Michigan Notes

[Flint1979]

Construction on the Mackinac Bridge has it all messed up up there. It took about 15 minutes to cross that thing today.

[Rothman]

Construction on the Mackinac Bridge has it all messed up up there. It took about 15 minutes to cross that thing today.

The construction is needed.  Those approaches were horrible when I drove over it a few weeks ago.

[GaryV]

The legislature approved carpool lanes on I-75 in Oakland County. Awaiting the gov's signature. This was a condition of some federal funding to expand from 3 to 4 lanes in each direction.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/03/house-gives-final-ok-to-bills-creating-carpool-lanes-on-i-75/70991826007/

[NWI_Irish96]

I noticed yesterday that in Burlington, there is no signage along M-60 marking the intersection with M-311. If I hadn't been using GPS navigation, I'd have missed it.

[Flint1979]

Construction on the Mackinac Bridge has it all messed up up there. It took about 15 minutes to cross that thing today.

The construction is needed.  Those approaches were horrible when I drove over it a few weeks ago.

I drive over the bridge probably 30 times a year and never noticed anything wrong with the approaches.

[Flint1979]

The legislature approved carpool lanes on I-75 in Oakland County. Awaiting the gov's signature. This was a condition of some federal funding to expand from 3 to 4 lanes in each direction.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/03/house-gives-final-ok-to-bills-creating-carpool-lanes-on-i-75/70991826007/

Yep as usual instead of widening it like it should be let's put in some lanes that only select cars can use or in the case of the flex lanes lets put in a lane that can only be used at certain times of the day. That's Michigan trying to cut corners again as usual. Having I-75 at 6 lanes in Oakland County is severely under capacity it should be 8-10 lanes. It really seems that Michigan's freeways lack an extra lane when it's needed and then they throw this part time crap at us.

[Flint1979]

I noticed yesterday that in Burlington, there is no signage along M-60 marking the intersection with M-311. If I hadn't been using GPS navigation, I'd have missed it.

I just notified MDOT on that one.

[ITB]

Yesterday, the popular YouTube channel, FSC Trucking, uploaded a video showcasing a crossing of the Mackinac Bridge. For those unfamiliar with the channel, it follows the life of trucker Steve Feszchak and his 1984 cabover truck, named Orwell. The video is well done and well worth a watch.

[Flint1979]

Yesterday, the popular YouTube channel, FSC Trucking, uploaded a video showcasing a crossing of the Mackinac Bridge. For those unfamiliar with the channel, it follows the life of trucker Steve Feszchak and his 1984 cabover truck, named Orwell. The video is well done and well worth a watch.

I stopped listening after he mispronounced Mackinac.

[ITB]

I stopped listening after he mispronounced Mackinac.

Well, let's give him a break, as he's from Wisconsin. And, I myself, have been wondering about the correct pronunciation. Is it MAK-e-nac or MAK-e-naw?

[Flint1979]

I stopped listening after he mispronounced Mackinac.

Well, let's give him a break, as he's from Wisconsin. And, I myself, have been wondering about the correct pronunciation. Is it MAK-e-nac or MAK-e-naw?

It's Mack-in-aw.

[ITB]

I stopped listening after he mispronounced Mackinac.

Well, let's give him a break, as he's from Wisconsin. And, I myself, have been wondering about the correct pronunciation. Is it MAK-e-nac or MAK-e-naw?

It's Mack-in-aw.

Gotcha. Thanks! Beautiful scenery in upper Michigan. And the bridge is spectacular, but crossing it is not for those who might be a bit queasy.

[Rothman]

Construction on the Mackinac Bridge has it all messed up up there. It took about 15 minutes to cross that thing today.

The construction is needed.  Those approaches were horrible when I drove over it a few weeks ago.

I drive over the bridge probably 30 times a year and never noticed anything wrong with the approaches.

That's...strange.  Washboards.

Then again, maybe MI has bad roads...

[Flint1979]

I stopped listening after he mispronounced Mackinac.

Well, let's give him a break, as he's from Wisconsin. And, I myself, have been wondering about the correct pronunciation. Is it MAK-e-nac or MAK-e-naw?

It's Mack-in-aw.

Gotcha. Thanks! Beautiful scenery in upper Michigan. And the bridge is spectacular, but crossing it is not for those who might be a bit queasy.

You're welcome. Actually the way it goes up there is that places on the U.P. side are spelled Mackinac and places on the L.P. side are spelled Mackinaw but they are pronounced the same way. I see people spell it Mackinaw for the island and bridge a lot even though both are spelled Mackinac. The county I'm sure people would spell Mackinaw but it's Mackinac.

The area around Hessel, Cedarville and pretty much anywhere in the Les Cheneaux (pronounced lay shen oh) Islands area is my favorite part of Michigan. I have a cabin up there that I built myself and love to go up there to go fishing and to hang out.

[Flint1979]

I noticed yesterday that in Burlington, there is no signage along M-60 marking the intersection with M-311. If I hadn't been using GPS navigation, I'd have missed it.

MDOT has received notice about this and replied to me already. They have shared my information with their maintenance coordinator for investigation and appropriate action.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I drove up to Copper Harbor today. I don't really understand why the Superior circe tour spur follows US 41 instead of M-26, since 26 is actually right on the shoreline,

[JREwing78]

I drove up to Copper Harbor today. I don't really understand why the Superior circe tour spur follows US 41 instead of M-26, since 26 is actually right on the shoreline,

Me neither. Easy enough to make a loop of it.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

A sad discovery I also made today: the ancient US 41/M-203 sign pair in Calumet have been removed (sometime after April 2021, my last visit).

[Flint1979]

After looking at every direction of the M-60/M-311 intersection in Burlington there are signs on M-311 approaching M-60 that tell you that M-60 goes both ways and that M-311 ends there. However it is correct that there is no signage at all regarding M-311 on M-60. MDOT now knows about it.

[JREwing78]

I noticed yesterday that in Burlington, there is no signage along M-60 marking the intersection with M-311. If I hadn't been using GPS navigation, I'd have missed it.

MDOT has received notice about this and replied to me already. They have shared my information with their maintenance coordinator for investigation and appropriate action.

It's been like this for quite some time. I don't know if there was ever signage on M-60 for M-311.

MDOT was also quite slow to post M-311 on the BGS at the I-94 interchange. It didn't make it onto a BGS until sometime in 2013 or 2014.

Hell, M-311 itself didn't have reassurance markers posted until 2009; it had been in existence since 1998 (per michiganhighways.org)

[The Ghostbuster]

M-311 was designated as part of the "Rationalization Process" of 1998: https://michiganhighways.org/indepth/rationalization.html. A list of the jurisdiction transfers between 1998 and 2002 is located at this page: https://michiganhighways.org/indepth/juristrans_1998-2002.html.

[Flint1979]

I noticed yesterday that in Burlington, there is no signage along M-60 marking the intersection with M-311. If I hadn't been using GPS navigation, I'd have missed it.

MDOT has received notice about this and replied to me already. They have shared my information with their maintenance coordinator for investigation and appropriate action.

It's been like this for quite some time. I don't know if there was ever signage on M-60 for M-311.

MDOT was also quite slow to post M-311 on the BGS at the I-94 interchange. It didn't make it onto a BGS until sometime in 2013 or 2014.

Hell, M-311 itself didn't have reassurance markers posted until 2009; it had been in existence since 1998 (per michiganhighways.org)

Well there might be now that I informed MDOT about it. M-311 was an unsigned highway before 2009 so that is why there weren't any signs before that year. It was one of the highways created as part of John Engler's Rationalization process. Personally I don't even know why it's a state highway in the first place as 11 Mile Road could have remained a county road.

[Flint1979]

I drove up to Copper Harbor today. I don't really understand why the Superior circe tour spur follows US 41 instead of M-26, since 26 is actually right on the shoreline,

Is there any snow up there yet?

[JREwing78]

I noticed yesterday that in Burlington, there is no signage along M-60 marking the intersection with M-311. If I hadn't been using GPS navigation, I'd have missed it.

MDOT has received notice about this and replied to me already. They have shared my information with their maintenance coordinator for investigation and appropriate action.

It's been like this for quite some time. I don't know if there was ever signage on M-60 for M-311.

MDOT was also quite slow to post M-311 on the BGS at the I-94 interchange. It didn't make it onto a BGS until sometime in 2013 or 2014.

Hell, M-311 itself didn't have reassurance markers posted until 2009; it had been in existence since 1998 (per michiganhighways.org)

Well there might be now that I informed MDOT about it. M-311 was an unsigned highway before 2009 so that is why there weren't any signs before that year. It was one of the highways created as part of John Engler's Rationalization process. Personally I don't even know why it's a state highway in the first place as 11 Mile Road could have remained a county road.

Calhoun County roads are complete and utter crap, even by Michigan standards. I don't know what kind of black hole their funding goes into, but they have a bunch of roads that would be better off gravel. Some of them basically are, since they've deteriorated so much.

They took the opportunity of the "Rationalization" during Engler's time in office to get MDOT to take over maintenance on a bunch of roads. That got a bunch of roads off their books.

SM-G991U

[Flint1979]

I noticed yesterday that in Burlington, there is no signage along M-60 marking the intersection with M-311. If I hadn't been using GPS navigation, I'd have missed it.

MDOT has received notice about this and replied to me already. They have shared my information with their maintenance coordinator for investigation and appropriate action.

It's been like this for quite some time. I don't know if there was ever signage on M-60 for M-311.

MDOT was also quite slow to post M-311 on the BGS at the I-94 interchange. It didn't make it onto a BGS until sometime in 2013 or 2014.

Hell, M-311 itself didn't have reassurance markers posted until 2009; it had been in existence since 1998 (per michiganhighways.org)

Well there might be now that I informed MDOT about it. M-311 was an unsigned highway before 2009 so that is why there weren't any signs before that year. It was one of the highways created as part of John Engler's Rationalization process. Personally I don't even know why it's a state highway in the first place as 11 Mile Road could have remained a county road.

Calhoun County roads are complete and utter crap, even by Michigan standards. I don't know what kind of black hole their funding goes into, but they have a bunch of roads that would be better off gravel. Some of them basically are, since they've deteriorated so much.

They took the opportunity of the "Rationalization" during Engler's time in office to get MDOT to take over maintenance on a bunch of roads. That got a bunch of roads off their books.

SM-G991U

Calhoun County pretty much sucks anyway. Battle Creek and Albion sure do. Yeah they got MDOT to take 11 Mile over so they didn't have to deal with it that's pretty much the only reason M-311 even exists.