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M-22 & M-109 junction route signage in Glen Arbor, Michigan
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Former M-110
M-111 Route Marker On to Next Route:
Historic US-112
M-111 is a former state trunkline route existing 1.) from January 3, 1928 until Late 1938,
and 2.) from Late 1938 or Early 1939 until Mid 1940.
Southern Terminus*:    US-41/M-26 at Phoenix south of Eagle River in Keweenaw Co.
Northern Terminus*:    Downtown Eagle River
Final Length*: 2.3 miles
Maps: New! 2024-03 Route Map of Former M-111
Notes: * The termini and final length for M-111 reflect the beginning and ending of the route and its length as of the time of its most recent decommissioning in mid 1940.
  The route designation M-111 has had two different iterations in the history of the Michigan State Trunkline Highway system over the decades. The first—and longest lasting—iteration was for a decade and served as a connector between US-23 northwest of Bay City and Bay City State Park. It ran along present-day State Park Dr and was replaced by an extension of M-47 in late 1938. The second iteration debuted very soon after the end of the first, this time along a short spur route in Keweenaw Co. This most recent version of M-111 existed form late 1938 (or early 1939) until mid-1940 and connected US-41/M-26 at Phoenix with Eagle River, the county seat of Keweenaw Co. The second iteration of M-111 replaced the M-6 designation along the short, 2.3-mile long route and, itself, was replaced by a rerouted M-26 in 1940. The M-111 route designation has not been used on any highway since.
  The first iteration of M-111 serving Bay City State Park was initially 2.8 (or 2.99) miles in length, eventually extended to 4.37 miles in total. The second iteration of M-111 in Keweenaw Co measured 2.3 miles long, unchanged for its entire short existence.
  An even earlier iteration of M-111 was proposed but likely never signed as such. In the mid-1920s, construction on the "Ann Arbor Cut-off," a southerly bypass of the Ann Arbor business district—known today as Stadium Blvd—gets underway. Internal State Highway Dept maps indicate the cut-off was to be designated as M-111. However, by the time it was completed and opened to traffic, the bypass route was given the M-17 designation as an extension of the route running between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.
  SPUR M-111. Internal State Highway Dept maps indicate the segment of Old Kawkawlin Rd between M-111/State Park Dr and M-47/Euclid Rd (present-day M-247) northwest of Bay City was originally intended to be designated SPUR M-111 once the M-29 designation was removed in c.1932–34. Instead, Old Kawkawlin Rd from M-111 northwesterly to Kawkawlin was turned back to local control on Jan 7, 1935 and it is likely SPUR M-111 was never signed in the field.
History: 1928 (Jan 3) – A new 2.8 mile long state trunkline highway route is officially established in Bay Co beginning at US-23 at the cnr of present-day Old Kawkawlin Rd & State Park Dr, then continuing northerly along State Park Dr to Bay City State Park and the Saginaw Bay shoreline where the new route terminates. This new state highway is designated as M-111. Although the official length given for the new trunkline on State Highway Dept determination maps is 2.8 miles, official highway stationing calculations put the total length of M-111 at 2.99 miles.
  1931 (July 1) – On the July 1, 1931 edition of the State Highway Dept's official Highway Service Map, the M-111 designation is shown extended southerly along US-23/Henry St from its former southern terminus to a new terminus at M-20/Midland St (at the jct of US-23 & M-20) on the west side of Bay City. This is likely done in preparation for the impending changes to the route of US-23 in the Bay City area.
  1932 (May 1) – On the May 1, 1932 edition of the State Highway Dept's official Highway Service Map, M-111 has been retracted to its previous southern terminus, with the M-29 designation (which utilizes its present-day routing south of Port Huron as well as all of modern-day M-25 around the periphery of the entire Thumb of Michigan into downtown Bay City) extended from its former terminus downtown with US-23 northerly from Center Ave via Washington Ave to Third St, westerly via Third St and Midland St to Henry St. M-29 then turns northerly along Henry St (which had been depicted as M-111 on maps starting in 1931) to Old Kawkawlin Rd where M-29 veers northwesterly to follow the former route of US-23 along Old Kawkawlin Rd.
  1932 (Oct 29) – The 2.4-mile long segment of Euclid Rd from M-29/Old Kawkawlin Rd northerly to the Detroit & Mackinac RR northwest of Bay City along with one mile of roadway running generally parallel to the Saginaw Bay shoreline between Euclid Rd and State Park Dr (the present-day Bay City State Rec Area Visitor Center parking area, in part, and part of modern-day State Park Dr) are both transferred to state control and designated as a northerly extension of M-47. Now, M-47 proceeds northerly passing Bay City to the west along Euclid Rd all the way to the state park, then turns and angles southeasterly through the park to the northern terminus of M-111.
  1933 – With the redesignation of M-29 between Port Austin and Kawkawlin as M-25 (due to the extension of US-25 from Port Huron to Port Austin), M-111 now begins at M-25 at the cnr of State Park Dr & (Old) Kawkawlin Rd.
  1935 (Jan 7) – The pre-1932 route of US-23 (re-designated as an extension of M-29 and then, in 1933, redesignated as M-25) along Old Kawkawlin Rd from State Park Dr northwesterly through Kawkawlin to US-23 (present-day M-13) north of Beaver Rd is turned back to local control. The segment of Henry St south of Old Kawkawlin Rd is retained as a state trunkline highway, however. M-111 is (re-)extended southerly along Henry St into Bay City from Old Kawkawlin Rd to a new terminus at US-23/M-20/Midland St west of downtown, adding 1.38 miles to the length of M-111. The route is now 4.37 miles long.
  Late 1938/Early 1939 – The State Highway Dept initiates a wholesale renumbering of all state trunkline routes bearing single-digit route designations (e.g. M-4, M-5, M-6, etc.), possibly to reserve those low number designations for a future set of superhighways being contemplated for the state. Wether the two events are directly related or merely coincidental, the department first redesignates all of M-111 in the Bay City area as an extension of M-47, then redesignates the existing route of M-6 in Keweenaw Co as a new M-111 routing. At Bay City, M-47 now heads northerly along the western edge of the city via Euclid Ave northerly to Beaver Rd (as it had previously), then turns easterly along State Park Dr before bending back southerly along State Park Dr (previously M-111) to run parallel to the Euclid Ave alignment one mile to the east before ending at M-20/Midland St in Bay City. M-47 at Bay City is now a n upside-down "U-shaped" route. Within several months, the entirety of M-6 spur trunkline route from US-41/M-26 at Phoenix to downtown Eagle River (the present day route of M-26) is redesignated as M-111.
  Mid 1940 – Although not yet officially transferred to state control, official highway maps show M-26 in Keweenaw Co as being rerouted via Sand Dunes Dr between Eagle Harbor and Eagle River, then back to US-41 at Phoenix via M-111. This new alignment of M-26 is likely "Marked and Maintained" at this point pending the actual transfer, however it also means the M-111 route markers are likely replaced by M-26 markers, signalling and end to the second iteration of M-111 after just 12–18 months of existence.
  1940 (Nov 12) – The trunkline route changes in Keweenaw Co depicted on official maps during the summer are made official as Sand Dunes Dr between Eagle Harbor and Eagle River is officially transferred to state control and Eagle Harbor Rd (Eagle Harbor Cutoff) between US-41 west of Central and Eagle Harbor is transferred to county control.
Controlled Access: No portion of former M-111 upon decommissioning existed as freeway or expressway.
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