||||||||||
| 1945 – The primary reason for the existence of M-143, the original Cheboygan State Park (present-day Cheboygan Co Fairgrounds), disappears from official maps. It seems this was the timeframe when the park was turned over to local authorities for maintenance and upkeep. However, the state trunkline created to provide access to the park would continue to exist for about 15 more years! | ||||||||||||||
| 1960 (Jan 8) – Reality finally catches up with M-143 at Cheboygan when all 0.9 miles are cancelled and the designation is removed from the state trunkline system. Lincoln Ave is turned back to local control. | ||||||||||||||
| 1962 (Dec 12, Dec 14) – I-96 around Lansing is officially established as a state trunkline route on December 12 and opens to traffic on December 14. With the completion of this major link in the Detroit-Muskegon freeway, the US-16 designation in Michigan is officially decommissioned, resulting in several route changes. Previously, M-43 entered Lansing from the west via Saginaw St, turned southerly with US-27/M-78 via Cedar-Larch Sts, then back easterly again via Michigan Ave into East Lansing, terminating downtown at US-16/Grand River Ave. When US-16 is removed in the Lansing/East Lansing area, it is established the M-43 designation will be extended easterly from downtown East Lansing via the former US-16 through Okemos and Williamston, terminating at I-96 near Webberville. However, this would leave a portion of the former US-16 along Grand River Ave from M-78/Saginaw St to M-43/Michigan Ave with no state trunkline designation. The route of M-43 is then adjusted to continue easterly with M-78 from US-27/Cedar–Larch Sts via Saginaw–Oakland Sts and Saginaw St–Grand River Ave to the Lansing/East Lansing limit, then southeasterly via the former US-16 along Grand River Ave into downtown East Lansing. This then leaves Michigan Ave from US-27/Cedar–Larch Sts in downtown Lansing to M-43/Grand River Ave in downtown East Lansing without a route designation. The M-143 designation is revived and applied to this route, thus signalling the debut of the third iteration of M-143. | ||||||||||||||
| 1970 (June) – Less than eight years after becoming M-143, the Dept of State Highways first asks the City of Lansing to accept jurisdiction over Michigan Ave from US-27/Cedar-Larch Sts in downtown easterly to the East Lansing City limit. The City rejects the request and M-143 remains a state trunkline in Lansing along E Michigan Ave for the time being. | ||||||||||||||
| 1989 (Oct 14) – All of M-143 within the City of Lansing (except the one block between nbd BL I-96/BUS US-27/Larch St and sbd BL I-96/BUS US-27/Cedar St) is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to City of Lansing control (2.225 miles). This is the result of a deal between the City of Lansing and MDOT, whereby Lansing would take Michigan Ave east of Larch St off the state's hands in exchange for the state taking several streets in the downtown core off Lansing's hands, resulting in the creation of the signed Capitol Loop route. The one block of the former M-143 between Cedar & Larch Sts retained as a state trunkline is incorporated into the Capitol Loop. The East Lansing portion of the route, however, is not turned back and remains an unsigned state trunkline highway. | ||||||||||||||
| 2013 (June) – During a massive 2012–2013 reconstruction project involving all of M-143 portion of Michigan Ave and a major portion of M-43/Grand River Ave in East Lansing, MDOT unexpectedly decides to re-erect all M-143 route signage along the East Lansing portion of Michigan Ave. Improvements include resurfacing the roadway from just west of Harrison Rd, east to the M-43 split. In addition, the intersections at Harrison Rd and Beal St are reconfigured. Why MDOT decides to sign a trunkline having a terminus at a city limit—and also falls approximately 2,100 feet shy of intersecting another state trunkline (US-127) because of that terminus—is unclear and seemingly runs contrary to some of the department's longstanding route signage practices. | ||||||||||||||
| 2024 (Mar 26) – The Capitol Loop is cancelled as a state trunkline highway route and all portions of the route not concurrently designated with other rotues (e.g. BL I-96) are transferred to municipal control. The City of Lansing had been slowly converting some of its downtown one-way streets to two-way operation and had been in talks with MDOT to possibly regain control of the Capitol Loop streets to potentially convert those to two-way traffic as well. The Capitol Loop cancellation, interestingly, comes with a "re-establishment" of a portion of M-143 along Michigan Ave from Detroit St (one block west of US-127 at the wbd Michigan Left location) easterly to the Lansing/East Lansing city limit. This segment had been cancelled and turned back to city control in October 1989 when the Capitol Loop was established and transferred to state control! Now, the reverse has ocurred, at least in part: Michigan Ave from Detroit St just west of US-127 easterly to the Lansing/East Lansing city limit is transferred back to state control and becomes a westerly extension for the route of M-143. (The portion of the former 1962–1989 route of M-143 along Michigan Ave from downtown Lansing easterly to Detroit St is not affected and remains a city street.) |
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| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-143 is freeway or expressway. | |||||||||||||
| Photographs: | ||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • Michigan Route 143 @ Michigan Highway Junction & Photos – photos of M-143 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Junctions & Photos website. | |||||||||||||
| • M-43(Grand River Avenue) / M-143(Michigan Avenue) in East Lansing – 2012-2013 MDOT project page. | ||||||||||||||
| • M-43 (Grand River Avenue) M-143 (Michigan Avenue) Resurfacing and Intersection Improvements – 2012–2013 project brochure from MDOT. | ||||||||||||||
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PLEASE NOTE: Former M-147 route information can be found on its own page: Former M-147 Route Listing. |
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PLEASE NOTE: Former M-1488 route information can be found on its own page: Former M-148 Route Listing. |
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PLEASE NOTE: The M-149 route information has been moved its own page: M-149 Route Listing. |
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Southern Terminus: | M-59 at the Rochester Rd interchange (Exit 46) in southern Rochester Hills | ||||||||||||
| Northern Terminus: | Cnr Rochester Rd & Tienken Rd in northern Rochester Hills | |||||||||||||
| Length: | 4.809 miles | |||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-150 | |||||||||||||
| Notes: | This highway, while always confined to Oakland Co, was once much longer than its current 4.66 mile length. On the south, M-150 formerly continued southerly through Troy via Rochester Rd, then further south via Stephenson Hwy ending at M-102/Eight Mile Rd on the Detroit city limit. It was scaled back to end at I-75 in Troy after that freeway opened. Ironically, Stephenson Hwy between Eight Mile Rd and Gardenia (11-1/2 Mile) in Hazel Park, Madison Heights and Royal Oak now forms the I-75/Walter P Chrysler Frwy service drives! On the north, M-150 formerly extended to the community of Lakeville as well. | |||||||||||||
| History: | 1930 (Dec 2) – A new, 3.5-mile long state trunkline spur is officially established via Rochester Rd in eastern Oakland Co, beginning at M-59/Auburn Rd in southern Avon Twp (present-day City of Rochester Hills) and proceeding northerly through downtown Rochester, terminating at the northern Rochester city limit. | |||||||||||||
| 1932 (Apr 1) – A southerly 14.0-mile extension of M-150 is assumed into the state trunkline system, beginning at the southern terminus of M-150 at M-59/Auburn Rd and proceeding southerly via Rochester Rd to ½ mile south of the community of Big Beaver, then jogging slightly easterly and southerly again via the proposed Stephenson Hwy to 11 Mile Rd, then southeasterly via the existing Stephenson Hwy, terminating at M-102/Eight Mile Rd at the Oakland/Wayne Co line. Since the portion of Stephenson Hwy from Rochester Rd southerly to 12 Mile Rd is not yet complete, M-150 is marked-and-maintained via Rochester Rd into downtown Royal Oak, then southerly via Main St to 11 Mile and easterly via 11 Mile Rd to Stephenson Hwy. This temporary routing is not officially assumed into the state trunkline system, through. (While the Oakland Co Road Commission had built the one mile stretch of Stephenson Hwy from 11 Mile to 12 Mile Rds in 1928, that portion of the highway was not marked as part of M-150 pending the completion of the remainder of Stephenson Hwy.) | ||||||||||||||
| 1932 – During this year, the State Highway Dept completes the initial grading on the Stephenson Hwy bypass of Royal Oak from 12 Mile Rd to Rochester Rd. It would take the state almost twenty years, however, to complete this project! In the interim, Stephenson would remain a gravel/dirt road with M-150 being 'temporarily' routed through downtown Royal Oak. | ||||||||||||||
| 1935 (Jan 7) – An additional 7.3-mile long northerly extension of M-150 is added to the state trunkline system, beginning at the northern limits of Rochester proceeding northerly via Rochester Rd to the Oakland/Addison Twp line, terminating at Romeo Rd. The next year in 1936, this new extension is surfaced by the State Highway Dept, as is the rest of Rochester Rd from Romeo Rd northerly through the communities of Lakeville and Leonard to the Oakland/Lapeer Co line, however this segment of roadway is NOT part of the trunkline system and, as such, not signed as M-150. | ||||||||||||||
| 1950 (Oct) – The Stephenson Hwy project begun in 1932 (see above) from 12 Mile Rd to Rochester Rd in southeast Oakland Co is finally completed when the highway is hard-surfaced and the M-150 designation is applied to the route for the first time since becoming a state trunkline in 1932. Unfortunately, about a decade from this point it would be realized this 'new' portion of Stephenson Hwy would have to be bypassed by an even newer highway. | ||||||||||||||
| 1963 (Dec 31) – The 4.7-mile stretch of M-150 via Stephenson Hwy from 11 Mile Rd in Madison Heights northerly to I-75 at Exit 67 in Troy is turned back to local control, as on this same date all of the new I-75 freeway from 11 Mile Rd in Madison Heights northerly to Pontiac is officially established as a state trunkline. The transferred portion of Stephenson Hwy runs parallel to the new I-75 freeway, less than 1/2 mile to the east and is considered a redundant route. The portion of M-150/Stephenson Hwy south of 11 Mile Rd to M-102/Eight Mile Rd is not transferred, however, as the new I-75 freeway will be built directly atop the existing highway. Until the freeway is completed, the former M-150 between 11 Mile and Eight Mile is signed as "TO I-75." | ||||||||||||||
| 1965 (June 30) – Nearly all of the 1935 northerly extension of M-150 is turned back to local control when all of the highway from Tienken Rd north of Rochester Hills northerly to Romeo Rd is cancelled as a trunkline. M-150 now only runs from I-75 in Troy to just north of Rochester. | ||||||||||||||
| 1981 (Nov 16) – The approximately 0.215 mile segment of M-150 along Rochester Rd in southern Rochester Hills from M-59 (at present-day 46) southerly to South Blvd at the Troy city limit is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control. Oddly, this is in the middle of the route of M-150 which stretches from I-75 at Exit 67 in southeastern Troy northerly to Tienken Rd north of Rochester. Since M-150 remains depicted along that alignment on the 1982 official Michigan state map, it is assumed this short stetch of highway remains a "marked-and-maintained" segment still part of M-150 until further jurisdictional transfers to the south in Troy occur. |
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| 1983 (Apr 4) – The 4.064-mile portion of M-150 along Rochester Rd in Troy from South Blvd at the Troy north city limit southerly to I-75 (at Exit 67) is cancelled as a state trunkline route and transferred to city control. The southern terminus of M-150 is now at M-59 (present-day Exit 46), which ironically leaves M-150 in nearly the same form as it was when first established as a state trunkline in 1930! |
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| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-150 is freeway or expressway. | |||||||||||||
| NHS: | Entire route. | |||||||||||||
| Photographs: | ||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-150 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-150 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | |||||||||||||
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PLEASE NOTE: Former M-151 route information can be found on its own page: Former M-151 Route Listing. |
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Western Terminus: | Van Buren/Berrien county line (cnr 92nd Ave, Napier Ave & S County Line Rd) in the Sister Lakes area | ||||||||||||
| Eastern Terminus: | M-51 five miles north of downtown Dowagiac | |||||||||||||
| Length: | 7.702 miles | |||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-152 | |||||||||||||
| Notes: | Contrary to appearances, M-152 has never continued westerly via Napier Ave into the Benton Harbor/St Joseph area, even thought it seems such an extension would be rather logical. Historical State Highway Dept maps indicate Napier Ave westerly from the Van Buren Co line has always been a locally-maintained roadway. Even with the (rather temporary) assumption of the portion of Napier from the new US-31 freeway westerly to I-94 in 2003, no plans have been announced to transfer any other portion of Napier Ave to state control. | |||||||||||||
| According to some MDOT sources, M-152 has long been marked as a prime "turnback" candidate, meaning the department would rather see this route maintained locally rather than at the state level. One source maintains the Cass Co Road Commission was offered M-152 as a jurisdictional transfer at the same time as the M-205-for-M-217 swap took place, however Cass Co declined the state's offer but stated they would be willing to take M-216 off their hands. MDOT wasn't as receptive to that offer... | ||||||||||||||
Additional details on M-152 from a former MDOT employee shed even more light on the tenuous existence of this longtime spur route. Notes on a possible turnback in 1967 state: "The existing facility is essentially a gravel county road, absorbed into our system in 1933, and to which has been added a number of seals over the years. The road serves primarily the resort and vacation areas in the Sister Lakes region and the fruit growers in this corridor." Turnback was attemped over the years, but consensus was not reached over the condition to which M-152 should be brought by MDOT, prior to turnback. Although PA 296 of 1969 provides for non-consent turnbacks through an arbitration process, these provisions are not currently used by MDOT. Many thanks to Susan Berquist! |
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| History: | 1928 (Oct 19) – The State Highway Dept advisory board designates, pending approval by the State Administrative Board, a new, six-mile long state trunkline route beginning at M-40 (present-day M-51) north of Dowagiac to the Van Buren/Berrien Co line. No route designation is assigned to the newly proposed route at this time. | |||||||||||||
| 1929 (Oct) – The State Administrative Board approves a new, six-mile long state trunkline route beginning at M-40 (present-day M-51) in southwestern Van Buren Co passing to the north of the Sister Lakes area, "to connect with the east end of a macadam road in Berrien Co" at the Van Buren/Berrien Co line. | ||||||||||||||
| 1930 (Apr 11) – Rescinding its order of six months prior, the State Administrative Board then simultaneously re-establishes a the state trunkline route beginning at M-40 (present-day M-51) in northwestern Cass Co passing through the heart of the Sister Lakes area, "to connect with the east end of a macadam road in Berrien Co" at the Van Buren/Berrien Co line. The length of the new trunkline route remains approximately six miles long. | ||||||||||||||
| 1933 (May 24) – A new, 7.7-mile long trunkline spur route as M-152 is officially assumed into the state trunkline system in northwestern Cass and southwestern Van Buren Cos, beginning at M-40 (present-day M-51) north of Dowagiac and running westerly, then northerly and westerly again through the Sister Lakes area, terminating at the Van Buren/Berrien Co line. (An aside: The route of M-152 first appears on official state highway maps, however, two years earlier in 1931. It is unclear when signage may have appeared in the field.) No changes to the route of M-152 have taken place since. | ||||||||||||||
| 1945 – M-152 is completely hard-surfaced throughout. | ||||||||||||||
| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-152 is freeway or expressway. | |||||||||||||
| Photographs: | ||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-152 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-152 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | |||||||||||||
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Western Terminus: | M-14 at Exit 10 east of Ann Arbor | ||||||||||||
| Eastern Terminus: | US-12/Michigan Ave at I-94 Exit 210 on the western edge of the City of Detroit | |||||||||||||
| Length: | 25.197 miles | |||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-153 | |||||||||||||
| Notes: | M-153 is known as Ford Rd for its entire length. While most would logically assume the road's namesake was Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, the road was actually named for Henry Ford's father, an area farmer, political officeholder and community figure. The Fords had settled on land in Dearborn near present-day M-153. Not coincidentally, the present-day Ford Motor Company World Headquarters (known locally as the "Glass House") is located just south of M-153/Ford Rd in Dearborn. | |||||||||||||
| In the 1930s, M-153 was proposed to be the first leg in an overall "Detroit-Chicago Superhighway" which was to "eventually provide a new route across the State, keeping away from the centers of the larger cities." It could be considered a direct forerunner of today's I-94. | ||||||||||||||
| History: | 1930 (Dec 2) – A 47.4-mile long state trunkline highway route is officially established as part of the proposed "Detroit-Chicago Superhighway" eventually linking the two cities with a re-engineered "super" highway largely on new alignment. The concept of freeways, as they came to be known later in the 20th Century, had not yet fully coalesced and this proposed route was planned as a 40-foot wide (or wider, in places) concrete highway, engineered to the highest existing standards. The new route "will eventually provide a new route across the State, keeping away from the centers of the larger cities." (Detroit Free Press, Jan 14, 1934, Part 2, pg. 4) The first segment of the "Detroit-Chicago Superhighway", as officially established on this date, begins at US-112/Michigan Ave & Wyoming Ave between Detroit and Dearborn and continues westerly along Ford Rd to Canton Center Rd, then continues due westerly along an unconstructed alignment into Washtenaw Co to US-12/Plymouth Rd just northeast of Dixboro. The route then continued due westerly for an additional four miles before curving southwesterly as it crossed the Ann Arbor RR (present-day Great Lakes Central RR) north of Ann Arbor, continuing to US-12/Jackson Rd at Zeeb Rd west of Ann Arbor. The "superhighway" route continues westerly for ¾ mile along US-12/Jackson Rd for nearly 14 miles to just southwest of Sylvan. There, the route curved west-northwesterly for two miles, crossing existing US-12 and the Michigan Central RR before turning due westerly for an additional mile to the Washtenaw/Jackson Co line. From there, the "superhighway" route continues west on a gently curving alignment passing north of Riley Lake, between Grass and Tims Lakes and south of Goose Lake to the present-day intersection of Sargent Rd & Ann Arbor Rd northeast of Jackson. The highway route then turns southwesterly along present-day BL I-94/Ann Arbor Rd to Michigan Ave and then via Michigan Ave to the eastern Jackson city limit. From the outset, the portion of the "Detroit-Chicago Superhighway" along Ford Rd from US-12/Michigan Ave westerly to Canton Center Rd in Canton Twp and on to US-12 at Dixboro northeast of Ann Arbor is designated M-153., but state highway officials hoped to have Ford Rd designated as a "federal route," likely meaning transferred the US-12 designation from Plymouth Rd to the north onto Ford Rd. West of Ann Arbor, the highway officials planned to move the US-12 designation to the new route as it was completed and opened to traffic. |
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| 1933 (Summer) – M-153/Ford Rd from Canton Center Rd in western Wayne Co westerly to Napier Rd on the Wayne/Washtenaw Co line is completed and opened to traffic as a 20-foot concrete roadway on a 120-foot right-of-way. The grading for the segment of M-153 from Napier Rd to US-12/Plymouth Rd near Dixboro is underway with an anticipated completion in a year. | ||||||||||||||
| 1934 (July) – The 20-foot concrete pavement is laid on M-153/Ford Rd from the Wayne/Washtenaw Co line westerly to US-12/Plymouth Rd near Dixboro and the signed, open highway now officially terminates at that point while plans for the northerly bypass of Ann Arbor are being finalized. | ||||||||||||||
| 1935 (Jan 7) – The portion of the M-153 northern bypass of Ann Arbor—officially established as a state trunkline in late 1930, but not yet constructed—is officially cancelled as a state trunkline highway route. The western end of the existing highway now officially becomes the western terminus of the route as well. The cancelled bypass, however, would come back in the 1940s as a northerly US-12 bypass of Ann Arbor with the western half actually being constructed, with some modifications, as the M-14 freeway between I-94 and BUS US-23/N Main St. | ||||||||||||||
| 1965 (Mar 31) – On the same date the portion of the M-14 freeway is officially established as a state trunkline highway from US-23 northeast of Ann Arbor to M-153, a new divided highway alignment of M-153 is similarly established from its existing alignment at Frains Lake Rd northwesterly to the end of the new freeway at Plymouth Rd. This completes a seamless connection with the new freeway. The former route of M-153 via Ford Rd westerly to Plymouth Rd is turned back to local control. | ||||||||||||||
| 1973 (Dec 14) – M-153/Ford Rd is reconstructed to freeway standards from Artesian St/Auto Club Dr (halfway between M-39/Southfield Frwy and Evergreen Rd) westerly to Golfview Dr, including interchanges at Evergreen Rd and Edward N Hines Dr, on the Dearborn/Detroit and Dearborn/Dearborn Heights city limit. The former westbound lanes of M-153 from Artesian St to just east of Evergreen Rd is renamed Altar Rd and remains an unsigned state trunkline for the time being, while the remainder of the former highway is either abandoned or is obliterated under the new construction. | ||||||||||||||
| 1980 (Feb 9) – The segment of the M-14 freeway from M-153 northeasterly to the Washtenaw/Wayne Co line is officially certified as a state trunkline highway and likely opens to traffic in the same timeframe. Thus, the route of M-153 is extended a very short distance along the former stub of M-14 freeway from Plymouth Rd to meet with the M-14 freeway. | ||||||||||||||
| 1985 (Jan 15) – The remaining segment of the former westbound lanes of M-153/Ford Rd bypassed by the Evergreen Rd interchange construction in 1973, Altar Rd, is finally cancelled as a state trunkline and turned back to city control. |
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| Freeway/Expwy: | A short portion of M-153 from from Artesian St/Auto Club Dr westerly to Golfview Dr in Dearborn. | |||||||||||||
| NHS: | From Canton Center Rd in Canton Twp to eastern terminus in Detroit. | |||||||||||||
| Photographs: | ||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-153 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-153 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | |||||||||||||
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Southern Terminus: | End of Green Rd (beginning of Bates Hwy) on Harsens Island, 3.6 miles south of Sans Souci | ||||||||||||
| Northern Terminus: | Harsens Island Ferry landing on North Channel Drive on Harsens Island | |||||||||||||
| Length: | 6.207 miles | |||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-154 | |||||||||||||
| Notes: | M-154 is one of only three Michigan state highways on islands; the others are M-134 on Drummond Island and M-185 on Mackinac Island. | |||||||||||||
| Even though the island and M-154 are only connected to the mainland via Champion's Auto Ferry plying the North Channel waters, the auto ferry does run year 'round, as long as the ice does not become too thick to cut through. In February 2004, a cold snap froze the North Channel more solidly than usual, cutting off island residents from the mainland. In times such as these, the U.S. Coast Guard sends in a cutter to break through the ice and reopen the ferry lanes. Because of these occasional situations, some island residents and developers have been attempting to garner support to have a bridge built between the island and the mainland, although others are very much against it and the changes such a structure would bring to the island. | ||||||||||||||
Fares for Champion's Auto Ferry went up effective January 1, 2022 and are (as of Spring 2023) per round-trip:
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| An MDOT source notes that around the year 2000, the department decided to truncate the route of M-154 to Ferry Dock Rd near its intersection with North Channel Rd at the "Y" intersection on the north end of Harsens Island. The remainder of what is signed as M-154 along North Channel Dr from the "Y" at Ferry Dock Rd westerly approximately ½ mile was then designated OLD M-154 and earmarked for a future jurisdictional transfer back to local control. It was also noted, though, that no corresponding changes have been made to the signage along the route, so OLD M-154 remains signed as if it was still part of M-154. | ||||||||||||||
| History: | 1931 (Jan 22) – The first state trunkline highway to be designated on an island occurs when M-154 is established as a 5.0-mile route on Harsens Island in southern Saint Clair Co. It begins in the Grand Pointe area on the northeastern tip of Harsens Island and proceeds westerly via North Channel Rd to Little Rd, then southwesterly via Little Rd (a portion of which no longer exists today) to La Croix Rd, southeasterly via La Croix to Green Rd, then southwesterly via Green Rd to a terminus at Clays Landing. While the rest of the roadway, known as Bates Hwy, to the southwestern tip of the island is never included in the trunkline routing, the State Highway Dept does improve the road the next year. | |||||||||||||
| 1932 (Oct 29) – M-154 is realigned on Harsens Island to continue northwesterly via La Croix Rd (instead of turning northeasterly onto Little Rd) to Columbine Rd, then northeasterly via Columbine to North Channel Rd and westerly via North Channel to the Algonac-Harsens Island ferry dock. A very short connection on the "mainland" takes ferry users to M-29/Point Tremble Rd. Much of the former route is turned back to local control, while a portion of Little Rd is abandoned as a public roadway. | ||||||||||||||
| 1933 (July 10) – The state highway committee, in its first meeting since the election of Murray D. Van Wagoner as Highway Commissioner, rejects a dozen projects that had been planned during the administration of the previous commissioner, Grover C. Dillman. One of those cancelled projects is the cancellation of the entirety of M-154 on Harsens Island. Van Wagoner and the committe rescind that order, allowing M-154 to remain a state trunkline route. |
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| 1939 (July 13) – A slight realignment 'cuts the corner' from La Croix Rd onto Columbine Rd, shaving 1/10th mile from the route. The former route is turned back to local control. | ||||||||||||||
| c.2000 – As noted in the Notes section above, MDOT officially truncates M-154 to Ferry Dock Rd & North Channel Dr, with the portion of North Channel west of the Ferry Dock "Y" intersection being designated as a turnback candidate, OLD M-154. No signage changes are made, however, and all of the new OLD M-154 route remains signed as M-154. | ||||||||||||||
| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-154 is freeway or expressway. | |||||||||||||
| Photographs: | ||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-154 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-154 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | |||||||||||||
| • Champion's Auto Ferry – the current ferry schedule, fares and contact information. | ||||||||||||||
| • Harsens Island Ferry – a few 1996 photos of the automobile ferry connecting M-154 and the island to the mainland, courtesy of Tom Dean Associates. | ||||||||||||||
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Southern Terminus: | Ohio state line (connection w/OH SR-108) at Morenci | ||||||||||||
| Northern Terminus: | M-34 at Clayton | |||||||||||||
| Length: | 10.655 miles | |||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-156 | |||||||||||||
| Notes: | ||||||||||||||
| History: | 1931 (June 19) – The State Administrative Board approves a new 8.9-mile state trunkline route to connect Morenci with M-34 at Clayton in Lenawee Co. This is the second longest single segment approved out of a total of 30 additional miles of roadway to be added to the trunkline sytem. | |||||||||||||
| 1931 (Oct 24) – A new 10.2-mile long state trunkline beginning at M-34 at Clayton and proceeding southerly via Morey Hwy and Lime Creek Hwy to Morenci and through town via North, Main and East Sts to the Ohio State Line is established as M-156. | ||||||||||||||
| 1978 (___ 16) – A route with a new gentle double-curve immediately north of the community of North Morenci replacing several sharper ones is officially assumed into the trunkline system. The portion of the former route still open to traffic is temporarily retained in the system as well. | ||||||||||||||
| 1980 (Apr 3) – The segments still open to travel of the former M-156 bypassed by the realignment above, namely short portions of Lime Creek Hwy and Morey Hwy, are turned back to local control. | ||||||||||||||
| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-156 is freeway or expressway. | |||||||||||||
| Continue on: | SR-108 into Ohio – John Simpson's Ohio Highways Website | |||||||||||||
| Photographs: | ||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-156 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-156 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | |||||||||||||
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Southern Terminus: | M-55/West Branch Rd 2.5 miles east of downtown Prudenville | ||||||||||||
| Northern Terminus: | M-18 2.6 miles northeast of downtown Prudenville | |||||||||||||
| Length: | 1.193 miles | |||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-157 | |||||||||||||
| Notes: | M-157 serves only as a short connector highway between M-18 and M-55 and is the fourth-shortest mainline state trunkline highway. | |||||||||||||
| History: | 1931 (Aug 10) – A new 1.0-mile long state trunkline highway designated M-157 is established in central Roscommon Co as a short-cut between M-55 and US-27 (present-day M-18) via Roscommon Rd. | |||||||||||||
| 1932 (Oct 29) – The existing 1.0-mile long iteration of M-157 is cancelled as a state trunkline and the roadway is abandoned as a public right-of-way. Simultaneously, a new iteration of M-157 on a slightly different alignment just to the east of the former route is officially assumed into the state trunkline system. Since the new alignment curves slightly to the east (the former ran due north-south), it is 1.5 miles in length, one-half mile longer than the previous M-157. Other than extremely minor realignments at either end of the highway to create 90-degree tee-intersections with M-55 and M-18, no other modifications have been made to the route of M-157 since 1932. | ||||||||||||||
| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-157 is freeway or expressway. | |||||||||||||
| Photographs: | ||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-157 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-157 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. | |||||||||||||
M-140 | US-141 | M-142 | M-143 | Former M-147 | Former M-148 | M-149 | M-150 | Former M-151 | M-152 | M-153 | M-154 | M-156 | M-157 | Up to Top |
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