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Highways 230 through 249FUTURE M-231 | M-239 | M-247 | Jump to Bottom | |||||||||||||
| Future Southern Terminus: |
 M-45/Lake Michigan Dr in central Ottawa Co near the intersection with 120th Ave |
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| Future Northern Terminus: |
Jct I-96 & M-104 at Nunica |
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| Future Length: | ~7 miles |
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| Map: | Route Map of Future M-231 | |||||||||||||
| Notes: | With the state's economy rebounding more slowly than expected, MDOT announced on March 13, 2006 a revision in the overall plan to complete the proposed US-31 Bypass in Ottawa Co. Instead of building the entire corridor from north to south, segment after segment, the state now plans on constructing one of the proposed two Grand River spans in the 120th Ave corridor and building a two-lane, controlled access highway from I-96 at Nunica southerly across the river, ending at M-45/Lake Michigan Dr. This two-lane highway will be built on a four-lane freeway right-of-way to accommodate its eventual conversion to a fully limited-access facility in the future. This first segment of highway will not be signed as part of US-31, rather it will bear the route designation of M-231 and serve as a relief and detour route when the US-31 Grand Haven Drawbridge is stuck in the open position or experiences other mechanical problems. |
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| According to MDOT officials, the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for M-231 will be complete and the planning and design phase begun in 2007. Acquisition of right-of-way for this segment of the highway will also begin then and run through 2008. Actual road and bridge construction would begin in 2010 or 2011. As of early 2006, the department has approximately $10.4 million to design the three projects and begin property acqusition and additional funding would serve to accelerate the project or, possibly, move work on the other segments up. |
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| History: | 1990-2003 - Planning and route selection begins for a new US-31 freeway "bypass" connecting the existing freeway segments of that route south of Holland and north of Muskegon. |
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| 2006 (Nov 8) - The M-231 route designation for the seven-mile long, two-lane limited-access highway to be built along the line of the proposed "US-31 Bypass" between M-45/Lake Michigan Dr and I-96 at Nunica is unveiled at an MDOT Public Information Meeting on this date. |
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| Freeway/Expwy: | Future M-231 is proposed to be constructed as a two-lane, limited-access expressway with access only at select crossroads and right-of-way reserved for future conversion to a full four-lane freeway facility. |
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| Photographs: | ||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • US-31 Freeway in Ottawa County - find out why decisions made in the early 1950s resulted in controversy in the 1990s and early 2000s. | |||||||||||||
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Southern Terminus: | Indiana state line (connection w/IN SR-39) southeast of New Buffalo | ||||||||||||
| Northern Terminus: | I-94 at Exit 1 southeast of New Buffalo | |||||||||||||
| Length: | 1.14 miles | |||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-239 | |||||||||||||
| Notes: | For many years in the 1960s and until 1972, Indiana dragged their feet on the completion of their portion of I-94 past Michigan City, so a temporary terminus of I-94 was located at M-239. Through Detroit-Chicago traffic continued southerly via M-239 into Indiana, then southerly via IN SR-39 to a connection with the Indiana Toll Rd, then westerly toward Chicago. Once the "Cornfield Roadblock" was completed in Indiana, M-239 was retained as a connection with IN SR-39. | |||||||||||||
| M-239, named as such because of its connection with IN SR-39, has always terminated at I-94 and has never extended northwesterly via La Porte Rd into New Buffalo. | ||||||||||||||
| History: | 1963 (Sept 22) - A new 1.1-mile long state trunkline is officially determined along La Porte Rd in southwestern Berrien Co connecting the temporary western end of I-94 in Michigan near New Buffalo with IN SR-39 at the Indiana state line. | |||||||||||||
| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-239 is freeway or expressway. | |||||||||||||
| Continue on: | SR-39 into Indiana - via the Indiana Highway Ends website | |||||||||||||
| Photographs: | ||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-239 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of M-239 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website. | |||||||||||||
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Southern Terminus: | M-13/Euclid Ave northwest of Bay City | ||||||||||||
| Northern Terminus: | Entrance to Bay City State Recreation Area north of Bay City | |||||||||||||
| Length: | 2.84 miles | |||||||||||||
| Map: | Route Map of M-247 | |||||||||||||
| Notes: | Until 1998-99, M-247 had been the highest designated M-numbered highway in the state. All other higher-numbered routes were Interstates. With the first highway transfers of the Rationalization process, Marquette County's Co Rd 553 was transferred from county to state control. First M-553, then M-294 broke the long-standing "247 barrier." M-247's long reign at the top of all M-numbered highways has, unfortunately, come to an end. | |||||||||||||
| M-247, which serves as a state highway connector to the main entrance of the Bay City State Recreation Area, is also known as Euclid Ave and Beaver Rd. The highway derives its number from having been formerly designated as a part of M-47 until 1961, when M-47 was moved onto a former portion of US-10 between Saginaw and Bay City. | ||||||||||||||
| History: | 1961 - A variety of state trunkline highway route changes take place in the "Tri-Cities" area of Saginaw/Bay City/Midland this year, including the routing of M-47 out of the Bay City area onto a more westerly-trending alignment via Freeland and the cancellation of the portion of former M-47 along Henry St and State Park Dr from Bay City northerly to the Bay City State Park (present-day Bay City State Recreation Area). What had been designated M-47 from M-13 (formerly US-23) northwest of Bay City northerly via Euclid Rd to the state park is redesignated as M-247. | |||||||||||||
| Freeway/Expwy: | No portion of M-247 is freeway or expressway. | |||||||||||||
| Photographs: | ||||||||||||||
| Weblinks: | • M-247 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of M-247 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website. | |||||||||||||
FUTURE M-231 | M-239 | M-247 | Up to Top |
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