| Western Terminus: |
M-99 at Osseo (cnr Hudson Rd & Pioneer Rd) |
| Eastern Terminus: |
BUS US-223/M-52 in Adrian (cnr Beecher St & Main St) |
| Length: |
28.938 miles |
| Maps: |
Route Map of M-34 |
| Notes: |
The M-34 of the early 1920s takes in its entire present-day route (roughly) between Osseo and Adrian, as well as additional length on either end. The western terminus of M-34 is in Jonesville at M-23 (later US-112, now US-12), and the route runs through Hillsdale, then easterly through Hudson to Adrian. At Adrian, M-34 enters the city along its present route (Beecher Rd), but turns northerly via Madison St for five blocks, then turns east along Williams St curving toward an intersection with Maumee St at the eastern terminus of M-80 running along the present-day US-223 corridor from Adrian northwesterly. M-34 then follows Maumee St approximately eight blocks to the edge of downtown where it turns southeasterly along Church St, through downtown to Center St. It follows Center St south for 3½ blocks before southeasterly via Treat St and then southerly along Treat Hwy. From there, M-34 heads southeasterly along present-day US-223 through Blissfield and Ottawa Lake to the Ohio state line near Sylvania. Later, on its western end, M-34 is even extended northerly through Homer to end at M-17 (later US-12, now BL I-94) in Albion. |
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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 realignments and upgrades to the route of M-34 during that timeframe, including:
- Retain M-34 as a route designation west of the realigned M-99 (which was completed six years later) into Hillsdale, as the 1960 proposal had M-99 continuing northwesterly from its new jct with M-34 toward Jonesville, bypassing Hillsdale completely. This recommendation was not implemented.
- Extending M-34 east of Adrian into Monroe Co. This was to have been done by continuing M-34 east from its eastern terminus along Beecher St (in Adrian) and Deerfield Rd for approximately 12½ miles to Keinath Hwy west of Deerfield where the route would turn notheasterly on new alignment to the corner of Stearns Hwy & Kingsbury Rd, following Kingsbury Rd (Keegan St in the Village of Deerfield) to the Lenawee/Monroe Co line. In Monroe Co, the new alignment route for M-34 would have then proceeded easterly to bypass Petersburg to the south, then running parallel to (and anywhere from ¼ mile to a few hundred feed south of) Albain Rd to what was then US-23 at Lewis Ave. With US-23 along Lewis Ave marked for turnback once the new US-23 freeway was completed to the west, the proposed M-34 extension was to turn northerly via Lewis Ave through the community of Ida, then terminating at M-50 about five miles east of Dundee. This proposal was never implemented as well.
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| History: |
c.1924 – M-34 is extended northwesterly from Jonesville (along present-day M-99) through Litchfield to end at M-60 in Homer. |
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1926–27 – M-34 is extended northerly and easterly from Homer to end at US-12 in Albion. Also, the portion of M-34 between Adrian and the Ohio state line is redesignated as part of the new US-127 routing and the new eastern terminus is located at US-127 (present-day BUS US-223) in Adrian at the corner of Maumee & Williams Sts. |
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1928 – On M-34's western end, all portions of the route from Hillsdale northerly through Jonesville, Litchfield and Homer to Albion are redesignated as an extension of M-64, which runs northerly from Ohio via Frontier to Hillsdale. This shortens the route of M-34 by 29 miles. (This routing of M-64 later becomes M-9, then M-99.) |
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1930 (Dec 2) – M-34 is realigned at Adrian. Formerly turning north from Beecher St along Madison and Williams Sts to its terminus at US-127 (which itself is becoming US-223 in this area during 1930) west of downtown, Beecher St from Madison St easterly through the southern portion of the city to Treat St southeast of downtown is transferred to state control and becomes the new mainline route for M-34. It now terminates at US-223 (now formerly US-127) at the corner of Beecher St and Treat St. The designation—if any—of the former route of M-34 along Madison and Williams St is not clear. It may have been an un-numbered state trunline route for the next several years. |
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1934 – M-34 between Pittsford and western terminus at M-9 (present-day M-99) at Hillsdale is realigned to its present, more-direct routing. |
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1935 (Jan 7) – The former route of M-34 in the western part of Adrian along Madison St from Beecher St north to Williams St, and along Williams St easterly from Madison to US-223/Maumee St is turned back to local control. It may not have been signed as any specific route since the 1930 transfer of Beecher St from Madison easterly. |
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1935 (May 17) – The portion of US-223 along Treat St from Center St southeasterly to M-30/Beecher St is turned back to local control, while Center St from Treat St southerly to M-30/Beecher St becomes a state trunkline and part of a relocated US-223 route. The five blocks of M-34 along Beecher St between Center St to Treat St is decommissioned and that segment of street becomes part of route of the US-223. |
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1939 – During the first half of 1939, the final 6 miles of gravel-surfaced M-34 are paved, from Pittsford to Hudson. |
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1956 (Mar 26) – The US-223 bypass is completed around the south side of Adrian. Since all of the original route of BUS US-223 in the city is turned back to local control, simultaneously a "new" BUS US-223 is created to follow the "old route" of US-223 through the City of Adrian. Thus, easternmost 10 blocks of M-34 along Beecher St from BUS US-223/M-52/Main St are turned back to local control as well, shortening the route of M-34 by aois rerouted along M-52 and Old US-223 through downtown. M-34 is shortened by approximately one mile when it is scaled back to end at BUS US-223/M-52 in Adrian. |
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1966 – A new M-99 highway alignment is opened five miles east of the former route, intersecting M-34 at Osseo. The M-34 designation is scaled back by 5 miles to end at the new M-99 routing. |
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2003 – From 1956 until this year, travel between M-34 and the US-223 Adrian bypass was facilitated via a short, two-way entrance/exit "ramp" which connected the two highways. This ramp was necessary because the US-223 bypass passed over M-34 and a nearby railroad line via and overpass. In 2003, the short ramp is closed and obliterated, while a new connection just to the west is made via Industrial Dr, which itself is now a state trunkline highway designated internally by MDOT as "Connector 34." Industrial Dr itself is not signed in the field other than with route markers pointing the way between M-34 and US-223. |
| Controlled Access: |
No portion of M-34 is freeway or expressway. |
| NHS: |
No portion of M-34 is on the National Highway System (NHS). |
| Memorial Highway: |
The following Memorial Highway designation has been officially assigned to a part of M-34 by the Michigan Legislature:
- Patrolman Bobby Lynn Williams Memorial Highway – "The portion of highway M-34 in the city of Adrian beginning at the intersection of highway M-34 and South Main Street and extending west to the intersection of highway M-34 and South Madison Street..."
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