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| Southern Terminus: | Jct I-94 & BL I-94 at Exit 92 on the Kalamazoo/Calhoun Co line at the southwestern corner of Battle Creek |
| Northern Terminus: | Old Mission Lighthouse (Peninsula Twp Park) at the tip of the Old Mission Peninsula north of the community of Old Mission |
| Length: | 222.256 miles |
| Maps: | Route Map of M-37 |
| Notes: |  M-37 has historically been a second- or top-tier level state trunkline route for much of its existence, although today with its positioning between several freeways, its importance as a highway route is less now than in earlier decades. Originally established as a route connecting Battle Creek with Grand Rapids in the second decade of the 20th Century, the coming of the U.S. Highway System in 1927–27 necessitated many trunkline route designation changes, with M-37 being extended from Grand Rapids northerly into Muskegon, Newaygo and Lake Cos replacing the route of M-54 to the Baldwin area. In the next few decades, M-37 was extended north toward Traverse City in fits and starts (the Mesick-to-Old Mission section had formerly been the north-south part of an "L"-shaped M-42 route), with the route having some significant gaps into the 1950s. After a few reroutes in the Grand Rapids area in the 1960s due to freeway completions, the route of M-37 stayed relatively stable until the late 1990s and 2000s when more changes occurred in Battle Creek. Prior to the conversion of US-31 and US-131 into freeways up the western side of the state, M-37 served as an important alternate route for vacation traffic and sportsmen heading "Up North" from urban centers in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula. Much of this traffic has shifted back onto the parallel freeway routes since the 1970s and 80s, however. |
| Among several other route changes in Battle Creek and across Calhoun Co as a part of the Rationalization process in 1998, the route of M-37 within the City of Battle Creek was altered. On October 31, 1998, the Michigan Department of Transportation took control of dozens of miles of formerly county roads and municipal streets. Among those miles were the portion of Bedford Rd from the jct of M-37 & M-89 southerly to Helmer Rd, Helmer Rd from Bedford Rd southerly to Columbia Ave and Columbia Ave from Helmer westerly to BL I-94/Skyline Dr-Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. These roads became part of the realigned and extended M-37 route from M-89 to I-94. M-37 then continued southwesterly via BL I-94 to its new terminus at I-94. Much of the former route of M-37 into downtown Battle Creek became part of an extended M-89. Prior to the change, which resulted in a net gain of approximately 2¾ miles, M-37 was 218.97 miles long. | |
| In a reversal of one of the 1998 "Rationalization" transfers, the portion of M-37 along Columbia Ave from Helmer Rd (jct M-96) westerly to BL I-94/Skyline Dr-Martin Luther King Jr Blvd was turned back to the City of Battle Creek on in early May 2005. This created a discontinuity in the route of M-37, but MDOT then chose to relocate M-37 concurrently with BL I-94 via Dickman Rd from Helmer westerly to Skyline Dr-Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and via Skyline-MLKing southwesterly back to its previous route at Columbia Ave, thereby shortening the route of M-37 by 0.29 mile. Route signage in the field was updated to reflect this transfer and rerouting at a later date. | |
| Yet another rerouting for M-37 (and its concurrent partner designation, BL I-94) on the west side of Battle Creek occurred in 2015 when a segment of BL I-94/M-37 was removed as part of a project to accommodate expanding munitions storage at the adjacent Battle Creek Air National Guard Base. According to the Battle Creek Enquirer,"Battle Creek officials support the closure, saying it will create a joint base for the U.S. Army, Air National Guard and Navy that could boost Fort Custer Training Center's chances of being selected as a ballistic missile defense site." The portion of Skyline Dr/M L King Jr Dr from Columbia Ave northerly to Hill Brady Rd was transferred to the City of Battle Creek, while the portion between Hill Brady Rd and M-96/Dickman Rd was closed and obliterated. MDOT, meanwhile, took jurisdiction of Columbia Ave from Skyline/MLKing easterly to Helmer Rd (for a third time and the second time in 17 years!). The BL I-94/M-37 route now continues northeasterly and easterly from the intersection of Columbia Ave & Skyline/MLKing via Columbia Ave to Helmer Rd, then joins with M-96 along Helmer Rd between Columbia and Dickman Rd where both routes continue on their former paths—BL I-94 easterly via Dickman toward downtown Battle Creek and M-37 northerly toward Urbandale along Helmer Rd. The portion of Dickman Rd from Skyline Dr/MLKing Dr to Helmer Rd which had been designated BL I-94/M-37/M-96 is now just part of M-96. Now measuring 221.935 miles in length, prior to the 2015 rerouting, M-37 was 221.621 miles long—a net gain of 0.314 miles. | |
| Site contributor Brian Reynolds provided a gem of a map and information about a proposed expressway-freeway plan which never came to fruition. Much of the M-37 corridor from Hastings through Grand Rapids to Casnovia was upgraded to modern highway design and geometrics in the 1940s and 50s. South of Hastings, however, M-37 and parallel route M-43 remained on their original alignments from early in the century. In the 1960s, the State Highway Department proposed replacing these two substandard highways with a new expressway-freeway alignment, detailed by Brian on the M-37: Hastings-Battle Creek page. | |
 Plans for a major upgrade to the route of M-37 north of Grand Rapids were never realized, although some of the plans were put into place for a portion of the route. Presently, M-37 heads north from the Grand Rapids area on a five lane highway which becomes a divided highway at 6 Mile Rd and remains so to beyond 10 Mile Rd, where it narrows down to two lanes. North of where M-37 splits off from Alpine Ave, the road becomes a controlled-access "expressway" to its intersection with Apple Ave at the west limits of the Village of Casnovia. The original upgrade plans for M-37 called for a controlled-access freeway or expressway to branch off US-131 in the neighborhood of the Pine Island Dr overpass near Belmont, heading northwesterly to Alpine Ave, then northerly as a western bypass of Sparta, Kent City and Casnovia, continuing as a freeway or divided expressway well into Newaygo Co. The only portion of this plan ultimately completed was the portion from the Alpine Ave split-off (between 9 & 10 Mile Rds) to Apple Ave at Casnovia. Most of this route is a two-lane undivided expressway, with access only at select intersections. Sufficient right-of-way still exists next to the current highway for construction of a second roadway, although this will likely never happen. It is unclear how far north the improved M-37 routing was proposed, although the City of Newaygo is a likely candidate. In addition, the proposed freeway or expressway connector between Alpine Ave and US-131 also seems highly unlikely, as numerous new subdivisions have been allowed to pop up in its path in the intervening years. (Local transportation officials have stated construction of the proposed "US-131-to-Alpine" connector noted above was abandoned in exchange for MDOT converting M-44/East Beltline Ave from I-96 north to Plainfield Ave to a multi-lane divided highway in the 1990s.) |
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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 several changes to the route of M-37 during that timeframe, including:
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| History: | 1913 (Sept 19) – The first four segments of Trunk Line 37 (T.L. 37) are officially established as state trunkline highway routes between Battle Creek and Grand Rapids:
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| 1918 (Dec 5) – The first segment of established T.L. 37 is cancelled—the portion of Kraft Ave in Kent Co from 68th St to 44th St an 44th St from Kraft Ave west to Kalamazoo Ave—and replaced by a new established route between the same points, westerly from Kraft Ave along 68th St, then northerly via Kalamazoo Ave to the existing route at 44th St. Both the cancelled and newly-established segments are 8.0 miles in length. |
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| 1918 (Dec 13) – The 7.4-mile long portion of T.L. 37 in Barry Co from Hastings west-northwesterly through Irving to the Irving/Thornapple Twp line southeast of Middleville is cancelled as a state trunkline route, replaced by a new 9.5-mile route from the Hastings west city limit westerly via CR-438/State Rd to the Middleville east village limit. (This remedies the gap which had existed here in the established route of T.L. 37 since 1913.) |
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| 1920 (Apr–June) – T.L. 37 is signed in the field as M-37 as all state trunkline highways in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan are signed with route markers.
While there are gaps in the officially established state trunkline route within the incorporated communities of Hastings, Caledonia and Grand Rapids, those gaps, consisting of locally-controlled roadway segments, are still signed as part of the route of M-37. |
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| 1920 (Dec 16) – An additional 1.7 miles of M-37 are established as state trunkline route penetrating farther into the city of Hastings in Barry Co in two segments. From the end of the certified trunkline route at Shriner St south of downtown northerly for 0.7 mile along Hanover St to M-79/E State St, and from the Hastings west city limit southeasterly via State St, then southerly along Broadway St for a total of 1.0 mile are officially assumed into the highway system. (M-37 remains signed along the five blocks of State St through downtown between Hanover and Broadway Sts which remains under city jurisdiction.) |
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| 1920 (Dec 22) – The 1.3 mile segment of M-37 through the village of Middleville in northwest Barry Co is also officially established as a state trunkline route along Main St. |
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| 1921 (Feb 1) – The 1.75 mile segment of M-37 through the village of Caledonia in southern Kent Co is officially established as a state trunkline route, from 100th St northwesterly via Kinsey St, then westerly along Johnson St, and northerly via Kraft Ave to 92nd St. |
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| 1921 (Sept 21) – The ½ mile portion of M-37 along Kalamazoo Ave from Alger St northerly to Burton St in southeast Grand Rapids is cancelled as a state trunkline route, while a new 0.85-mile alignment is established beginning at Kalamazoo Ave and running northwesterly via an unbuilt roadway along the south side of the Pere Marquette R.R. line to Burton St (at the cnr of Nelson Ave), then westerly along Burton St to Eastern Ave. |
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| 1922 (Aug 15) – A second change to the stairstep route of M-37 between Caledonia and Grand Rapids in southern Kent Co occurs when a portion of December 5, 1918 rerouting is partially undone. The six-mile segment of M-37 along Kraft Ave north of Caledonia from 92nd St north to 68th St and along 68th St from Kraft Ave west to Hanna Lake Ave is cancelled as a state trunkline route, while a new six-mile route following 92nd St westerly from Kraft Ave to Hanna Lake Rd, then north on Hanna Lake Ave back to the previous route at 68th St is established. This change eliminates two of the three crossings of the Michigan Central R.R. line between Caledonia and Grand Rapids. |
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| 1925 – By 1925, M-37 seems to be signed in Grand Rapids via Burton St westerly from Kalamazoo Ave to Madison Ave, then northerly along Madison Ave to State St, northwesterly on State St to Jefferson Ave, and northerly again via Jefferson Ave to M-16/Fulton St. |
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| 1927 (May 15) – The debut of the U.S. Highway System, originally formulated during 1925–26 but finally now signed in the field, necessitates numerous changes in state highway route designations across Michigan. One of which is the eliminiation of the M-54 designation from Grand Rapids through Sparta, Newaygo and White Cloud to Baldwin, replaced by a northerly 80-mile-plus extension of M-37 along the route, more than doubling its overall length. Through Grand Rapids, M-37 now continues westerly along Fulton St (formerly M-16, now US-16/M-21) from Jefferson Ave to Monroe Ave, northwesterly and northerly via Monroe Ave to Leonard St, westerly on Leonard St to Alpine Ave, then northerly replacing M-54 via Alpine Ave out of the city. |
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| 1927 – While a new routing for M-54 between Casnovia on the Kent/Muskegon Co line and Bailey to the northwest is officially established in August 1925, the newly highway route from M-46/Apple Ave northerly to the community of Bailey isn't completed and opened to traffic until 1927, after the route had been redesignated as a northerly extension of M-37. The former route along Kenowa Ave and Bailey Rd, which had remained marked-and-maintained as a state trunkline since its cancellation, now fully reverts to county control and maintenance. |
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1927 (June 29) – A trio of establishments to the route of M-37, although likely just making official changes which had already been completed in the field:
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| 1928 (Jan 30) – The 0.4-mile segment of unbuilt roadway paralleling the Pere Marquette R.R. line in southeast Grand Rapids between Kalamazoo Ave and Burton St which was established in September 1921 is cancelled (without ever having been constructed), while the 0.6 mile potion of Nelson Ave from Kalamazoo Ave at Alger St northwesterly and northerly to the established route of M-37 at Burton St is also established as part of M-37. |
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| 1928 (May 2–12) – Yet another change comes to the stairstep route of M-37 between Caledonia and Grand Rapids in southern Kent Co on May 2 when the three-mile section of the route along 68th St from Hanna Lake Ave to Kalamazoo Ave and Kalamazoo Ave from 68th St northerly to 60th St is cancelled and turned back to local control, wile the three-mile route along Hanna Lake Ave from 68th St to 60th St and 60th St from Hanna Lake Ave westerly to Kalamazoo Ave is established as the new route of M-37. Ten days later, on May 12, a modification to the new route is made when a 0.4-mile segment of Wing Ave cutting the corner from Hanna Lake Ave to 60th St north of Dutton is established while the 0.4-mile stretch of Hanna Lake north of Wing Ave to 60th St and 60th St from Hanna Lake Ave west to Wing Ave is cancelled as part of M-37. Construction on the new route will take six years, however, so the cancelled route will remain marked-and-maintaned as M-37 until 1934. |
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| 1928 (June 19) – The originally-established route for M-54 between Newaygo and White Cloud in central Newaygo Co from December 1920 started at the Newaygo north city limit at 68th St and continued northerly via Centerline Rd, easterly along 56th St to Willow Ave where it turned almost due northeasterly for two miles via an unbuilt roadway to a point about 1,200–1,300 feet northeast of Twinwood Lane where it turned northerly to eventually hit Walnut Ave (at a point 0.45 mile north of 40th St), contuining northerly along Walnut Ave for 3½ miles to 8th St, then northwesterly via Silver Dr for 0.3 mile to the White Cloud south village limit. Since portions of this segment were not yet built, M-54 (and, after mid-1927, M-37) was temporarily "marked-and-maintained" along Croton Dr continuing easterly from Newaygo, then northerly on Basswood Dr for 4.45 miles, jogging easterly ½ mile along 40th St, then heading northeasterly via Walnut Dr for ½ mile where it met the established route and continued north into White Cloud. By c.1924–25, the officially established portion along Centerline Rd and 56th St just north of Newaygo also became the signed route for M-54, leaving just the 2¾ mile portion from the cnr of 56th St & Wilson Ave northeasterly to the point on Walnut Ave 0.45 mile north of 40th St as needing to be signed along existing county roads. Then, on June 19, 1928, the 6.7-mile segment of established M-37 from 56th St & Willow Ave northeasterly to Walnut Ave and then northerly via Walnut Ave to the White Cloud south village limit (consisting of a mixture of existing and unbuilt roadway) is cancelled as a trunkline route and a more direct 6.8-mile alignment, running along present-day M-37/Evergreen Dr between 56th St and Pine HIll St in White Cloud, is officially established. M-37 is now signed along its officially established route between Newaygo and White Hall in its entirety. |
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| 1929 – By 1929, the route M-37 follows into downtown Grand Rapids seems to have been altered to run northerly from Burton St via Eastern Ave to US-16/M-21/Fulton St, then westerly into downtown. (As state highways through cities are not yet "established" as trunkline routes, no official establishment or cancellations are part of this change.) |
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| 1929 (June 19) – The first extension of M-37 since it took over the route of M-54 north of Grand Rapids involves the extension of the route from Baldwin northerly three miles along US-10, then further north for 7.2 miles past Wolf Lake to a terminus at M-63, two miles east of Peacock. |
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| 1930 – By 1930 (if not earlier), M-37 is concurrently designated with M-96 in Battle Creek along W Michigan Ave from Bedford Rd southeasterly into downtown where M-37 terminates at M-78/Division St. A 1921 Rand McNally Auto Trails Map of Michigan clearly shows M-37 running into downtown Battle Creek from the northwest along M-17/W Main St (later renamed as W Michigan Ave), but nothing official yet has been located to corroborate this. |
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| 1930 (Dec 31) – As part of an effort to establish a new state trunkline route (M-39) roughly along the southern borders of Ionia and Kent Cos (with plans to eventually continue west toward Holland in the future), a new route for M-37 north of Middleville is established to hook into the proposed M-39 east of the Thornapple River where it would turn west with the new M-39 along the county line back to its existing route before turning back northerly into Caledonia. The newly-established route for M-37 now follows Grand River St and Whitneyville Rd from Middleville north to the Kent Co line, then westerly with the proposed M-39 along 108th St back to Cherry Valley Rd. However, as the proposed M-39 route is not yet constructed, M-37 remains "marked-and-maintained" along its existing route westerly and northerly from Middleville for the time being. Interestingly, the portion of M-37 which had traversed through the center of Middleville via Main St from Grand Rapids St westerly across the Thornapple River to the west village limit is retained as an officially-established trunkline route and assigned the designation M-172. However, M-172 does not seem to be signed in the field, at least initially, since M-37 remains "marked-and-maintained" along its 1913–30 route through Middleville. |
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1931 (May 19) – Act 131 of 1931—the Dykstra Act—is passed allowing the State Highway Dept to take over control of state highways running into and through incorporated cities, thereby officially incorporating them as state trunkline highways. The following segments of formerly city-controlled streets are assumed into the system as part of M-37:
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| 1931 (May 21) – Likely related to the Act 131 of 1931 (Dykstra Act) establishments from two days prior, a 0.7-mile long state trunkline segment is officially established north of downtown Grand Rapids as part of a project to extend the route of Division Ave northerly from its terminus at Michigan St to Coldbook St, where it will connect with Plainfield Ave (US-131) heading northeasterly out of the city. At the outset, records indicate the State Highway Dept intends the new segment of Division Ave will carry not only the US-131 designation, but also US-16 and M-37 as well between downtown and Coldbrook St. |
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| 1932 (Oct 20) – The 0.5-mile portion of Burton St on the south side of Grand Rapids from Eastern Ave (where M-37 turns northerly into downtown) and Madison Ave which had been established as part of M-37 in late June 1927 is cancelled as a state trunkline route, after Eastern Ave from Burton St north into downtown was officially established as the route for M-37 as part of Act 131 of 1931. |
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1932 (Oct 29) – Three changes come to the route of M-37 in Newaygo Co:
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| 1933 (Sept 15) – The new 0.7-mile segment of N DIvision Ave in Grand Rapids from Michigan St downtown northerly to Coldbrook St which was established as the proposed new route for US-131, US-16 and M-37 in May 1931 is completed and opened to traffic. However, only the US-131 designation is assigned to the new stretch. While US-16/M-37 and US-131 had been signed along Monroe St from downtown Grand Rapids northerly to Coldbrook St, with US-131 using Coldbrook to lateral back over to the Division-Plainfield route then proceeding northeasterly out of the city, when N Division Ave, both US-16 and M-37 remain signed along the "marked-and-maintained" stretch of Monroe St from downtown to Coldbrook St. The reasoning for this change is not yet clear. It would take another decade for Monroe St to be officially established as a state trunkline route and be officially transferred to state jurisdiction. |
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| 1933 (May 24) – With local civic and commercial interests agitating for an additional state highway route heading into the North Country on the west side of the state, in part to relieve traffic on US-131, the State Highway Dept establishes a 27.9-mile route for a northerly extension of M-37 from its terminus at M-63 in central Lake Co northerly into Wexford Co to M-42 just east of Mesick. The majority of this route segment is on new location with only about 4¼ miles running along existing roadways. Official State Highway Dept records indicate the eight mile portion of the newly-established route will become a northerly extension for M-37, while M-42 is given as the initial route designation for the 19.9-mile portion in Wexford Co, however this was subsequently changed to M-37. While this route is established between M-63 and Mesick, it will be nearly three decades before it is fully completed. |
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| 1935 (Oct 22) – A segment of the proposed M-39 route along the Kent/Barry Co line heading easterly from Whitneyville Rd—the established (but not yet signed) route of M-37 north of Middleville—is cancelled as a trunkline route without ever having been constructed, likely signifying the end of the effort to build an M-39 route from Woodbury westerly toward Holland. M-37 is still officially designated to run northerly from Middleville via Grand Rapids St/Whitneyville Rd, then westerly along 108th St back to Cherry Valley Rd but remains signed along its "marked-and-maintained" route west and north of Middleville along Green Lake and Cherry Valley Rds. |
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| 1935 (Oct 28) – Signifying an upcoming change in the routing of various trunkline routes through downtown Battle Creek, the 2.061 miles of Michigan Ave from Van Buren St on the west limits of Battle Creek southeasterly through downtown to Division St is established as a trunkline route and transferred to state control. However, it appears no signed route changes occur in the field at this time and M-37/M-96 remain signed along the Van Buren-Elm-E Michigan path as it has been since 1931. |
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| 1936 (Feb 6) – The 0.613-mile segment of Monroe Ave in Grand Rapids from Fulton St northwesterly and northerly to Michigan St through the downtown district is officially established as a state trunkline route, even though it has been signed as part of US-16/M-37 since 1927. This seemingly indicates the State Highway Dept and City of Grand Rapids coming to the agreement that US-16/M-37 will remain routed via Monroe Ave instead of utilizing the new North Division Ave corridor to the east. (Monroe Ave from Michigan St north to Coldbrook St is not yet officially established but is a "marked-and-maintained" route.) |
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| 1936 (Mid) – While the 19.9-mile portion of the trunkline route established in May 1933 in Wexford Co from the Lake Co line northerly through Mesick was initially indicated to be designated as M-42, but mid-1936 State Highway Dept documentation indicates it will become the northerly extension of M-37. This may have always been the plan, but the Wexford Co segment was erroneously labeled on internal maps. |
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| 1936 (July–Dec) – Additionally, by July 1936 some of the trunkline changes in downtown Battle Creek hinted at with the October 1935 establishment of W Michigan Ave as a trunkline route are implemented. M-37/M-96 is transferred from Van Buren St and onto W Michigan Ave from the west city limit southeasterly through the central business district. At M-78/Division St, M-37 now terminates and M-96 continues southeasterly along E Michigan Ave, along with a brand-new US-12A designation, to US-12 at James St. Then, by December 1936, M-78 is rerouted through Battle Creek to use Capital Ave instead of Division St. This means the route of M-37 is scaled back againm this time by 0.22 mile, to a new southern terminus at M-78/Capital Ave. (The US-12A designation that replaced M-37 east of Division St is similarly extended northwesterly along Michigan Ave to the new route of M-78 along Capital Ave.) |
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| 1937 (May) – The future route of M-37 in southwest Wexford Co from the Lake Co line northerly to M-55 is shown on official State Highway Dept maps as being under construction, while the remainder of the route established in May 1933 still in the planning stages. |
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| 1937 (Aug 30) – The new M-37 bypass route of the community of Bitely in northern Newaygo Co is established as a state trunkline route and likely opens to traffic approximately to weeks prior. This new 4.356-mile highway segment, which cost $167,615 to construct, removes two Pere Marquette R.R. crossings from the route as well as several sharp turns and curves. This section of highway begins along the existing route 900 ft south of Woodland Park Dr and continues north-northwesterly to 15 Mile Rd. The 6.1-mile long former route along Woodland Park Dr, 12 Mile Rd, Bingham Ave and 15 Mile Rd is cancelled as a trunkline route and turned back to county control. |
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| 1937 (Dec) – The future route of M-37 in southwest Wexford Co from the Lake Co line northerly to M-55 is shown on official State Highway Dept maps as being complete as an "earth-surfaced" roadway, while the remainder of the route established in May 1933 still in the planning stages. Reports state the survey work on this four mile segment was complete in early 1935, right-of-way clearing was later that year, and that this section of highway "almost exactly" follows "the line of the old state road built back in the [18]60s in the days of the stage coach." It is unclear whether this short stub of a highway is signed as M-37 at this time. |
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| 1937 (Dec 29) – The 6.2-mile established (but possibly never signed?) route for M-37 dating from the end of 1930 from Middleville northerly and westerly via Grand River St and Whitneyville Rd from E Main St northerly to the Kent/Barry Co line, then westerly along 108th St to the signed M-37 route at Cherry Valley Rd is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control. It is unclear if this route was ever signed as part of M-37—it only appeared on publicly-available official state highway maps during the year 1936 and no contemporary news reports can be found stating M-37 was signed along the Grand River St-Whitneyville Rd and 108th St route. Simultaneously, the 5.2 miles of Green Lake Rd (Middleville west village limit to Cherry Valley Rd) and Cherry Valley Rd (Green Lake Rd to the Kent/Barry Co line at 108th St) is re-established as the official route for M-37. Since it was cancelled in 1930, this route had been signed as part of M-37 for most, if not all, of the intervening seven years. There are two primary reasons for re-establishing this route for M-37. First, the new alignment for M-37 between Hastings and Middleville, which stays south of the Thornapple River between the communities will, at least temporarily, terminate at Main St (former and newly re-established M-37) on the west side of town. If the 1930–37 established route were used, M-37 traffic coming from Hastings would hit Main St in Middleville, then be required to turn back easterly through the center of town, then northerly via Grand Rapids St-Whitneyville Rd and then back westerly again via 108th St, adding congestion to downtown Middleville and taking motorists on a roundabout route. Second, the original reason for rerouting M-37 to first run northerly from Middleville, then westerly back to its previous route south of Caledonia was rendered moot when the proposed M-39 extension westerly from Woodbury via Freeport to M-37 was cancelled and removed from the planning process two years prior. As part of this re-establishment, the one-mile section of Main St from Grand River St westerly through downtown Middleville to the west village limit, which had been retained as a state trunkline highway route (as M-172) when the remainder of the "former" M-37 route via Green Lake and Cherry Valley Rds was cancelled in 1930, is reincorporated into the officially established route of M-37 and M-172 (which may have never been signed in the field) ceases to exist. |
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| 1938 (Sept 27) – The 1.8 mile segment of the former route of M-37/M-96 along Van Buren Ave from W Michigan Ave near the Battle Creek west city limit southeasterly to M-78/Capital Ave is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to city control, even though M-37/M-96 has not been signed along the route for over two years. |
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| 1938 (Dec 6) – A new 9.285-mile route for M-37 is officially established between M-43 about 2½ miles west of Hastings then northwesterly to Middleville on the south/west side of the Thornapple River, the opposite side of the existing route of M-37 between the communities. However, the new roadway has not yet been completed and will not be until the next year. The existing route of M-37 from M-43/N Broadway on the north side of Hastings then northwesterly along State Rd into Middleville and then westerly along Main St, across the Thornapple River to the cnr of W Main St & S Broadway St–Arlington St (the northern end of the new M-37 route) is cancelled as a trunkline route and turned back to local control, although it will remain the "marked-and-maintained" highway route until the new highway is completed and opened to traffic. | |
| 1939 (June 10) – The new M-37 route between M-43 west of Hastings and Middleville is completed and opened to traffic, while the M-37 route markers along the former route (State Rd and Main St in Middleville) are removed. With the relocation, three railroad crossings, several curves and grades have been removed from this segment of the route. | |
1940 – Several developments related to the northern portions of M-37 and M-42 occur this year:
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| 1940 (May 23, Nov 20) – On May 23, the Hastings City Council a team consisting of the mayor, city clerk and city attorney to request the State Highway Dept reroute M-37 and M-79 through the downtown area so the City can continue to allow angle parking in its central business district. The department has begun eliminating angle parking on any trunkline route, replacing it with parallel parking (or eliminating parking altogether). Storefront angle parking, however, is quite desirable to local businesses. As such, on November 20, the existing route of M-37/M-79 in downtown Hastings along Hanover St from Green St northerly to State St and via State St from Hanover St westerly to M-43/Broadway St is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to city control. At the same time, the five blocks of Green St from Hanover St westerly to existing M-37/M-43 at Broadway St is established as a state trunkline route for M-37 and M-79. (M-43 continues to follow Broadway St from Green St northerly through the downtown area.) |
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| 1941 (Winter) – At some point in the first few months of 1941, the M-37 designation is removed from M-96/W Michigan Ave between the original southern terminus of M-37 at cnr Bedford Rd & W Michigan Ave and downtown Battle Creek. This shortens the route of M-37 by approximately 3.1 miles. |
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| 1941 – When the M-37 route designation was applied to all of M-42 from Mesick northerly to the Old Mission Peninsula, the final 0.827-mile segment of the highway had not yet been constructed within the Old Mission Point State Park. This portion is now completed and opened to traffic with a gravel surface (the rest of M-42-turned-M-37 on the Old Mission Peninsula was paved in 1940) from the southern boundary of the state park to the Old Mission Point Lighthouse, where a large turnaround is constructed just south of the lighthouse. |
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| 1943 (May 21) – Having been signed first as part of M-16 in 1920 then later as US-16 and M-37 in 1927, the 0.8-mile portion of Monroe Ave in Grand Rapids from Fulton St downtown northwesterly and northerly to Coldbrook St is (finally) officially established as a state trunkline highway route and placed under state control. For the past 22 years, Monroe from Fulton to Coldbrook as been a "marked-and-maintained" state highway, but still technically under city jurisdiction. When the newly-constructed N Division Ave aligment was completed and opened to traffic in 1933, only the US-131 designation was moved to it, leaving the US-16 and M-37 designations along Monroe Ave. It took an additional decade for this segment of highway to be officially assumed into the trunkline system. |
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| 1944 (July 19) – State Highway Commissioner Charles Ziegler announces plans for a 15.2-mile long "straightaway of 22-foot concrete pavement" as part of a relocation of M-37 between Middleville and Grand Rapids, to be constructed immediately after the end of World War II. The new roadway, projected to cost $1.25 million and require a labor force of 450 men per year, will shorten the route beween those two cities by four miles. It will also eliminate eight 90º turns and one railroad crossing as compared with the existing aligment. The new alignment's northern end will be at the junction of the Grand Rapids South and East Beltlines southeast of the city. | |
| 1945 (June 1) – The four-mile long graded-earth-surface segment of M-37 from the Lake/Wexford Co line northerly to M-55 in southwestern Wexford Co, which was added to the official state highway map in late 1937, is removed from the map starting in mid-1945. The reasons for doing so are unclear, as the short spur of rustic roadway remains in place. |
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| 1945 – The final few miles of gravel-surfaced M-37 (which are open to traffic as of 1945) are paved, north of Middleville. | |
| 1940s (Late) – By 1945, internal State Highway Dept maps indicate the department desires to move the proposed route for M-37 in western Wexford Co between M-55 and M-42 at Mesick to a more easterly alignment, one that plugs straight into the north-south segment of M-37 (formerly M-42) east of Mesick. This would completely avoid the village of Mesick, although the originally-established route remains on the internal maps as an "Alternate Route." This newly proposed route is never officially established, however, and is gone from the maps by 1948. |
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| 1947 (Late) – The 8-mile stretch of M-37 from M-63 [East] in central Lake Co northerly to the Lake/Wexford Co line, originally established as a trunkline in 1933, is completed and opened to traffic as a gravel-surfaced highway. This segment connects with the four-line long graded-earth-surface section running from the Lake/Wexford Co line northerly to M-55, which it can be assumed was also gravel-surfaced at this point. |
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| 1949 – The 12-mile segment of M-37 completed and opened to traffic from M-63 [East] in central Lake Co to M-55 in southwest Wexford Co is fully paved. |
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| 1949 (July 12, Aug 23) – The southwesterly approach into Traverse City for US-31/M-37 is completely revamped. Starting two miles north of Chums Corners, the highway formerly followed McRea Hill Rd, then a roadway (since obliterated) from present-day US-31/M-37 northeasterly to South Airport Rd, then South Airport easterly and northerly to Veterans Dr (formerly Rennie St), Veterans (Rennie) northerly into Traverse City to Fourteenth St, Fourteenth easterly to Union St and Union northerly to jct M-22/M-72 at Front St downtown. With the completion and opening of the new route to traffic, US-31/M-37 from the south now follows a new route down McRea Hill to South Airport Rd, then northerly into Traverse City, continuing northerly along an improved Division St to the existing route of M-22/M-72 at Front St. There, US-31 and M-37 replace the M-22 designation (M-72 is retained) easterly along Front St into downtown Traverse City to the former route of US-31/M-37 at Union St. The portion of the route from the McRea Hill area on the south to Fourteenth St at the Traverse City city limit is dedicated on July 12 and opened to traffic. The portion along Division St from Fourteenth St north to Front St is completed and opened to traffic by August 23. Total cost of the project is more than $134,400. The former route remains an unsigned state trunkline for a few months. |
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| 1949 (Aug 15, Nov 10) – The first six miles of the relocation for M-37 between Caledonia and Grand Rapids is completed and opened to traffic on August 15, beginning at the jct of BYP US-16, BYP M-21 & BYP US-131 at the cnr of 28th St & East Beltline Ave southeast of Grand Rapids and continues southeasterly along the new alignment Broadmoor Ave to Kraft Ave north of Caledonia. From there, M-37 is temporarily signed along a "marked-and-maintained" route using Kraft Ave from the new Broadmoor Ave southerly back to the former M-37 route at 92nd St. M-37 continues southerly via Kraft Ave, then easterly via Johnson St, southeasterly along Kinsey St to Chery Valley Ave. The portion of future M-37/Broadmoor Ave from Kraft Ave southeasterly to Cherry Valley Ave, then southerly on Cherry Valley Ave to Kinsey St is still under construction. (The name of Broadmoor Ave, suggested by Kent Co Road Commission officials, was later approved on December 28, 1949 while the new roadway was still under construction.) Then on November 10, the entirety of M-37 from the cnr of Cherry Valley Rd & Kinsey St southeast of Caledonia northwesterly through Caledonia and Dutton to BYP US-16/BYP US-131/BYP M-21/28th St (present-day M-11) at Grand Rapids is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control, even through the portion from Cherry Valley northwesterly along Kinsey St, westerly via Johnson St and northerly along Kraft Ave back to the newly-opened Broadmoor Ave remains signed as the M-37 route ("marked-and-maintained") temporarily until the final segment of Broadmoor-Cherry Valley is completed and opened to traffic. The remainder of the former route from Kraft Ave westerly along 92nd St, northerly on Hanna Lake Rd, northwesterly via Wing Ave, westerly along 60th St, and northerly via Kalamazoo Ave to 28th St is turned back to county control. |
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| 1949 (Nov 10) – The new 3.915-mile US-31/M-37 alignment into Traverse City from the south which opened to traffic in August is officially established as a state trunkline route from the south intersection with McRea Hill Rd northerly to Fourteenth St. (For whatever reason, the ten-block segment of Division St which became part of US-31/M-37 in August is not included in the establishment and, for now, remains a "marked-and-maintained" route as a city street maintained by the State Highway Dept.) At the same time, most of the former route of US-31/M-37 into Traverse City from the south is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to county and city control, including the 0.7-mile segment of McRea Hill Rd from the US-31/M-37 relocation northerly to Silver Pines Rd, the 2.3 mile segment from the new relocation northeasterly to South Airport Rd (which is obliterated as a public road) and South Airport easterly and northerly to Veterans Dr (formerly Rennie St), and Veterans (Rennie) northerly to the Traverse City city limit, as well as the 2.3 miles of city streets along Rennie St, Fourteenth St and S Union St to Front St downtown. Interestingly, the 0.8-mile segment of McRea Hill Rd from Silver Pines Rd northasterly to the new alignment of US-31/M-37 is retained as an unsigned state trunkline spur for the time being. |
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| 1952 (Sept 10, Nov 10) – The 4.1-mile segment of M-37 near Caledonia, which has been in the planning stages since 1941 and delayed several times over the ensuing decade, is finally complete and open to traffic on September 10—mostly. The project, which was to have been completed in 1950 or 1951, has been delayed due to cement shortages and, later, steel shortages. The State Highway Dept finally decides to complete the project, at least temporarily, as a gravel-surfaced highway initially, with asphalt paving to follow later in the year. So, while M-37 is now open along Broadmoor Ave from Kraft Ave southeasterly to Cherry Valley Ave, then southerly along Cherry Valley Ave to the former route at Kinsey St southeast of Caledonia, it also means the entirety of M-37 is no longer fully paved, as it has been since 1945. State maintenance (and route marking) on the "marked-and-maintained" route of M-37 along Kraft Ave, Johnson St and Kinsey St through Caledonia ends. Two months later on November 10, the 4.075-mile section of newly-completed M-37 between Kraft Ave and Kinsey St is established as a state trunkline route, filling a gap in the established route created when the existing/former route of M-37 between Caledonia and Grand Rapids was cancelled in November 1949. |
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| 1952 (Nov 11) – In a project designed to remove through traffic and trucks from the heart of Traverse City's downtown core, a new shoreline boulevard named Grandview Parkway is constructed along the shoreline of the West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay and opened to traffic. The new thoroughfare begins at the M-22 & M-72 jct on the northwest side of Traverse City, then continues southeasterly along the bayshore as M-22/M-72 to Division St. There, M-22 terminates and US-31/M-37/M-72 continues easterly along the new parkway byassing downtown, merging back into the existing route at Front St near Railroad Ave. Division St from Front St northerly to Grandview Parkway becomes the new signed route for US-31/M-37 from the south. The former route of US-31/M-37/M-72 along Front St from Division St easterly through downtown to the new Grandview Parkway (near Railroad St) is temporarily retained as an unsigned state trunkline route. |
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| 1953 (Mid) – M-37 is rerouted in the Grand Rapids area: From the 28th St & East Beltline-Broadmoor Ave intersection, M-37 now heads northerly (concurrently with US-131 and M-21) via East Beltline Ave to Cascade Rd, northwesterly via Cascade (concurrently with BUS M-50) to E Fulton St, then westerly via E Fulton back to its former route at Eastern Ave. (BUS US-16/BUS M-21/BUS M-50 all continue westerly toward downtown from this point.) to the former alignment. The portion of the former route not signed with other routes from 28th St to Franklin St (specificially Kalamazoo Ave, Nelson Ave, Burton St and Eastern Ave) is retained as an unsigned state trunkline for the time being. | |
| 1953 (Aug 7, 8:00am) – A new, four-lane divided, 555-foot long bridge spanning the Muskegon River at Newaygo is completed and opened to traffic. The bridge contains over 1,000 yards of cement and 2,500 tons of reinforcing steel and cost $828,000 to construct. Dedication ceremonies for the new span will be held in September during the Newaygo Centennial Celebration. A temporary bridge erected in June 1951 immediately upstream of the new structure to allow unimpeded travel along M-37 across the river is removed soon thereafter. The former bridge it replaced was a narrow, 17-foot wide span and was the scene of many accidents. |
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| 1953 (Nov 6) – Almost exactly a year after it opened to traffic, Traverse City's Grandview Parkway—part of M-22/M-72 west of Division St and US-31/M-37/M-72 east of Division—is officially established as a state trunkline highway route. The 1.2-mile segment of Division St from Fourteenth St northerly to Grandview Parkway is also officially established as a trunkline route, although the 10-block segment between Fourteenth and Front Sts has been signed as part of US-31/M-37 and maintained as a trunkline since late 1949. At the same time, the former route of US-31/M-37/M-72 through downtown via Front St from Division St easterly is officially cancelled as a state trunkline highway route and transferred to city control. |
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| 1953 (Nov) – The new Slagle Creek bridge along M-37 in western Wexford Co is completed and opened to traffic (replacing a temporary span which was completed in mid-April), signalling the completion of the southern eight mile portion of the final gap in M-37 between M-55 and Mesick. A 6.9-mile segment of highway was constructed with a gravel-surface from M-55 northerly and with the completion of the permanent bridge over Slagle Creek, brings the entire newly-built roadway to 8.008 miles from M-55 northerly to 28 Rd northwest of Harrietta. From there, M-37 is signed along a roadway originally constructed by the County for one mile (but exisitng along the aligment of the established route for M-33 from 1933), then continues as a "marked-and-maintained" route via roads still under County jurisdiction: Easterly from 7 Rd via 26 Rd, northerly through Yuma along 7¼ Rd (present-day Old M-37), then curving northeasterly at 20 Rd to run generally south of the Ann Arbor R.R. tracks before turning easterly on 18 Rd, northerly again via 11 Rd, easterly along Henry St in Mesick, then northerly two blocks on Walter St to M-115/Mesick Ave. The newly completed gravel segment coupled with the "marked-and-maintained" route through Yuma into Mesick completes M-37 as one, single route driveable from end to end for the first time since it was extended north of Lake Co in 1940. |
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| 1955 (July) – The 8-mile stretch of M-37 opened to traffic in 1953 as a gravel-surfaced highway from M-55 northerly in western Wexford Co is now paved and, with the current "marked-and-maintained" route originally paved by the County from there through Yuma to Mesick, means M-37 is, again, completely hard-surfaced from end to end. |
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| 1956 (Mar 26) – Almost three years after M-37 was rerouted at Grand Rapids to follow East Beltline Ave, Cascade Rd and Fulton St from the southeast into the central part of the city, the former route of M-37 along Kalamazoo Ave from 28th St northerly, Nelson Ave northwesterly, Burton St westerly and Eastern Ave northerly to Franklin St—which had been an unsigned trunkline since that time—is cancelled as a trunkline route and turned back to city control. |
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1957 (June 24) – Two changes related to the route of M-37 in Grand Traverse Co occur
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| 1957 (Oct 4, Nov 27, Dec 1) – In an effort to ultimately completely the modernization and relocation of M-37 between Hastings and Grand Rapids which was begun twenty years earlier, the route between W Main St in Middleville and Kinsey St southeast of downtown Caledonia is upgraded and partially relocated onto a new alignment, both shortening the route by 1.12 miles as well as eliminating two sharp 90° turns. The northernmost 1.7 miles of the upgraded route, along the existing highway from Kinsey St southerly into Barry Co, is completed and opened to traffic on October 4. The remaining 3¾ mile section from W Main St northerly along Arlington St, then northwesterly from Middleville on a new alignment to existing M-37 at Cherry Valley Rd just north of Parmalee Rd is completed and opened to traffic around November 27. A few days later on December 1, the former M-37 route—Main St and Green Lake Rd westerly from Middleville, then Cherry Valley Rd from Green Lake Rd northerly to the connection with the new alignment just north of Parmalee Rd—is cancelled and turned back to village and county control, while the new 3.88-mile route is officially established as a state trunkline route at the same time. (Final paving on the 5½-mile section is scheduled to be completed by August 15, 1958.) |
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| 1958 (Apr 3) – As part of the overall project which completes the route of M-115 in Northwest Lower Michigan more than three decades after it was initially established, M-37 is realigned to run due southerly from its junction with M-42 for 0.44 mile to a new jct with M-115/Cadillac Hwy, where M-37 turns westerly to join M-115 for approximately ½ mile to the former M-115 & M-37 jct just east of the Mesick village limit. The 0.5-mile long former route of M-37 via 11¾ Rd is cancelled as a trunklne and turned back to county control. |
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| 1958 (Sept 16–Oct 8) – For reasons which still aren't entirely clear, the former five-mile route of M-37 from Middleville westerly along W Main St and Green Lake Rd then northerly on Cherry Valley Rd is re-established as a state trunkline route on September 16, just 9½ months after it was cancelled and turned back to local control. Odder still, the re-establishment lasts only 23 days until October 8 when it is re-cancelled again and turned back to local control. Again. |
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| 1958 (Feb 7, Aug 29, Oct 8) – The first project in an effort to upgrade and, in part, realign M-37 north of Grand Rapids involves widening the existing M-37/Alpine Ave from 4 Mile Rd northerly to Alpine Church Rd from three to four lanes, then rebuilding the existing highway from Alpine Church to 1,000 ft north of 8 Mile Rd into a four-lane, divided highway, then continue the four-lane divided highway, but now as a limited-access expressway, northwesterly on a new alignment from Alpine Ave to Sparta Ave south of Sparta. In addition to widening the busy highway, it also removes two 90° turns in the route at Englishville and Ballards Corners. The first phase of the project is complete when through traffic begins to use the southbound lanes of the new highway on February 7, while the entire project is completed and opened to traffic on August 29. Then on October 8, the 2.942-mile section of newly-built M-37 from Alpine Ave northwesterly to Sparta Ave is established as a state trunklline route, while the 3.6-mile long former route along Alpine Ave from the relocated M-37 northerly to 10 Mile Rd, then westerly along 10 Mile Rd to Sparta Ave, and from there northerly via Sparta Ave to the new highway is cancelled as a trunkline and turned back to county control. |
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| 1960 (Aug 12) – While the 8-mile section of M-37 from M-55 in southwestern Wexford Co northerly which was completed and opened to traffic in 1953 "completed" the route of M-37 in its entirety from Battle Creek to the tip of the Old Mission Peninsula, the portion from 28 Rd northwest of Harrietta northerly and notheasterly to Mesick was only a "marked-and-maintained" route following a roadway still technically under county jurisdiction, just temporariy signed as a state highway. A 6.7-mile of highway, of which all but one mile is built on new alignment, is completed and opened to traffic along the route originally established for M-37 in 1933. The new highway segment, costing $452,000 to build, removes 15 curves or turns in the route and one railroad grade crossing. It takes nearly three decades for the portion of M-37 from 28 Rd northerly past Yuma to M-115/Cadillac Hwy on the west side of Cadillac to be built. (The one mile from 28 Rd to 26 Rd is a reconstruction of an existing roadway built by the County in previous decades.) With the final completion of the last established segment of M-37, the route can officially be considered to be 100% finished. The formerly "marked-and-maintained" route through Yuma and into the south side of Mesick reverts to local control and maintenance. |
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| 1961 – Almost exactly twenty years after removing the concurrent M-37 designation, the route of M-96 from M-37 northwest of downtown Battle Creek into downtown is once again co-signed with M-37, much as it was c.1930–1941. | |
| 1962 (Jan 9) – As initially implemented in 1957, made permanent in 1958 and officially established in 1960, eastbound M-96 (and, now, also sbd M-37) traffic entering Battle Creek from the northwest via Michigan Ave has turned southerly via the short, narrow, one-block Thorne St to Jackson St, where it then continues southeasterly into the downtown area. On this date, the 0.148-miles of W Michigan Ave (Angell St to Thorne St) and Thorne St (W Michigan Ave to Jackson St) are transferred to municipal control, while the 0.173 miles of Angell St (W Michigan Ave to Jackson St) and Jackson St (Angell St to Thorne St) are transferred to state control and become the new ebd M-96/sbd M-37 routing. | |
| 1962 (Oct 29, Nov 15) – The 9.8 relocation of M-37 in northwest Kent and easternmost Muskegon Cos is completed and opened to traffic on October 29. The two-lane highway, which cost $1.6xxx million to construct, is built in a 200-foot right-of-way which will accommodate its future conversion into a four-lane divided expressway or freeway in the future when funds are available and traffic warrants. (Although this will never eventually happen.) The new highway runs to the west and southwest of the existing highway and is interesected by selected county roads, while others are dead-ended in anticipation of its eventual conversion into a full freeway. Just over two weeks later on November 15, the 9.8 miles of newly-completed highway from Sparta Ave south of Sparta northerly and northwesterly to Apple Ave west of Casnovia is established as a state trunkline route, while the 9.982-mile former route, which passes through the three villages of Sparta, Kent City and Casnovia along its route, via Sparta Ave, Ball Creek Dr and Waterloo St is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control. |
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| 1962 (Dec 17, 10:00am; Dec 28) – The 3.4-mile long I-296/US-131 freeway route from the proposed junction with I-96 (present-day I-196) in downtown Grand Rapids northerly to an interchange with I-196/US-16 (present-day I-96) north of the city is completed and opened to traffic on December 17. Eleven days later on December 28, the same segment of highway is officially established as a state trunkline highway. With this freeway completion, the State Highway Dept proceeds with the cancellation of portions of state trunklines along streets which the freeway replaces, specifically with relation to M-37, the 0.8-mile portion of Monroe Ave from Fulton St northwesterly and northerly to Coldbrook Ave, the 0.53-mile portion of Leonard St from Turner St westerly to Alpine Ave, and the 2.0-mile section of Alpine Ave from Leonard St north to 3 Mile Rd (at the new I-196/US-16 interchange) are also cancelled as state trunkline routes on December 28 and turned back to local control. The State Highway Dept decides the best route for M-37 through Grand Rapids, now that portions of the former route on the north side are being cancelled, is to reroute it westerly from Broadmoor Ave to run concurrently with M-11/M-21 on 28th St to US-131, then northerly through the city via US-131 (and I-296/US-131 north of downtown) to the I-196/US-16 freeway, then jog westerly for about ¾ mile back to its former route at Alpine Ave where it would turn northerly toward Sparta and Newaygo. The M-44 designation replaces M-37 along the East Beltline, joining M-21, from M-11/28th St northerly to M-50/Cascade Rd, while the M-50 and BUS M-21 designations remain along the portions fo Cascade Rd and Fulton St formerly traversed by M-37 into downtown Grand Rapids. |
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| 1965 (Sept 1) – A newly-constructed 0.852-mile long segment of M-37 straightens the alignment of the highway as it heads up the hill south of Chums Corners and Traverse City in Grand Traverse Co's Blair Twp (Sec. 29) and is officially established as a state trunkline route. The former 0.9-mile route, which curves to the southwest then back to the southeast as it ascends the hill, is cancelled as a trunkline route and turned back to county control. (The Grand Traverse Co Road Commission will officially abandon the portion of the former route of M-37 north of Mill Rd in two weeks' time, although Dept of State Highways right-of-way maps say this section was "obliterated"—it was not.) |
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| 1966 (Jan 1) – Existing dual state highway route designations in the Battle Creek area are "simplified" by the State Highway Dept so that several segments of highway formerly bearing two or three routes now only bear one. The result is that the route of M-96 is scaled back to end at a new eastern terminus at M-89 west of Battle Creek just east of the Calhoun/Kalamazoo Co line. What had been formerly designated as M-89/M-96 along W Michigan Ave from M-37/Bedford Rd westerly becomes just M-89, while the concurrent M-37/M-96 along W Michigan Ave east of M-37/Bedford Rd and Angell St–Jackson St (ebd) and Van Buren St (wbd) now becomes just M-37. | |
| 1969 (Oct 29) – With the completion of the US-131 freeway from I-96 north of Grand Rapids northerly past Rockford, several state trunkline route designations changes occur. Since late 1962, M-37 has run westerly from Broadmoor Ave-East Beltline Ave with M-11 via 28th St to US-131, then northerly through Grand Rapids with US-131 to I-96 where it jogged west to pick up Alpine Ave. Now, M-37 continues northerly from M-11/28th St to run concurrently with M-44 along East Beltline Ave to I-96, then joins with I-96 around the northeast side of Grand Rapids to Alpine Ave, where it heads northerly toward Sparta and Newaygo. |
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| 1972 (Dec 29) – Even though the proposed M-37 Hastings-Battle Creek Expressway was removed from many Dept of State Highways planning maps after 1971 (signifying it is no longer under consideration), one project related to that proposed-but-never-built project comes to fruition. M-37/M-43 from downtown Hastings westerly to the western jct of M-37 & M-43 is relocated to a route, much of which is built on new alignment, originally proposed to facilitiate a connection to the proposed expressway route. The 1.741-mile new route is established as a state trunkline route and likely opens to traffic around the same time. The former route of M-37/M-43 via Green St will be turned back to local control the next year. |
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| 1973 (Mar 30, Jun 27) – The former route of M-37/M-43 from downtown Hastings westerly superseded by the present-day alignment (see above) is cancelled and turned back to local control. The 0.884 mile section of Green St from downtown Hastings (at Broadway St) westerly to the west city limit is turned back to city control on March 30, while the 0.826-mile portion in Rutland Twp from the west limit of Hastings westerly to the new alignment is turned back to the county on June 27. | |
| 1977 (Dec 16) – The first phase in a major effort to upgrade and widen the East Beltline-Broadmoor Ave corridor (M-37 and M-44) along the eastern side of the Grand Rapids Metro area is completed when the nearly ¾-mile portion of the route from M-21/Fulton St northerly to the I-96 interchange is re-opened to traffic. The $1.8-million project upgraded the two-lane highway to a four-lane divided highway, including a new three-span bridge across the Grand Trunk Western Ry line between I-96 and Michigan St to accommodate the additional lanes. |
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| 1977 – The concurrent designation of M-37/M-44 along East Beltline Ave between I-96 and M-11/28th St in the Kentwood/Grand Rapids area is removed when M-44 is scaled back to end at I-96 Exit 38 east of Grand Rapids. | |
| 1979 (Nov 21–Dec 20) – The second phase in a major effort to upgrade and widen the East Beltline-Broadmoor Ave corridor (M-37 and M-44) along the eastern side of the Grand Rapids Metro area is completed when the three mile portion of the route from M-21/Fulton St southerly to Lake Eastbrook Blvd at Woodland and Eastbook Malls is re-opened to traffic. Similar to the first phase, the $7.4-million project upgraded the two-lane highway to a four-lane divided highway with Michigan Lefts and other upgrades. Construction on this phase was slowed somewhat by the existence of a great deal of "muck" which had to be removed and replaced with sand and gravel to provide a stable base for the new roadway to be built atop. The new lanes from M-21/Fulton St southerly to Cascade Rd are constructed to the west of the original highway (which becomes the nbd lanes), while from Cascade Rd southerly to just north of Lake Dr, the new lanes are constructed to the east of the original roadway (which becomes the sbd lanes). From north of Lake Dr to Lake Eastbrook Blvd, the new lanes are again constructed to the west of the original highway with the exception of a short segment in the Calvin College area where highway constructed shifted to the east to avoid campus buildings. The sbd lanes are completed and opened to traffic on November 21, while the northbound lanes are finished and opened a month later on December 20. |
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| 1984 (June 21) – The City of Battle Creek, desirous of reinvigorating their ailing downtown, counts on un-doing the several one-way streets in the central business district—put in place in 1957 to help speed traffic through the center of the city—as one aspect of the overall plan. MDOT accommodates the plan by agreeing to transfer jursidiction of several downtown streets back to city control, while rerouting both BL I-94 and M-37 in the process. The eastbound one-way trunkline route had diverged from W Michigan Ave at Angell St south one block to Jackson St and followed Jackson through downtown returning back to E Michigan Ave at Jay St and proceeding easterly from there. The westbound one-way trunkline route diverged from E Michigan Ave at Elm St, continued northerly along Elm to Van Buren St, then westerly across the north side of downtown along Van Buren before merging back into W Michigan Ave west of Limit St. The portion of these two routes west of M-66/Division St is part of M-37, while the portion to the east is part of the BL I-94 routing. Jackson St and the Elm-Van Buren route east of Washington St are cancelled as state trunklines and turned back to local control and Washington St from Van Buren St southerly to BL I-94/Dickman Rd is transferred to state control on June 21. As such, M-37 is now routed along Washington St between the Jackson–Van Buren one-way pair and BL I-94/Dickman Rd, then easterly concurrently with BL I-94 via Dickman Rd to a new southern terminus at I-194/M-66 at Exit 3. |
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| 1985 (Late Fall) – Until now, M-37 and M-82 at Newaygo have left town heading north by crossing the Muskegon River via long, wide bridge and immediately arriving at a ⟙-intersection where the highway turns 90° to the left (Croton Rd proceeds to the east), passes over Penoyer Creek and the C&O Railway on an overpass, then almost immediately M-37 makes another 90° turn back to the north, with M-82 continuing ahead to the west toward Fremont. Now, M-37 proceeds straight ahead when it comes off the Muskegon River bridge on a new, 1.1-mile highway which cost $1.77 million to construct. The new highway continues north-northeasterly before merging back into the existing M-37 north of Newaygo. The former east-west segment from M-37 over Penoyer Creek and the C&O Railway is now just designated as part of M-82, while the former segment of M-37 from M-82 northeasterly to where it meets the newly-constructed highway becomes an unsigned state trunkline, for now, designated as OLD M-37 and named Evergreen Dr. |
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| 1987 (Sept 1) – A short, 0.265-mile long segment of unsigned OLD M-37 serving essentially as a frontage road for cottages and homes along Clear Lake in southern Barry Co, approximately ½ mile south of Dowling, is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to county control. This short segment of roadway, known as either Old State Highway 37 or Clear Lake Dr, is left over from a highway modernization project in c.1930 which eliminated several sharp corners and smaller turns in the route. MDOT right-of-way maps, however, state this segment of roadway was "vacated 8-1-86," over a year earlier. The September 1, 1987 date comes from official MDOT correspondence. |
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| 1991 (Nov 15) – The third phase in a major effort to upgrade and widen the East Beltline-Broadmoor Ave corridor (M-37 and M-44) along the eastern side of the Grand Rapids Metro area is completed on November 15, 1991. (This segment of Grand Rapids' East Beltline is part of the route of M-44, however, so see the M-44 route listing for full details on this phase.) |
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| 1995 (May 1) – Both the 0.837-mile long segment of OLD M-37 along Evergreen Dr north of Newaygo in central Newaygo Co as well as a newly-built 0.060-mile realignment and "turned-in approach" on Evergreen Dr at Centerline Rd are cancelled as unsigned state trunkline routes and turned back to county control. For a decade since the M-37 relocation north of Newaygo was completed and opened to traffic the former route of M-37 along Evergreen Dr from M-82 northeasterly back to M-37 has been an unsigned trunkline. As part of the turnback, MDOT reconstructs the northern Evergreen Dr & Centerline Rd intersection to make the intersection free-flowing for Evergreen Dr South into Centerline Rd North, with the newly-constructed 0.060-mile approach also transferred to county control. |
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| 1997 (Nov 21) – The fourth phase in a major effort to upgrade and widen the East Beltline-Broadmoor Ave corridor (M-37 and M-44) along the eastern side of the Grand Rapids Metro area encompasses the four-mile portion of the route from 32nd St southeasterly to 60th St in Kentwood. MDOT began planning this phase in early 1989 as well as engineering and design work with the first property acqusitions starting in mid-1991.
But due to state construction budget issues, construction does not begin on the 44th St-to-60th St portion until Spring 1996. Additionally, the department announces in 1993 the portion of the project from 60th St southerly to beyond 76th St in Caledonia Twp will also be delayed several years and will not take place until construction of the proposed South Beltline freeway project begins. The fourth phase of the upgrade project is completed when the nbd lanes of M-37/Broadmoor Ave from 32nd St to 44th St are opened to traffic on November 14, with the sbd lanes opening by November 21. |
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| 1998 (May 5) – A jurisdictional "swap" with the City of Battle Creek helps further the goals of a project to completely reconstruct W Michigan Ave west of downtown. M-37 is being relocated off the one-way pair—southbound M-37 turns south off W Michigan Ave via Angell St, then continues easterly along Jackson St to Washington Ave while northbound M-37 runs northerly along Washington Ave, then westerly via Van Buren St before merging back into W Michigan Ave near the west city limit—while the M-37 designation is being reapplied to W Michigan Ave from Washington Ave westerly. This re-establishes W Michigan Ave as a trunkline—it was the route of M-96 into Battle Creek from the west prior to 1960. A total of 1.922 miles of trunkline route are transferred to city control, while 0.692 mile of new trunkline route are established along W Michigan Ave for a net "loss" of 1.23 mile in trunkline mileage. The City of Battle Creek plans to re-establish two-way traffic on Jackson and Van Buren Sts once they are back in their possession. |
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| 1998 (Oct 31) – As a part of the Rationalization process (1998), the route of M-37 within the City of Battle Creek is altered. On this day, MDOT takes control of dozens of miles of formerly county roads and municipal streets. Among those miles is all of Bedford Rd from the jct of M-37 & M-89 southerly to Helmer Rd, all of Helmer Rd from Bedford Rd southerly to Columbia Ave and all of Columbia Ave from Helmer westerly to BL I-94/Skyline Dr-MLKing Jr Mem Hwy. These roads become part of the realigned M-37 route from M-89 to I-94. M-37 then continues southwesterly via BL I-94/Columbia Ave to its new terminus at I-94. Much of the former route of M-37 into downtown Battle Creek becomes part of an extended M-89. | |
| 1999 (Fall) – A project to construct a new overpass spanning the CSX railroad line (originally Pere Marquette Railroad, present-day Marquette Rail line) one mile south of Bailey in eastern Muskegon Co to replace the one built in the mid-1920s (when the route was designated M-54) is completed and opened to traffic. The project not only involves demolishing and constructing a new overpass, but also easing the sharpness of the two curves either side of the overpass, increasing the safety of the highway in the area. The original 1920s overpass spanned the railroad at a 65° angle while the new structure is only skewed at a 43° angle. The former, sharper alignment of M-37 either side of the bridge is obliterated with the new alignment approximately 200 feet (0.039 mile) shorter than the former alignment. | |
| 2000 – The Battle Creek area route changes which officially ocurred in 1998 (see October 31, 1998 above) are finally signed in the field. New route markers denoting the various changes are physically posted along the various routes in the Battle Creek area. | |
| 2003 (Aug) – In late-August, as a part of a complete sign rehabilitation along East Beltline Ave in Grand Rapids, the route of M-44 is "re-extended" south from its terminus at I-96 (Exit 38), concurrently with M-37 to end at M-11/28th St, where M-37 continues southerly toward Hastings and Battle Creek. MDOT had seemingly removed this redundant concurrency in 1977, but inexplicably re-adds it in 2003. | |
| 2005 (May 4) – The 2.3 miles of M-37 along Columbia Ave between Helmer Rd & BL I-94/Skyline Dr-Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in southwestern Battle Creek is cancelled as a state trunkline route and transferred back to local control. The route of M-37 is then transferred onto BL I-94 to continue westernly and southwesterly (via Dickman Rd and Skyline Dr-Martin Luther King Jr Blvd) to its terminus at I-94 Exit 92, shortening the entire route of M-37 overall by 0.29 mile. |
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| 2007 (June) – The 17¼ mile segment of M-37 on Grand Traverse County's Old Mission Peninsula is designated as a Scenic Heritage Route. | |
| 2013 (Apr 15–June 22) – A short realignment along M-37 just north of the Manistee River and the community of Sherman in northwestern Wexford Co eliminates a treacherous 12% grade and a winding S-curve at the location known as "Sherman Hill." The new highway alignment continues due northerly along the section line on a less-steep 7% grade, while the old route, which diverted to the east before curving back to the section line, is obliterated. A total of 275,000 yards of soil and other materials were removed from the site as part of the project. | |
| 2015 (June 24) – As noted in the "Notes" section above, a portion of BL I-94/M-37 along Skyline Dr/Martin Luther King Jr Blvd on the west side of Battle Creek is permanently closed to traffic between Hill Brady Rd and M-96/Dickman Rd to accommodate expanding munitions storage at the adjacent Battle Creek Air National Guard Base. The remainder of Skyline Dr/M L King Jr Blvd is to be transferred to city control. To remedy the discontinuity in the routes of BL I-94 and M-37, the city transfers control of Columbia Ave between Skyline/MLKing and Helmer Rd (this segment having been a state trunkline route from 1932–1959 and from 1998–2005). BL I-94/M-37 now continues easterly from Skyline/MLKing via Columbia Ave to Helmer Rd, then joins M-96 following Helmer Rd back to the former routes of M-37 and BL I-94 at Dickman Rd. The portion of Dickman Rd from Skyline Dr/MLKing Dr to Helmer Rd which had been designated BL I-94/M-37/M-96 is now just part of M-96. Now measuring 221.935 miles in length, prior to the 2015 rerouting, M-37 was 221.621 miles long—a net gain of 0.314 miles. | |
| 2016 (May–June) – In a reversal of the August 2003 "re-extension" of M-44 from I-96 at Exit 38 on the eastern edge of Grand Rapids southerly to M-11/28th St as well as being a "re-truncation" re-implementing MDOT's original removal of the M-44 designation from that portion of East Beltline Ave, the M-44 route markers are again removed from all of M-37/East Beltline Ave south of I-96. M-44's western terminus is, once again, I-96 at Exit 38 and M-37 agains traverses that segment of East Beltline Ave by itself. Much like the 2003 "re-extension" of M-44, this "re-truncation" comes as part of a road sign rehabilitation job along the East Beltline corridor. | |
| Controlled Access: | Freeway: The concurrent segment with I-96 in the Grand Rapids area between Exit 30 and Exit 38. |
Expressway: Two segments of M-37 exist as expressway:
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| Circle Tour: |  Lake Michigan Circle Tour: In Traverse City: From the western jct of US-31/M-37 & M-22/M-72 (cnr of Division St & Grandview Pkwy) to the eastern jct of US-31/M-72 & M-37 (cnr of Front St & Garfield Ave). |
| Pure Michigan Byway: |
 Old Mission Peninsula Scenic Heritage Route: From Traverse City north city limit (just northeast of Peninsula Dr & Center Rd intersection) to the northern terminus of M-37 at the Old Mission Lighthouse. |
| NHS: | Four segments of M-37 are on the National Highway System (NHS):
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| Memorial Highways: | The following Memorial Highway designations have been officially assigned to parts of M-37 by the Michigan Legislature:
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| Photographs: | |
| Weblinks: |
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