M-231 opens [route photos + time-lapse video]

[bessertc]

At approximately 4:00 pm yesterday (Friday, October 30), MDOT removed the barricades and opened the new M-231 route through north-central Ottawa County to traffic connecting M-45/Lake Michigan Dr west of Allendale to M-104 and I-96 at Exit 9 near Nunica, east of Grand Haven. Not only have I made the necessary changes to the Michigan Highways website, but I also added the following M-231-related content:

• M-231 Route Listing
• M-231 Route Map
• M-231 Time Lapse Video - taken from a bike by yours truly, Oct 25.
• M-231 Bike Ride Photos - taken by yours truly, Oct 25.

With both my M-231 bike ride last Sunday and taking a drive on the newly-opened road last evening, I have doubly-re-clinched the entire Michigan state trunkline highway system. Again. 

Later,
Chris

[JREwing78]

Awesome! I was about a month too early to clinch M-231. It would've been in the dark anyway.

This video cracks me up only because it documents the first traffic stop on M-231:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bghwiKAswpM

M-Live had a much faster time-lapse video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v96-pOMaQ64

[The Ghostbuster]

I still think it will be an underutilized spur as long as it just ends at State Highway 45 and does not extend to Interstate 196. Let me know if I'm wrong about this.

[JREwing78]

I still think it will be an underutilized spur as long as it just ends at State Highway 45 and does not extend to Interstate 196. Let me know if I'm wrong about this.

You are correct, unless the bascule bridge on US-31 in Grand Haven experiences a problem, or some other incident locks up US-31 in the area. The plan is to later twin it and extend it down to I-196. But unless something radical happens with state or federal highway funding, it's not going to happen anytime soon.

[getemngo]

A.J. Bertin, Brian Reynolds, rawmustard, and I visited the Grand River bridge back on October 3, when the 23.1k run happened. Looks nice, and all the overpasses have some decorative touches (which is a pleasant surprise in Michigan).

When this was originally planned as a freeway, MDOT specifically mentioned an interchange with N. Cedar Dr. would be built to provide local access. This didn't materialize, and there is no access to North Cedar whatsoever. I'm glad there's at least an intersection with Lincoln St. - otherwise, much of Robinson Township would save little to no time over taking 68th Ave.

[noelbotevera]

I still think it will be an underutilized spur as long as it just ends at State Highway 45 and does not extend to Interstate 196. Let me know if I'm wrong about this.

But M-45 connects it to US 31, a logical terminus. It makes sense.

[GaryV]

I still think it will be an underutilized spur as long as it just ends at State Highway 45 and does not extend to Interstate 196. Let me know if I'm wrong about this.

But M-45 connects it to US 31, a logical terminus. It makes sense.

It makes sense in that it is all that could be afforded at the present time.

But it's a pretty long detour to avoid US-31 through Grand Haven.  And you still have to go through the business district in and north of Holland.

[jakeroot]

Off-topic:

Any reason Michigan uses "M" versus "MI" for their designations? I can't help but, jokingly, read "M-231" as "M231 Motorway".

[bulldog1979]

Off-topic:

Any reason Michigan uses "M" versus "MI" for their designations? I can't help but, jokingly, read "M-231" as "M231 Motorway".

It's been in use since 1919 when the state trunkline highway system was first signed in the field. The signs have been changed a little here and there over the years, but they've always been a diamond with a block letter M at the top. We're not the only state that has such a scheme; in Kansas they are "K-" followed by the number.

[rawmustard]

But it's a pretty long detour to avoid US-31 through Grand Haven.  And you still have to go through the business district in and north of Holland.

It's not necessarily designed to be a full-time bypass of Grand Haven for traffic coming from Holland. When there's issues with the bascule bridge, it'll be a lot better to divert seven miles out of your way versus 15. (Note: you can avoid a lot of the mall traffic north of Holland by using 120th Ave just to the east [called Waverly Rd within the city of Holland]–it intersects Chicago Drive just east of the US 31 interchange and runs straight north to M-45 just east of M-231.)

[Terry Shea]

But it's a pretty long detour to avoid US-31 through Grand Haven.  And you still have to go through the business district in and north of Holland.

It's not necessarily designed to be a full-time bypass of Grand Haven for traffic coming from Holland. When there's issues with the bascule bridge, it'll be a lot better to divert seven miles out of your way versus 15. (Note: you can avoid a lot of the mall traffic north of Holland by using 120th Ave just to the east [called Waverly Rd within the city of Holland]—it intersects Chicago Drive just east of the US 31 interchange and runs straight north to M-45 just east of M-231.)

Actually, the diversion would be much more than 7 or 15 miles out of your way, especially if all you need to do is cross the bridge to get to the beach or do something else in Grand Haven.  Going through Eastmanville would probably add 30+ miles to your trip and taking M-231 would still be in excess of 20 miles out of your way.

[rawmustard]

But it's a pretty long detour to avoid US-31 through Grand Haven.  And you still have to go through the business district in and north of Holland.

It's not necessarily designed to be a full-time bypass of Grand Haven for traffic coming from Holland. When there's issues with the bascule bridge, it'll be a lot better to divert seven miles out of your way versus 15. (Note: you can avoid a lot of the mall traffic north of Holland by using 120th Ave just to the east [called Waverly Rd within the city of Holland]—it intersects Chicago Drive just east of the US 31 interchange and runs straight north to M-45 just east of M-231.)

Actually, the diversion would be much more than 7 or 15 miles out of your way, especially if all you need to do is cross the bridge to get to the beach or do something else in Grand Haven.  Going through Eastmanville would probably add 30+ miles to your trip and taking M-231 would still be in excess of 20 miles out of your way.

Obviously I was talking distance one way from Grand Haven. If the 120th Ave corridor could be improved enough from Chicago Drive north to M-45, it along with M-231 would become a more viable bypass.

LGLS990

[Terry Shea]

But it's a pretty long detour to avoid US-31 through Grand Haven.  And you still have to go through the business district in and north of Holland.

It's not necessarily designed to be a full-time bypass of Grand Haven for traffic coming from Holland. When there's issues with the bascule bridge, it'll be a lot better to divert seven miles out of your way versus 15. (Note: you can avoid a lot of the mall traffic north of Holland by using 120th Ave just to the east [called Waverly Rd within the city of Holland]—it intersects Chicago Drive just east of the US 31 interchange and runs straight north to M-45 just east of M-231.)

Actually, the diversion would be much more than 7 or 15 miles out of your way, especially if all you need to do is cross the bridge to get to the beach or do something else in Grand Haven.  Going through Eastmanville would probably add 30+ miles to your trip and taking M-231 would still be in excess of 20 miles out of your way.

Obviously I was talking distance one way from Grand Haven. If the 120th Ave corridor could be improved enough from Chicago Drive north to M-45, it along with M-231 would become a more viable bypass.

LGLS990

Which is basically what the original freeway plan called for, but now will probably never happen, at least not in our lifetimes.  But you still have a very long detour between Spring Lake/Ferrysburg and Grand Haven when the bascule bridge gets stuck.  I think a better use of money would have been to replace the bridge with something like the Zilwaukee bridge (but with a better engineering design).  The present M-231 "bypass" falls markedly short on 2 fronts.  It doesn't provide for a freeway or any other type of true or practical bypass for the Holland/Grand Haven region and it still requires a very long detour for commuters, beachgoers, etc. just to get across the river when the bridge is out of order, which seems to happen far too often.

[bessertc]

But it's a pretty long detour to avoid US-31 through Grand Haven.  And you still have to go through the business district in and north of Holland.

It's not necessarily designed to be a full-time bypass of Grand Haven for traffic coming from Holland. When there's issues with the bascule bridge, it'll be a lot better to divert seven miles out of your way versus 15. (Note: you can avoid a lot of the mall traffic north of Holland by using 120th Ave just to the east [called Waverly Rd within the city of Holland]–it intersects Chicago Drive just east of the US 31 interchange and runs straight north to M-45 just east of M-231.)

Just out of curiosity, the family and I went on a little drive yesterday (Sunday, November 8th) from Holland to Norton Shores and back. The northbound route was 120th Ave from Holland to M-45/Lake Michigan Dr, jogging west to M-231, north on M-231 to I-96 and I-96 to the US-31 interchange. On the southbound leg, it was US-31 all the way back down through Grand Haven to Holland. I timed both routes just to see what the difference was–mind you, this was on a SUNDAY afternoon/evening in November. These times, especially on US-31, would be quite different on a summer weekend.

120th/M-231 Route:	Lakewood Blvd	00:00
	M-104	22:00
	Jct US-31 & I-96	29:42.8
	TOTAL:	29:42.8
US-31 Route:	Jct US-31 & I-96	00:00
	M-104	05:12
	Lakewood Blvd	27:26.63
	TOTAL:	27:26.63

So, there you go. On my one rather unscientific trial on a SUNDAY afternoon/evening with only red lights and the odd patrolling Ottawa County Sheriff Deputy causing momentary slowdowns, it's 2 minutes 16.17 seconds faster to stay on US-31 through Grand Haven. Now, quintuple the traffic, add a drawbridge opening, a fender-bender or two, a couple state and county cops running radar and a whole crapload of Illinoisians and Hoosiers trying to figure out what a Michigan Left is and generally being able to "drive right, pass left", and I can see the 120th/M-231 route being a viable alternative to running straight through Grand Haven. Now, imagine if more of the proposed US-31 Bypass route is actually built, and we've got a whole different game!

[Terry Shea]

But it's a pretty long detour to avoid US-31 through Grand Haven.  And you still have to go through the business district in and north of Holland.

It's not necessarily designed to be a full-time bypass of Grand Haven for traffic coming from Holland. When there's issues with the bascule bridge, it'll be a lot better to divert seven miles out of your way versus 15. (Note: you can avoid a lot of the mall traffic north of Holland by using 120th Ave just to the east [called Waverly Rd within the city of Holland]—it intersects Chicago Drive just east of the US 31 interchange and runs straight north to M-45 just east of M-231.)

Just out of curiosity, the family and I went on a little drive yesterday (Sunday, November 8th) from Holland to Norton Shores and back. The northbound route was 120th Ave from Holland to M-45/Lake Michigan Dr, jogging west to M-231, north on M-231 to I-96 and I-96 to the US-31 interchange. On the southbound leg, it was US-31 all the way back down through Grand Haven to Holland. I timed both routes just to see what the difference was—mind you, this was on a SUNDAY afternoon/evening in November. These times, especially on US-31, would be quite different on a summer weekend.

120th/M-231 Route:	Lakewood Blvd	00:00
	M-104	22:00
	Jct US-31 & I-96	29:42.8
	TOTAL:	29:42.8
US-31 Route:	Jct US-31 & I-96	00:00
	M-104	05:12
	Lakewood Blvd	27:26.63
	TOTAL:	27:26.63

So, there you go. On my one rather unscientific trial on a SUNDAY afternoon/evening with only red lights and the odd patrolling Ottawa County Sheriff Deputy causing momentary slowdowns, it's 2 minutes 16.17 seconds faster to stay on US-31 through Grand Haven. Now, quintuple the traffic, add a drawbridge opening, a fender-bender or two, a couple state and county cops running radar and a whole crapload of Illinoisians and Hoosiers trying to figure out what a Michigan Left is and generally being able to "drive right, pass left", and I can see the 120th/M-231 route being a viable alternative to running straight through Grand Haven. Now, imagine if more of the proposed US-31 Bypass route is actually built, and we've got a whole different game!

But the problem is that most people seeking a thru route aren't going to know about the 120th Ave option.  They're going to have to jog off from US-31 and use M-45 and M-104 (or I-96) to get to and from M-231, which will add double digit miles to their trip.  MDOT isn't likely to name 120th Ave as an alternate route and 120th Ave wouldn't be able to handle the additional traffic if they did so (actually I'm making an assumption here because I've never actually been on 120th Ave).  I agree that if the entire freeway is ever built it would save time and headaches, but at present it seems like a rather bad alternative.

[ftballfan]

Haven't posted on here in a LONG time, but I did take M-231 on Sunday. It is a useful route for, say, traffic going from the Muskegon area to Allendale, Zeeland, Hudsonville, Jenison, and other nearby areas. In particular, GVSU to Muskegon and vice versa would take quicker via M-231 as 68th Ave involves a Michigan Left to get on eastbound M-45 and a difficult left turn off the I-96 off-ramp (southbound) and a roundabout to get to westbound I-96 (northbound) along with that 45 mph stretch through Eastmanville. I also took 120th up from Port Sheldon and 120th is a fairly high quality county road (recently upgraded?). Ottawa County, especially south of the Grand River, seems to have primary county roads spaced about every three to four miles that run most of the county.

If the road were ever to be converted to full freeway, major work would have to be done at I-96 (and probably at I-96/US-31 as well). From being on M-231, the ROW doesn't look wide enough for four lanes at points (and a parallel bridge would have to be built over the Grand River).

IMHO, if MDOT hadn't gone ahead with M-231, Ottawa County would probably be planning their own bridge in that area or four-laning 68th Ave from Coopersville to M-45. Also, even a two-lane M-231 extension connecting to US-31 near West Olive would be okay (Holland isn't nearly as much of a problem as Grand Haven IMO as there aren't nearly as many driveways directly off US-31 in Holland as there are in Grand Haven).