| M-178 is a former state trunkline route existing from Late 1934 until July 1, 1941. |
| Southern Terminus*: |
M-28 at present-day western jct of M-28 & M-94 near Alger Falls south of Munising |
| Northern Terminus*: |
M-94 at present-day jct of M-28 & H-58 at cnr of Cedar St & E Munising Ave in Munising |
| Final Length*: |
0.7 mile |
| Maps: |
Route Map of Former M-178 |
| Notes: |
*The termini and final length for M-178 reflect the beginning and ending of the route and its length as of the time of its decommissioning on Jult 1, 1941. |
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In the late 1920s, M-28 traversed central Alger Co along the present-day route of M-94, while M-94 was a spur trunkline route beginning at M-28 at the present-day western jct of those two routes south of Munising and continued northerly into Munising, then continued westerly through Christmas toward Au Train. In 1928, a new trunkline loop route between Munising and Shingleton was created (along present-day H-58 and H-15) and the M-94 designation was assigned to that loop. This resulted in a 7/10 mile long state trunkline between M-28 south of Munising and M-94 in Munising without a route designation, thus M-178 was born. Extensions of M-94 along the Lake Superior shoreline westerly from Au Train past Rock River and Deerton and into Marquette Co progressed until the route was completed to US-41/M-28 in Harvey in 1939. The State Highway Dept swapped the routes of M-28 (running along present-day M-94 between Munising and Skandia, then concurrently with US-41 from Skandia through Marquette and westerly) and M-94 (utilizing present-day M-28 from Munising to Harvey) for the benefit of the motoring public, as the M-94 route between Munising and Marquette was six miles shorter than staying on what was then signed as M-28. This swap resulted in M-28 and M-94 both traversing the 0.7-mile long route of M-178, resulting in that designation's retirement. The M-178 designation has not been used again since on any highway in Michigan. |
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Only two blocks of the route followed by M-178 during its entire 13-year existence is shared with today's routing of M-28 at Munising: the segment from jct H-58 at E Munising Ave southerly along Cedar St to Onota St. The segment of M-28 from Onota St to Prospect St was constructed in the late 1940s. M-178, instead, continued southerly along Cedar St, then easterly along Prospect to the jct of M-28 at present-day M-28 and Prospect St. |
| History: |
1927 (Apr 28)  – The 0.7 mile of Cedar St (E Munising Ave to Prospect St) and Prospect St (Cedar St to existing M-25 [which would become part of M-28 in a couple months]) is officially established as a state trunkline highway route. Indications are, however, this route is signed as part of M-94. |
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1928 (May 14) – A 13.6-mile long state trunkline route is officially established in Alger Co beginning at M-94 at the cnr of Munising Ave & Cedar St in Munising and continuing easterly via present-day H-58 for 9.2 miles to Van Meer, then southerly along present-day H-15 for 4.4 miles to the jct of M-28 & M-94 in Shingleton. The western two-thirds of this new route (Munising–Van Meer) follows a portion of highway which had been previously established as M-94 until October 1925. However, the new Munising–Van Meer–Shingleton loop (today's H-58 and H-15) is designated as M-123 on internal State Highway Dept maps, although it is likely not signed as such since construction on this segment is still underway, however. |
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 1934 (Late)  – By the end of 1934, when a new alignment for M-28 is completed and opened to traffic between Wetmore and the Alger Falls area south of Munising, the nearly-¾ mile stretch of trunkline along Cedar and Prospect Sts in Munising between M-94 at Munising Ave and M-28 at Cemetery Rd on the southern edge of the city, previously not having its own route designation and acting as a connector between those two routes, is now assigned the M-178 route designation. The M-178 designation is then extended southerly for 0.64 mile along what had been part of M-28 from Prospect St to the new M-28 alignment (at the present-day jct of M-28 & M-94 at Alger Falls). |
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1935 (Oct 22, Nov 8) – While the new alignment for M-28 between Wetmore and Alger Falls south of Munising opened to traffic in late 1934, the changes associated with the project are made official on October 22 when the former 2.8-mile route between Wetmore and Munising via Knox St, Balko St, Alger Heights Rd, Cemetery Rd, and Prospect St is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control. The new 2.182-mile route of M-28 (Wetmore to Alger Falls) and M-178 (Alger Falls north to Prospect St) is officially established as a trunkline route on November 8. |
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1941 (July 1) – The routes of M-94 and M-28 west of Munising are swapped, a change ordered by State Highway Commissioner G. Donald Kennedy "for the benefit of through traffic on M-28, a route which extends the length of the Upper Peninsula." The length of M-28 is now six miles shorter verus the route via Skandia, Sundell, Eben, Chatham and Forest Lake, while the overall length of M-94 is also shortened by six miles. The western terminus of M-94, formerly at Harvey south of Marquette, is relocated to US-41 southeast of Skandia. At Munising, M-94 turns southerly via Cedar St, supplanting the M-178 designation to a jct with M-28 at Alger Falls south of Munising where it now turns westerly following the former route of M-28 through Chatham to US-41 near Skandia. Similarly, M-28 now continues northerly, concurrently with M-94 (along the former M-178), from Alger Falls into Munsing, where it turns westerly at Munising Ave to replace M-94 through Christmas and past Au Train and Deerton to Harvey where it continues with US-41 through Marquette, Ishpeming, Negaunee and westerly. As such, the M-178 designation is retired and its 13-year history comes to a close. |
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