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| Western Terminus: | Jct US-12 southeast of Niles in extreme southwestern Cass Co |
| Eastern Terminus: | I-94 at Exit 136 northwest of Jackson |
| Length: | 104.749 miles |
| Maps: | Route Map of M-60 |
| Notes: | M-60 is a primary through highway, connecting US-12 at Niles with US-131 at Three Rivers and with I-94 and nearby US-127 at Jackson. Additionally, from 1925 to 1966, M-60 actually ran west from Niles to end in New Buffalo—part of the time on its own, and other times co-signed with US-112 and US-12. In fact, the spur BUS M-60 into downtown Niles had formerly been a loop-route through the city until the M-60 designation was scaled back to its present terminus in 1966. |
| A source indicates that discussion within MDOT occurred in the 1990s to utilize the eastern portion of the route of M-60 as a way to keep the US-27 designation alive in Michigan. After having co-existed with I-69 between Fort Wayne, Indiana and DeWitt north of Lansing for a quarter century, one or more staffers at MDOT began working on ways to eliminate what they perceived as a "confusing" situation north of Lansing where the US-127 corridor seemingly transitioned into the US-27 corridor. Assuming that the states of Indiana and Ohio would be unwilling to participate in a mass renumbering of US-27 and US-127 in their states, Michigan seemed to feel they needed to implement a solution that either did not involve those states or did so minimally. One reported idea was to divert the US-27 designation off the I-69 freeway at the M-60 interchange near Tekonsha and replace M-60 from there into the Jackson area where US-27 would jog easterly via I-94 to US-127, then replace US-127 northerly to its terminus near Lansing. In the end, however, MDOT chose to coordinate with InDOT to completely "decommission" US-27 from Fort Wayne northerly and replace the portion of US-27 between DeWitt and Grayling with an extension of US-127. | |
In "State Trunkline Needs, 1960–1980," a set of maps prepared by the State Highway Dept's Office of Planning, Programming Division in 1960 showing possible additions, upgrades and improvements to the state trunkline system over the ensuing twenty years, MSHD staff recommended several changes to M-60 during that timeframe, including:
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| History: | 1916 (Mar 28) – The first 12.3 miles of state trunkline highway designated as T.L. 60 is established (assumed into the system) starting at the eastern limits of Cassopolis proceeding easterly to the western limits of the Village of Vandalia, re-starting on the eastern limits of Vandalia and continuing easterly through the community of Jones and ending at the Cass/St Joseph Co line. |
| 1919 (July 1) – T.L. 60 is signed in the field as M-60 as all state trunkline highways in Michigan are signed with route markers. Gaps in the route within Cassopolis and Vandalia are signed as M-60 but is not officially under state jurisdiction. | |
| 1919 (Dec 7) – The 0.6 mile segment of State St in Cassopolis from the eastern city limit westerly to jct M-62/Broadway downtown is officially established as a state trunkline route, but has likely been signed as part of M-60 since route markers were erected earlier in the year. | |
| 1921 (Jan 5) – The 1-mile gap in the established route of M-60 through the Village of Vandalia in Cass Co is officially filled when State St through town is established as a state trunkline route. It is likely that State St through Vandalia had been signed as M-60 since 1919, even though it was under local jurisdiction until now. | |
| 1923 (July 5) – A major 40.7-mile long western extension of M-60 extends the route from Cassopolis southwesterly to Niles, then westerly through Buchanan, Galien, and Three Oaks, terminating at M-11 (later US-12/Red Arrow Hwy) just north of New Buffalo, although only 38.6 miles of the route are officially established as a state trunkline route—portions of the route in Cassopolis, Niles and Buchanan remain under local control, but are signed as part of the route of M-60. | |
1923 (July 5–7) – Over the course of three days, various segments of state trunkline highway are established as a state trunkline route as a major easterly extension of M-60 from the Cass/St Joseph Co line via Three Rivers, Mendon, Union City, Tekonsha, Homer, Concord and Spring Arbor, terminating in downtown Jackson at M-14 (later US-127) and M-17 (later US-12, now BL I-94). Instead of in chronological order, the segments below are listed in geographic order, west-to-east:
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| 1923 (Nov 30) – Less than five months after being extended into Three Rivers from the southwest, M-60 is rerouted to continue due northerly from Broadway St along present-day US-131 to Michigan Ave where it turns easterly via Michigan to the western limits of the City of Three Rivers at Erie St, where the official trunkline establishment ends. From there, M-60 is signed along city-controlled Michigan Ave to its former route at Constantine St and then into downtown. The former route along Broadway St east to Constantine St and via Constantine from Broadway to Michigan is turned back to city and county control. | |
| 1925 (Nov 27) – 1.2 miles of additional state trunkline route are officially assumed into the system as M-60 on the west side of Jackson. From the cnr of Spring Arbor Rd & Brown St at the western city limit, the new route runs due northeasterly to Franklin St (this portion was never constructed), then easterly along Franklin to Blackstone St where the official trunkline routing terminates. M-60 continues northerly with M-14 (soon to be redesignated as US-127) for four blocks along Blackstone Ave as a city-maintained street. | |
| 1927 (Mar 28) – A new 0.9-mile long alignment for M-60 east of Niles in the Barron Lake area is officially established as a state trunkline highway, running directly from existing M-60 at the cnr of Yankee Rd & Huntly Rd northeasterly to Lake Shore Dr just east of Barron Lake. The former route running 1.2 miles along Huntly Rd from Yankee Rd to Lake Shore Dr and Lake Shore Dr from Huntly Rd east to the new M-60 alignment is turned back to county control. | |
| 1927 (Sept 19) – A realignment between Spring Arbor and Jackson moves M-60 onto a more direct, sweeping curve alignment along Spring Arbor Rd. The former route running north from Spring Arbor Rd along Pioneer Dr, then easterly via McCain Rd back to Spring Arbor Rd is turned back to county control. | |
| 1927 (Sept 28) – A minor realignment on the southern edge of Casspolis moves M-60 onto a more gradual, sweeping curve alignment as it curves northerly to enter the village from the south. The former route is partially obliterated with the remainder turned back to local control. | |
1928 (Jan 17) – Three realignments to the route of M-60 in St Joseph Co are officially established as state trunkline routes on this date:
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| 1928 (Jan 17) – The route of M-60 is adjusted on the east side of Three Rivers onto a new alignment officially assumed into the state trunkline system on this date. Formerly running northerly from Michigan Ave along Wood St to Hoffman St, then easterly via Hoffman, M-60 now continues easterly along Michigan Ave from Wood St before turning northerly via Jefferson St to the former route at Hoffman St. The former route is turned back to city jurisdiction. | |
| 1929 (Aug 20) – A new 1.3-mile long realignment of M-60 is established as a state trunkline route in Sherwood Twp west of Union City in Branch Co, replacing a longer, 1.7-mile alignment to the south. The former route along Stanton Rd from Mendon Rd easterly to Lusk Rd is turned back to county control, while the remainder of the old route east of Lusk Rd is obliterated. | |
| 1931 (Mar 5) – A new 12.18-mile long state trunkline route in southern Berrien Co from Galien on the west to Niles on the east bypassing Dayton and Buchanan to the south is officially established as a state trunkline highway route for M-60, although the highway itself will not be completed and opened to traffic until the end of the year. The new route consists of a mixture of existing roadway and new-alignment highway. The realignment is actually 13.1 miles in length, but the last almost-mile long segment on the eastern end along Chicago Rd in the City of Niles remains under city jurisdiction for a few more months until the Dykstra Act passes the State Legislature. The former route of M-60 between Galien and Niles—running northerly along Cleveland St/Rd, easterly via Galien-Buchanan Rd, northerly along Bakertown Rd, notheasterly on Terre Coupe St, then easterly through Buchanan via Front St and then into Niles via Niles-Buchanan Rd and Grant St—is cancelled as a state trunkline and turned back to local control but remains a "marked-and-maintained" route until the new highway is completed later in the year. | |
1931– Act 131 of 1931—the Dykstra Act—is passed allowing the State Highway Dept to take over control of state highways running into and through incorporated cities, thereby officially incorporating them as state trunkline highways. The following segments of formerly city-controlled streets are officially established as part of M-60:
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| 1931 (Aug 31) – A new alignment for M-60 between Mendon and Leonidas in northeastern St Joseph Co is established as a state trunkline route along its present-day route. The former route heading north along Zinsmaster Rd, then easterly on Pleasant Rd, northerly via Olney Rd and easterly again along King Rd into Leonidas is turned back to county jurisdiction. | |
| 1931 (Aug 31) – The 1.6-mile long Concord bypass is established as a state trunkline route, replacing the former 1.7-mile long route through town via Homer Rd, Homer St, and N Main St which is turned back to local control. The new bypass is completed and opened to traffic within a year, although official highway maps by the State Highway Dept do not show the new route until 1933 and, oddly, also include an "M-60A" route running along the former route of M-60 through Concord, although official trunkline determination maps seem to indicate this would not be possible, since the former route is transferred to local control the same day as the new bypass is established as a state trunkline highway. | |
1931 (Nov 7)  – The 13.1-mile realignment for M-60 between Galien and Niles in southern Berrien Co that was officially established as a state trunkline route in early March is completed and opened to traffic. The former route of M-60 between those two cities by way of Buchanan which was cancelled as a state trunkline route at that time but remained as a "marked-and-maintained" route, has its M-60 markers removed and state maintenance ceases. |
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1932 (July 1)  – Much of M-60 (present-day US-12) in southern Berrien Co from Galien westerly through Three Oaks to a point approximately ¾ mile east of the western terminus of M-60 at US-12 north of New Buffalo had been reconstructed and improved in 1928, however that last ¾ mile was left undone—and with a gravel road surface—pending the construction of an overpass for the Pere Marquette Ry line which crosses M-60 just east of the US-12 jct. With the Pere Marqutte delaying the construction of the grade separation, M-60 remained unimproved for that very short stretch, which also had the effect of discouraging long-distance and tourist traffic from using M-60 as a preferred Detroit-Chicago alternate route, with through traffic tending to stay on US-12 through many of the larger cities in the region. However, after pressure applied by the State Highway Dept results in action by the railroad company the overpass is finally constructed and opened to traffic, resulting in M-60 now being hard-surfaced all the way from its western terminus at US-12 easterly through Niles to Cassopolis. |
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| 1932 (Oct 29) – A minor realignment east of Casspolis moves M-60 onto a more gradual, sweeping double-curve alignment, eliminating two 90º turns and two grade crossings on the Michigan Central R.R. The former route along Shore Acres Rd, Decatur Rd, and Geneva St is turned back to county control. | |
| 1932 (Oct 29) – The 1.2-mile trunkline extension established in November 1925 on the west side of Jackson (the unconstructed segment from Brown St to Franklin St at Thompson St, then easterly along Franklin St to Blackstone St) is transferred back to city jurisdiction, while the four blocks of Brown St from Spring Arbor Rd northerly to US-12/W Michigan Ave are assumed into the state trunkline highway system as a new routing for M-60. | |
| 1934 (Sept 21), 1935 – Two years after the rerouting of M-60 on the west side of Jackson, an additional state trunkline routing is assumed into the system beginning at M-60/Spring Arbor Rd just west of Brown St and continuing easterly for 8 blocks (0.55 mile) along Morrell St to a terminus at US-127/M-50/S West Ave. For a time, sources indicate both the Brown St and Morrell St routings are signed as M-60, with Brown St connecting with US-12 to the north and Morrell St providing access to US-127/M-50 to the east. By sometime in 1935, however, the official maps show M-60 continuing easterly via the Morrell St alignment to S West Ave, then turning north concurrently with US-127/M-50 along S West Ave to terminate at US-12/Michigan Ave and the Brown St alignment is retained in the trunkline system between Spring Arbor Rd and US-12/Michigan Ave, possibly as an unsigned route. | |
| 1935 (Jan 7) – US-112 is concurrently designated with M-60 from downtown Niles westerly to the western termini of both routes at US-12 just north of downtown New Buffalo. | |
| 1936 (Dec 9) – The 4.5-mile long Tekonsha bypass is established as a state trunkline route, replacing the former 5.3-mile long route through town via Jackson Dr, which is retained as a state trunkline route for another nine months. | |
| 1937 (Aug 30) – The 5.3-mile former route of M-60 along Jackson Dr through the Village of Tekonsha bypassed in December 1936 by the Tekonsha bypass is turned back to county and village control. It is unclear why this former alignment was retained for the previous nine months before being jursidictionally transferred. | |
| 1937 (Dec 29) – The 1.2-mile long Union City bypass is established as a state trunkline route, replacing the former 2.0-mile long route through town via Division St, Dewey St, Charlotte St, and N Broadway St, which is cancelled as a trunkline route the same day and turned back to local control. As construction on the new bypass isn't yet complete, the former route through downtown Union City is retained as a "marked and maintained" route | |
| 1937 (Dec 29) – A 0.8-mile long new state trunkline highway route is established on this date beginning at M-60 at the cnr of Jefferson St & Hoffman St in northeastern Three Rivers, proceeding westerly along Hoffman St across the St Joseph River, terminating at US-131/N Main St (now BUS US-131) north of downtown. Research has not uncovered the designation of this route to date, be it BUS M-60, M-60A, a Connector route, or possibly an unsigned trunkline with no designation at all. M-60 remains designated along its existing route on Michigan Ave and Jefferson St into downtown. | |
| 1938 (Aug 3) – The M-60 "Union City bypass" along the Branch-Calhoun Co line, which had been officially established as a state trunkline route in the last days of 1937, is completed and opened to traffic. The former route through downtown Union City, which had been officially cancelled as a trunkline route at the same time the bypass was officially assumed into the system, has its M-60 markers removed and maintainance is resumed by local agencies. | |
| 1938 (Dec 6) – A realignment for M-60 through the Village of Burlington in Calhoun Co is established on this date running along its present-day alignment between the eastern and western intersections with Main St. The former route following Main St is transferred to local control. | |
| 1940 – The final ten unpaved miles of M-60 are hard-surfaced, between Tekonsha and Homer. | |
 Marked-and-maintained routes: Purple — Wbd Truck Route Red – Passenger Car Route – Based on a recommendation by the Niles City Council in 1939, the State Highway Dept creates a "passenger car only" route for US-112/M-60 through the central part of the city to both eliminate congestion through the downtown area as well as remove the hazards involved with the two 90° turns—from Grant St onto St Joseph Ave and from St Joseph Ave onto W Main St. Eastbound passenger car traffic will continue east on Grant St from St Joseph Ave at Pawating Hospital, cross the St Joseph River and continue along Broadway to the existing US-112/M-60 route at E Main St, with westbound cars reversing that route. Eastbound trucks, however, will be directed along the existing route of US-112/M-60 through downtown, while westbound trucks will also following the existing route through downtown on Main St, but at St Joseph Ave now continue west two additional blocks on W Main St before turning southerly on Lincoln Ave back to the existing route at Grant St. Both the new Grant–Broadway passenger car route and the new eastbound truck route along W Main–Lincoln are "marked-and-maintained" routes—not officially established as trunkline routes, but signed as state highways and maintained as such. (See accompanying map.) |
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1940 (Nov 12) – As part of a project to modernize the route of M-60 between Tekonsha and Homer in southeastern Calhoun Co, several minor realignments occur with the new alignments being assumed into the state trunkline highway system and the old routes either obliterated or turned back to local control:
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| 1941 (Feb 1) – After an eight month trial separating the passenger car and truck traffic along US-112/M-60 through Niles onto different routes, the Niles City Council, at the prompting of local business leaders, petitions the State Highway Dept to restore the previous configuration with all US-112/M-60 traffic following Main St through downtown. One difference, however, is the retention of the W Main St–Lincoln Ave "loop" for westbound traffic (originally created for westbound truck traffic eight months earlier). This four-block long segment is a "marked-and-maintained" route, not officially established as a trunkline but signed and maintained as one. Business owners began clamboring in late September to restore the former route, while safety officials cited traffic concerns at the corner of E Main St & Broadway at the eastern end of the Passenger Car Route. |
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| 1945 (June 26) – The 0.8-mile state trunkline highway route in the northern part of Three Rivers beginning at M-60 at the cnr of Jefferson St & Hoffman St and proceeding westerly along Hoffman St across the St Joseph River, terminating at US-131/N Main St (now BUS US-131) north of downtown is turned back to city control. Various State Highway Dept sources show a proposed extension of this trunkline route from N Main St due westerly along Hoffman St to the proposed US-131 western bypass of Three Rivers. The extension is never implemented. | |
| 1949 (Nov 10) – A new alignment for M-60 to the north of its former alignment in eastern Cass and western St Joseph Co in the Jones area is assumed into the state trunkline highway system. The former route, via Blair Lake Rd in Cass Co and Harder Rd & Youngs Prairie Rd (to the cnr of Arthur L Jones Rd & Gleason Rd) in St Joseph Co, is turned back to local control. | |
| 1953 – A western US-131 bypass of Three Rivers is completed in mid-1953. The formerly concurrent US-131/M-60 segment via W Michigan Ave from downtown westerly becomes BUS US-131/M-60, as the former US-131 through downtown is redesignated as BUS US-131. | |
| 1953 (Nov 5) – A 10-mile westerly extension of the US-12 "Jackson North Belt" bypass is completed and opened to traffic from M-50 northwest of downtown Jackson westerly to the existing route of US-12 along Michigan Ave west of Parma (at present-day Exit 128). With the associated routing changes in the Jackson area, M-60 is extended northerly from its eastern terminus at West Ave & W Michigan Ave northerly along N West Ave concurrently with US-127, M-50 and (the newly-designated) BUS US-12 to a new terminus at the US-12 Jackson North Belt (at present-day I-94 Exit 138). | |
| 1956 (Sept) – The first 3.3 miles of the US-112/M-60 "Niles Bypass" around the south side of Niles in southeastern Berrien Co is completed and opened to traffic. The bypass is completed from Chicago Rd near Portage Rd southwest of Niles and continues easterly to an interchange with US-31/US-33 at S 11th St. Through US-112 and M-60 traffic is routed northerly from the temporary eastern end of the bypass via US-31/US-33/S Eleventh St back into Niles to the existing routes of M-60 (along Oak St) and US-112 (along E Main St). The former route of US-112/M-60 into Niles from the west along Main St, Lincoln Ave (including the St Joseph St–Grant St one-way couplet) and Chicago Rd is redesignated as BUS US-112/BUS M-60. | |
| 1956 (Dec 1) – The remainder of the US-112/M-60 "Niles Bypass" around the southeastern side of Niles in southeastern Berrien and southwestern Cass Counties is completed and opened to traffic. This completes the entirety of the Niles Bypass after the first three miles were completed and opened to traffic in September. From the US-31/US-33 interchange south of Niles, the US-112/M-60 bypass continues easterly and northeasterly into Cass Co to an at-grade intersection with existing US-112, which continues easterly toward Edwardsburg. Tbe bypass continues northeasterly as just M-60 back to the existing M-60 at Yankee St east of Niles. The remainder of the former routes of US-112 (along E Main St) and M-60 (along Oak St–Yankee St) are designated as parts of the BUS US-112 and BUS M-60 routes, respectively. | |
| 1957 (June 17) – In 1953, the State Highway Dept purchased the right-of-way of the former Michigan Central RR line heading southwesterly out of Three Rivers between US-131 and the route of M-60 just west of Arthur L Jones Rd to use as a more direct alignment into Three Rivers. The 3.55-mile alignment is established as a state trunkline highway route on this date and the former route along Gleason Rd easterly to US-131 is turned back to county jurisdiction. | |
| 1957 (June 24) – The 6.287-mile long US-112/M-60 "Niles Bypass" around the City of Niles in southeastern Berrien and southwestern Cass Counties is officially established as a state trunkline route, although the lion's share of it was opened to traffic the previous September and November. | |
| 1957 (Aug 4), 1958 – The State Highway Dept orders a flashing beacon ("blinker light") installed at the at-grade jct of US-112 & M-60 southeast of Niles at the newly-completed Niles Bypass due to the occurrence of numerous automobile accidents at the intersection since the opening of the bypass. Three persons died and 77 were injured in collisions at the intersection in 1957–58 and is rated as the most dangerous on the entire 9,300-mile state trunkline system in 1958. The State Highway Dept designs a fully grade-separated interchange at the junction in 1958, put it out for bids on October 7, with completion set for October 31, 1960. | |
| 1957 – A curious 1.6-mile long "bypass," of sorts, is constructed along M-60 at the eastern M-99 junction east of Homer and south of Albion, although the new roadway is only used by westbound M-60 (and, west of 28 Mile Rd, by southbound M-99) traffic only, with eastbound M-60 (and, west of 28 Mile Rd, northbound M-99) traffic remaining on the original 1923 alignment of M-60. The reasons for this rather unique arrangement have not yet been ascertained. | |
| 1958 (July 29–Aug 1) – A western M-60 bypass of Jackson opens as a fully-controlled access freeway on August 1. The new freeway bypass begins at existing M-60/Spring Arbor Rd (between Reynolds & Robinson Rds) southwest of downtown Jackson and proceeds due northerly to end at the I-94/US-12 "Jackson North Belt" freeway northwest of Jackson. For the last mile of the new freeway, a newly-extended BUS US-12 is co-signed with M-60. The formerly concurrent US-127/M-50/M-60 along West Ave becomes just US-127/M-50. The new 3.239-mile M-60 freeway was officially established as a state trunkline three days prior on July 29, the same day the 3.906-mile portion of the former M-60 along Spring Arbor Rd and Morrell St is cancelled and turned back to county and city control. (The four blocks of Brown St along the Jackson west city limit from Spring Arbor Rd northerly to W Michigan Ave which had previously been signed as part of M-60 are also cancelled as an unsigned trunkline route and turned back to local control.) |
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| 1960 – With the redesignation of all BUS US-12 routings west of Ann Arbor as BL I-94 designations, the concurrent M-60/BUS US-12 routing west of Jackson becomes M-60/BL I-94. | |
| 1960 (Sept 2) – The partial cloverleaf interchange at jct US-112 & M-60 southeast of Niles replacing what had been the most dangerous intersection on the state trunkline system (two years running!) is completed and opened to traffic. | |
| 1961 (Jan) – All of US-112 in Michigan is redesignated as a major rerouting of US-12, and the 27-mile concurrent US-112/M-60 designation from New Buffalo to Niles becomes US-12/M-60. | |
| 1965 – The newly-extended M-66 (this portion was M-78 until this year) is rerouted along M-60 from just east of Mendon in St Joseph Co to just south of Athens in extreme northwest Branch Co. | |
| 1966 – The 31-year concurrent designation with US-112 (and later US-12) from New Buffalo to Niles is ended as M-60 is scaled back to end at jct US-12 & BUS US-12 southeast of downtown Niles. BUS M-60 is also scaled back to end at BUS US-12 on the east side of downtown Niles, becoming a spur route from M-60. (The former BUS US-12/BUS M-60 concurrency becomes just BUS US-12.) | |
| 1990 (Aug 17) – When a sharp turn in the route of M-60/Detroit Rd at Barron Lake in southwest Cass Co (east of Niles) was bypassed in 1957 with a wider, gentler curve—at the same time the highway was converted to a four-lane divided facility—a portion of the former route of M-60 was obliterated as a public roadway, while a short, 561-foot long (0.110 mile) section remained from Lake Shore Dr easterly as an access roadway for two properties. This segment is now officially cancelled as an (unsigned) state trunkline route via obliteration. The service drive pavement is removed and any private driveways on the roadway are extended to intersect M-60 directly. |
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| Controlled Access: | The sole portion of M-60 existing as a freeway runs from Spring Arbor Rd southwest of Jackson to I-94 at Exit 136 northwest of Jackson. (3.239 miles) |
| M-60 is a limited-access expressway from its western terminus at US-12 to its junction with BUS M-60 southeast of Niles. (1.9 miles) | |
| NHS: | Three segments of M-60 are on the National Highway System (NHS):
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| Business Connection: | BUS M-60 – Niles. From M-60 east of Niles to M-51 in downtown Niles. |
| Memorial Highway: | The following Memorial Highway designation has been officially assigned to a part of M-60 by the Michigan Legislature:
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