| Western Terminus: |
M-37 six miles north of Buckley and six miles south of Chums Corners in southwestern Grand Traverse Co |
| Eastern Terminus: |
US-131 at Walton (Junction), 4 miles south of Fife Lake in southeastern Grand Traverse Co |
| Length: |
 16.573 miles |
| Maps: |
 Route Map of M-113 |
| Notes: |
M-113 is a short but key connecting route in Northwest Michigan, serving as the primary conduit for Traverse City-bound traffic from the US-131 corridor heading north from Cadillac. This is evidenced by the traffic volume on US-131 north of the M-113 junction is approximately one-third less than it is south of the junction. From US-131, Traverse City-area bound traffic will either use M-113 in its entirety, connecting with M-37 and US-31 heading north into the western part of the metro area, or turning northerly off M-113 at Kingsley to access the East Bay area. |
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From 1927 until
1939, the northern terminus of US-131 was
located at the present-day jct of M-113 & M-186 west
of Fife Lake. At that time, the present-day US-131 corridor
northerly from M-113 toward Petoskey was designated M-131. In that period,
long-range plans existed to extend US-131 north-northwesterly
on new alignment to meet its parent route, US-31,
east of Traverse City, near Acme. Until 1939, US-131 did
not come in contact with US-31 at
all! |
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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 the following changes to the route of M-113 during that timeframe:
- Extending M-113 from its eastern terminus at US-131 for less than one mile to meet up with a proposed US-131 freeway running roughly parallel to the existing route, but passing south and east of Fife Lake rather than west and north of it. Obviously, since the US-131 freeway proposal was never implemented in this area, M-113 was never extended to meet it.
 By far, however, the greatest suggested change was to finally construct the original US-131 extension between the Fife Lake area and Acme, but as a two-lane M-113 route instead. M-113 would continue northerly from the 90° turn approximately ½ mile north of the M-186 junction, then gradually bend to the west, passing between Rennie and Island Lakes before curving back to north to intersect the proposed US-31 & M-72 freeways at an interchange in the midst of the present-day VASA Pathway system. Existing M-113 from the 90° westerly through Kingsley to M-37 would, assumedly, become a western extension of M-186. (See map at right.) Along with the proposed US-31 and M-72 freeways, this proposal would never come to fruition. |
| History: |
1927
(Nov 21) –
A new, 12.5-mile long state trunkline, designated M-113, is commissioned
in southern Grand Traverse Co, from M-42 (present-day M-37) on
the west, easterly through Kingsley to jct US-131 & M-131 on the east, near Fife Lake (at present-day jct M-113 & M-186). |
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1938 (May/June) – As no progress has been made in over a decade on finally connecting US-131 up with its "parent" route by completing the portion of the route from jct US-131, M-113 & M-131 (present-day jct M-113 & M-186) west of Fife Lake northerly to US-31 near Acme northeast of Traverse City, the State Highway Dept decides to route the US-131 designation along M-113 westerly through Kingsley to M-42 (present-day M-37), then northerly concurrently with M-42 to a new terminus at US-31 in Chums Corners south of Traverse City. As such, the first iteration of the route of M-113 comes to a close, although the absence of M-113 would prove to be quite temporary. |
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1939 (Summer) – By mid-1939, the State Highway Dept reverses its thinking on the northern end of US-131, removing it from the former route of M-113 through Kingsley and M-42 to US-31 at Chums Corners and, instead, chooses to supplant the vast majority of the similarly-designated M-131 from west of Fife Lake north-northeasterly through Kalkaska, Mancelona and Boyne Falls to a new terminus for US-131 at US-31 on the west side of Petoskey. (The remainder of M-131 through Petoskey and around Little Traverse Bay to Harbor Springs remains signed as M-131.) It is unclear whether US-131 route markers ever replaced the M-113 signs along that route or if they were placed concurrently or even never erected at all. In any event, by the end of 1939, M-113 is restored to its 1927–1938 routing. |
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1940 (Aug
17) – Nearly five miles of new state trunkline alignment are assumed
into the system when US-131 is officially determined via its present-day
route between Walton Junction and the jct with present-day M-186 on the
western edge of Fife Lake. The former route of US-131 from Walton
northerly 4 miles is redesignated as a southerly extension of M-113, while the east-west
segment from M-113 easterly to the new alignment on the west edge of Fife
Lake receives a brand-new route designation: M-186. |
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1945 (June 26) – The 1.1-mile long segment of M-113 through the community of Walton in southeastern Grand Traverse Co is bypassed by a new 0.2-mile long connection between present-day Union St and the new US-131 alignment opened in 1940. The former route of M-113 along Union St through Walton is turned back to county control. The net loss to the length of M-113 is 0.9 miles. |
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1979 (June 1) – A new angling "cut-off" route is determined as
a state trunkline, beginning on M-113 just east of Hodge Rd (5 miles east
of Kingsley) and trending slightly southeasterly, crossing the existing M-113
approximately ¼ mile north of the M-186 junction and ending on M-186 approximately
1 mile east of M-113 (1½ miles west of US-131 at Fife Lake). Four decades
later, this realignment has yet to be built and may have been removed from
the books at some point during the 1990s. |
| Controlled Access: |
No portion of M-113 exists as freeway or expressway. |
| NHS: |
No portion of M-113 is on the National Highway System (NHS). |
| Memorial Highway: |
At present, no portion of M-113 has been designated as part of a Memorial Highway. |
| Photographs: |
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| Weblinks: |
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