Michigan Notes

[JREwing78]

There is also the 4-way stop at M-55 and M-37 near Wellston where both roads are 65 mph on each side of the intersection. I found it hard to believe that M-55/M-65 has a full stoplight until I looked at the intersection in Street View

There's a 4-way stop posted for 65 in all four directions at M-28 and M-123 near Eckerman in the U.P.. There's another at Bruce Crossing (M-28 at US-45) - thought I would argue that one should be posted for 40 or 45 mph approaching the 4-way stop.

[codeGR]

MDOT says they had to reroute M-43 north on US-131 because of federal continuity rules.
https://wwmt.com/news/local/portion-of-m-43-re-designated-to-m-343-after-mdot-hands-over-road-to-kalamazoo

[codeGR]

WB I-196 in GR over the Grand River was reopened this morning, around 9:15am. MDOT posted a video with some nice shots of the bridge and new signage.

[Flint1979]

MDOT says they had to reroute M-43 north on US-131 because of federal continuity rules.
https://wwmt.com/news/local/portion-of-m-43-re-designated-to-m-343-after-mdot-hands-over-road-to-kalamazoo

Still doesn't make much sense.

[Revive 755]

MDOT says they had to reroute M-43 north on US-131 because of federal continuity rules.

What "federal continuity rules"?  I'm not buying it so far.  If such rules existed and are/were enforced, I think there would be more numbering changes in Indiana.

[Flint1979]

It makes sense that routes are made to connect places but M-43 has always had a strange route. And now MDOT is into making spur routes and keeping the number scheme like the US or Interstate spur routes? M-343? I don't understand why it's not just an unnumbered route. Give it back to Kalamazoo County and go from there. This whole M-43 reroute in Kalamazoo was pointless.

[ftballfan]

It makes sense that routes are made to connect places but M-43 has always had a strange route. And now MDOT is into making spur routes and keeping the number scheme like the US or Interstate spur routes? M-343? I don't understand why it's not just an unnumbered route. Give it back to Kalamazoo County and go from there. This whole M-43 reroute in Kalamazoo was pointless.

This is only happening because of Kalamazoo being greedy and wanting all non-freeway roads within city limits under their control. IMHO, M-43 should just end at M-89 near Richland, with the segment between South Haven and Kalamazoo getting a new number (there are plenty of 2-digit #'s available, such as 56, 70, 74, 76, 87, and 92).

MDOT has a history of putting 3-digit routes near its parent 2-digit route:
M-120 (starts at M-20 in Hesperia; a majority of the route is an old alignment of M-20)
M-137 (runs parallel to M-37 near Interlochen)
M-179 (would be M-79 if a three-way concurrency wasn't required through Hastings)
M-227 (runs mostly along a stretch of Old US-27 near Marshall)
M-231 (runs parallel to and relieves US-31 in the Grand Haven area)
M-294 (starts at I-94 and runs a very short distance in Battle Creek)
Former M-331 (ran along old US-131 (Westnedge Ave) in south Kalamazoo)
The aforementioned M-343

[ce929wax]

^I'd rather M-43 end at M-89 and the old M-43 from Richland to South Haven be another number than what MDOT is doing now.

[Flint1979]

M-20 does something simular near Big Rapids. M-20 turns to follow US-131 north to Big Rapids so that M-20 serves Big Rapids. However there is a shortcut that if you went east past 131, made one left turn, then a right you'll meet back up with M-20 on the other side of the Canadian Lakes area.

I did this as I was coming back from Ludington and did not want to use US-10.

[ftballfan]

M-20 does something simular near Big Rapids. M-20 turns to follow US-131 north to Big Rapids so that M-20 serves Big Rapids. However there is a shortcut that if you went east past 131, made one left turn, then a right you'll meet back up with M-20 on the other side of the Canadian Lakes area.

I did this as I was coming back from Ludington and did not want to use US-10.

Years ago, M-20 used to stairstep from Muskegon to Big Rapids via Holton, Fremont, and White Cloud. In the late 60s or early 70s, M-20 was realigned to run west from White Cloud to New Era along an upgraded county road to Hesperia and M-82 to New Era (M-82 was truncated to Hesperia (and later to where it meets M-120 west of Fremont) and M-120 was designated on former M-20 from Hesperia to Muskegon; the former M-20 between White Cloud and Fremont was turned over to Newaygo County). Around 2000, M-20 was moved from its stairstep route between White Cloud and Big Rapids to a nearly straight shot (there are a pair of 90 degree turns toward the east end) to US-131 near Stanwood.

[JREwing78]

Lansing's own truck-eating bridge strikes again. This one was a doozy!
https://www.wlns.com/news/local-news/semi-stuck-under-bridge-near-potter-park

[GaryV]

Lansing's own truck-eating bridge strikes again. This one was a doozy!

Is that the 12'0" marked RR bridge?

[Flint1979]

M-20 does something simular near Big Rapids. M-20 turns to follow US-131 north to Big Rapids so that M-20 serves Big Rapids. However there is a shortcut that if you went east past 131, made one left turn, then a right you'll meet back up with M-20 on the other side of the Canadian Lakes area.

I did this as I was coming back from Ludington and did not want to use US-10.

Years ago, M-20 used to stairstep from Muskegon to Big Rapids via Holton, Fremont, and White Cloud. In the late 60s or early 70s, M-20 was realigned to run west from White Cloud to New Era along an upgraded county road to Hesperia and M-82 to New Era (M-82 was truncated to Hesperia (and later to where it meets M-120 west of Fremont) and M-120 was designated on former M-20 from Hesperia to Muskegon; the former M-20 between White Cloud and Fremont was turned over to Newaygo County). Around 2000, M-20 was moved from its stairstep route between White Cloud and Big Rapids to a nearly straight shot (there are a pair of 90 degree turns toward the east end) to US-131 near Stanwood.

I knew M-120 was associated with M-20. Years ago M-120 was part of a three state continuation with Indiana and ohio which still have their parts. I discovered it one night when I was on the Michigan part and thought I was traveling east turns out I was traveling south east and into Ohio.  I thought to myself did I just cross the Ohio line?

[Flint1979]

Lansing's own truck-eating bridge strikes again. This one was a doozy!

Is that the 12'0" marked RR bridge?

Yup that's the one on Pennsylvania Avenue.

[JREwing78]

It likes to flood out too, just for fun:

https://twitter.com/lsjnews/status/504367993040949249

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

(With the caveat that M-Dot is presently working on this location)
What was the original intention of this intersection?
(M60 & US 131, SW of Three Rivers)
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9278395,-85.6560508,1103m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&authuser=0
I found this to be an odd design when I drove through there today.

[GaryV]

^
A fly-over that doesn't "fly"?  Combined with a left entrance.  Granted, both lanes continue; there's no merge.

M-60 goes through Three Rivers with a short concurrency of US-131.  Evidently when it was built they decided that M-60 traffic wasn't enough to warrant a full interchange - not even a traffic light.

[Terry Shea]

WB I-196 in GR over the Grand River was reopened this morning, around 9:15am. MDOT posted a video with some nice shots of the bridge and new signage.

This project seems like a total waste of time and money.  Yeah there was a lane drop...and there's still a lane drop before you get to the next interchange at US-131!  Since they had the freeway closed down to Lane Ave and had to WB exit off from US-131 closed for quite some time too, why not extend the lane to Lane Ave or further?  They're probably going to have to do that in the near future anyway.

[JREwing78]

(With the caveat that M-Dot is presently working on this location)
What was the original intention of this intersection?
(M60 & US 131, SW of Three Rivers)
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9278395,-85.6560508,1103m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&authuser=0
I found this to be an odd design when I drove through there today.

That stretch of US-131 was built before MDOT was gung-ho about making all divided highways freeway (similar as US-31 between Holland and Grand Haven, US-127 between St. Johns and Ithaca, etc.). Had it been built 10 years later, US-131 would've been built as freeway south from Portage, and the intersection(s) at M-60 would have likely been built as a full freeway interchange.

US-127 between Mason and Jackson was built similarly in the mid-'50s, then later converted to full freeway in the late 60's.

[Flint1979]

(With the caveat that M-Dot is presently working on this location)
What was the original intention of this intersection?
(M60 & US 131, SW of Three Rivers)
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9278395,-85.6560508,1103m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&authuser=0
I found this to be an odd design when I drove through there today.

That stretch of US-131 was built before MDOT was gung-ho about making all divided highways freeway (similar as US-31 between Holland and Grand Haven, US-127 between St. Johns and Ithaca, etc.). Had it been built 10 years later, US-131 would've been built as freeway south from Portage, and the intersection(s) at M-60 would have likely been built as a full freeway interchange.

US-127 between Mason and Jackson was built similarly in the mid-'50s, then later converted to full freeway in the late 60's.

Kind of ironic. I was on US-127 between Mason and Jackson when you posted this.

[ftballfan]

MDOT says they had to reroute M-43 north on US-131 because of federal continuity rules.
https://wwmt.com/news/local/portion-of-m-43-re-designated-to-m-343-after-mdot-hands-over-road-to-kalamazoo

Still doesn't make much sense.

IMHO, M-43 should have taken over M-179 to US-131, which is a shorter route than its route to Richland and then back up to Plainwell.

Drove all of M-343 yesterday and it definitely warrants a state highway number. However, the turn off old M-43 (Riverview Dr) onto M-343 (Gull Rd) is poorly signed

[Flint1979]

MDOT says they had to reroute M-43 north on US-131 because of federal continuity rules.
https://wwmt.com/news/local/portion-of-m-43-re-designated-to-m-343-after-mdot-hands-over-road-to-kalamazoo

Still doesn't make much sense.

IMHO, M-43 should have taken over M-179 to US-131, which is a shorter route than its route to Richland and then back up to Plainwell.

Drove all of M-343 yesterday and it definitely warrants a state highway number. However, the turn off old M-43 (Riverview Dr) onto M-343 (Gull Rd) is poorly signed

I was on it briefly last Saturday. If it took over M-179 than does M-43 south of M-179 become M-89 or M-343?

[The Ghostbuster]

I have checked with "the notorious" Google Maps. M-343 is shown, but M-43 is not shown along its new co-designation with M-89, nor along its new co-designation with US 131. It still shows M-43 along W. Main St. east of US 131 (until Michigan Ave.). Google Maps also shows both directions of Business US 131 beginning/terminating at W. Kalamazoo Ave instead of beginning/ending at W. Dunkley St. Business Interstate 94 is still shown in its entirety.

[ftballfan]

MDOT says they had to reroute M-43 north on US-131 because of federal continuity rules.
https://wwmt.com/news/local/portion-of-m-43-re-designated-to-m-343-after-mdot-hands-over-road-to-kalamazoo

Still doesn't make much sense.

IMHO, M-43 should have taken over M-179 to US-131, which is a shorter route than its route to Richland and then back up to Plainwell.

Drove all of M-343 yesterday and it definitely warrants a state highway number. However, the turn off old M-43 (Riverview Dr) onto M-343 (Gull Rd) is poorly signed

I was on it briefly last Saturday. If it took over M-179 than does M-43 south of M-179 become M-89 or M-343?

This whole charade would have been avoided if MDOT had just given M-43 between South Haven and Kalamazoo a new number

[GaryV]

MDOT says they had to reroute M-43 north on US-131 because of federal continuity rules.
https://wwmt.com/news/local/portion-of-m-43-re-designated-to-m-343-after-mdot-hands-over-road-to-kalamazoo

Still doesn't make much sense.

IMHO, M-43 should have taken over M-179 to US-131, which is a shorter route than its route to Richland and then back up to Plainwell.

Drove all of M-343 yesterday and it definitely warrants a state highway number. However, the turn off old M-43 (Riverview Dr) onto M-343 (Gull Rd) is poorly signed

I was on it briefly last Saturday. If it took over M-179 than does M-43 south of M-179 become M-89 or M-343?

This whole charade would have been avoided if MDOT had just given M-43 between South Haven and Kalamazoo a new number

Say maybe, M-343?