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| Western Terminus: | M-140 approximately 2.5 miles east of downtown Eau Claire |
| Southern Terminus: | Indiana state line (connection w/IN SR-23), 3 miles south of Edwardsburg |
| Length: | 28.328 miles |
| Maps: | Route Map of M-62 |
| Notes: |  M-62 is one of Michigan's "directionally-challenged" routes, in that its cardinal directions change at some point along the route. From the Indiana state line northerly through the northern M-60 & M-62 junction in downtown Cassopolis, M-62 is signed as a north–south route, while the route becomes signed as east–west immediately north of the northern M-60 & M-62 northwesterly and westerly to M-140 near Eau Claire. |
For many decades, a westerly extension of M-62 of some sort was contemplated, both by state and local transportation officials, however no extension beyond Eau Claire has ever been realized. Through the 1920s, M-62 only ran from the Indiana state line northerly through Edwardsburg, Cassopolis and ended at M-40 (now M-51) in Dowagiac. The earliest proposals for an extension for M-62 date to the late-1920s when a 22-mile long extension of M-62 was approved by the state highway advisory board and only needed approval by the State Administrative Board to become officially established and, therefore, eligible for state highway construction funding. The extension was to run westerly from Dowagiac to Eau Claire, then turn northwesterly along the Pipestone Rd corridor into Benton Harbor. However, between 1928 and late 1930, the 22-mile extension was whittled down to a 13.8-mile lengthening, still running from Dowagiac to Eau Claire, but then instead of turning northwesterly, the proposed route for M-62 continued almost due westerly from Eau Claire to US-31 (later US-31/US-33, now M-139) at Linco Rd between Berrien Springs and Scottdale. While the entire Dowagiac-to-US-31 trunkline route was officially established, only the portion from Dowagiac to Eau Claire was actually opened to traffic at that point. The new northern/western terminus for M-62 was at the corner of Main St & Old Pipestone Rd in downtown Eau Claire. The remaining 4.6 miles of M-62 from Eau Clau re to US-31, while "established" as a trunkline route, was unbuilt and remained a proposed highway, including a planned St Joseph River span just downstream of the present-day US-31/St Joseph Valley Pkwy bridges. (Also, at this time, M-140 didn't exist—it would be four more years before that highway would come into existence.) The unbuilt segment of M-62 remained on the books until it was officially cancelled as a state trunkline route in early-November 1949.Apparently no official M-62 extension westerly from Eau Claire then existed until planning for the US-31 freeway through Berrien Co begins in earnest. At that point, proposals to connect a western M-62 extension with the new freeway emerged by 1970. A public meeting was even held at Eau Claire High School in 1977 to present the three alternatives the Dept of State Highways & Transportation had come up with for making the connection with the freeway. One route continued M-62 westerly through downtown Eau Claire via Main St then westerly to the new freeway, likely at the present-day Tabor Rd interchange, while the other two either bypassed Eau Claire to the north or south, then returning to the Tabor Rd interchange. The portion of M-62 from M-140 east of Eau Claire easterly to Dowagiac was earmarked for modernization during 1979 and state transportation officials indicated work to extend M-62 through/around Eau Claire and toward the projected US-31 freeway route would likely happen in conjunction with that project. However, to the present-day, the M-62 westerly extension from M-140 either through or bypassing Eau Claire, then on to an interchange with the US-31 freeway has never ocurred. |
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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 a couple changes to M-62 during that timeframe, including:
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| History: | 1913 (Oct 2) – An 18.5-mile new state trunkline route is officially established in Cass Co, beginning at the Indiana state line southwest of Edwardsburg and continuing north along Conrad Rd to present-day US-12, then east-northeasterly via present-day US-12 to Edwardsburg where it turns northeasterly and northerly via present-day M-62 to the southern limits of the Village of Cassopolis. Then from the village limits at the northwestern corner of Cassopolis, the newly-established trunkline route runs generally along the present-day route of M-62 through Lagrange to the eastern limits of the City of Dowagiac. This new trunkline is designated as T.L. 62. |
| 1916 (Mar 28) – T.L. 62 in its entirety is cancelled as a state trunkline route, but is simultaneously re-established with two changes. T.L. 62 now begins at the Indiana state line southeast of Edwardsburg and continues northwesterly along Elkhart Rd to the eastern limits of the Village of Edwardsburg. T.L. 62 re-starts again at the northern Edwardsburg village limits and continues along its 1913–1916 route to Cassopolis. The Cassopolis-to-Dowagiac segment is identical to the 1913 version. (Why the State Highway Dept cancelled the entire trunkline rather than just the portions superseded by other segments is unclear.) | |
| 1919 (July 1) – T.L. 62 is signed in the field as M-62 as all state trunkline highways in Michigan are signed with route markers. Gaps in the route within Edwardsburg, Cassopolis and Dowagiac are signed as M-62 but is not officially under state jurisdiction. | |
| 1919 (Dec 17) – Most of the signed route of M-62 through the Village of Cassopolis is officially established as state trunkline, with the exception of one block of Broadway St downtown. From the southern village limit, the now-state-controlled route of M-62 follows O'Keefe St northerly, South St westerly, then northerly via Broadway St (concurrently with M-60) to Jefferson St. There, M-62 continues northerly for one block as a city-maintained street. State control now resumes at State St (northern jct with M-60) and continues to the western limits of Cassopolis. | |
| 1923 (May 18) – M-62 is realigned from Edwardsburg southerly as the present-day route of the highway is established as a state trunkline route between the state line and the northern limits of the village of Edwardsburg (3.0 miles). This realignment facilitates a connection with what would become Indiana SR-23 in the future. The former 2.7 mile route of M-62 southeasterly from Edwardsburg along Elkhard Rd is turned back to county control. | |
| 1923 (Oct 23) – The route of M-62 in the southern part of Cassopolis is rerouted when Reid St from O'Keefe St westerly to Broadway St and Broadway from Reid northerly to South St is transferred to state control. (M-60—recently extended southwesterly from Cassopolis to Niles is concurrently designated along the portion of Broadway St.) The former route along O'Keefe St from Reid St to South St and via South St from O'Keefe to Broadway is turned back to village jurisdiction. | |
| 1925 (Oct 5) – Most of the signed route of M-62 into the City of Dowagiac is officially established as state trunkline, with the exception of two blocks of Division St downtown. From the eastern village limit, the now-state-controlled route of M-62 follows Division St westerly to the New York Central RR crossing. There, M-62 continues westerly for two blocks as a city-maintained street to its terminus at M-40 (present-day M-51) at Front St. | |
| 1928 (Oct 19) – The State Highway Dept advisory board designates, pending approval by the State Administrative Board, a new, 22-mile long state trunkline route beginning at Dowagiac and continuing westerly through Eau Claire and terminating in Benton Harbor as a westerly extension of M-62. | |
| 1930 (Dec 2) – A 13.8-mile long state trunkline route is established beginning in Cass Co at M-40 (present-day M-51) on the west side of Dowagiac and continuing westerly into Berrien Co, through the Village of Eau Claire and to a terminus at US-31 (present-day M-139) between Berrien Springs and Scottdale. From Laberdy Rd westerly across the St Joseph River to US-31, no roadway exists and the trunkline route itself is not signed west of Old Pipestone Rd in downtown Eau Claire. The State Highway Dept plans to construct a crossing at the St Joseph River to complete the physical highway in the future. This new route becomes a westerly extension of the route of M-62. | |
1931 – 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 established as part of M-62:
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| c.1945-46 – A paving and "straightening" project begun before World War II is completed. The project involves the hard-surfacing of the last eight gravel-surfaced miles of M-62, between Cassopolis and Dowagiac. Some sharp curves are "smoothed" out and about one mile is shaved from the route. | |
| 1948–49 – The 4 miles of M-62 from M-40 at Dowagiac to Indian Lake Rd west of Dowagiac shows up as "gravel-surfaced" on Michigan official highway maps from 1948 into 1949. This portion of the route is re-hard-surfaced by the end of 1949. This is actually not a totally uncommon experience in Michigan in the late-1940s. During the World War II when materials were in short supply, many hard-surfaced roads were not maintained very well, and after the War, there were so many paved highways in bad shape, the State Highway Dept had a tough time resurfacing them all. | |
| 1949 (Nov 4) – All of the officially-established trunkline route of M-62 from downtown Eau Claire at Old Pipestone Rd westerly to US-31/US-33 is cancelled as a state trunkline route. Main St from Pipestone Rd westerly to Hochberger Rd and Staley Rd from Hochberger to Laberdy Rd had never been actually marked or maintained as a state trunkline, while the remainder of the never-built route would remain forever unbuilt. | |
| 1950–53 – The five miles of M-62 from Indian Lake Rd west of Dowagiac into Eau Claire show up as "gravel-surfaced" on Michigan official highway maps beginning in 1950. Most of this segment is re-surfaced by 1952, with the remainder done in 1953. (Same explanation as 1948–49 note above.) | |
| 1957 (June 24) – The 1.8-mile segment of M-62 along Main St from Old Pipestone Rd in downtown Eau Claire easterly to just east of the eastern jct with M-140 east of Eau Claire is officially cancelled as a state trunkline route, including the ¾-mile concurrent portion with M-140, due to State Highway Dept plans to realign M-140 starting at the eastern jct with M-62 and continuing southerly toward Niles—possibly as a potential future rerouting for US-31 in the region. For the time being, M-140 remains signed along the former joint route of M-62/M-140 as a "marked-and-maintained" route until such time as the proposed M-140 realignment to the south is completed. (The M-140 south realignment would never actually occur, so the former joint M-62/M-140 segment would be officially re-established as a state trunkline route again, but only as M-140, five years later.) At this point, M-62 takes on its present-day western terminus. |
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1979 (Apr–Nov)  – The portion of M-62 from its western terminus at M-140 in Berrien Co easterly into Cass Co to the jct with M-51 west of Dowagiac is closed to traffic and completely modernized, including two new alignments bypassing a winding segment in Berrien Co and removing two sharp turns in both Berrien and Cass Cos. The entire segment is reconstructed and, in places, on a new location immediately adjacent to the existing highway. The new new location segments are from Pucker St east to Brush Lake Rd near Brush Lake in Berrien Co and from near Forest Beach St easterly to west of Sink Rd near Indian Lake in Cass Co. The road is completed and reopened to traffic in mid-November, however the new highway segments are not yet officially established as a state trunkline route and the former segments, now named Old M-62, are temporarily retained as unsigned state trunkline segments. The overall project cost $2.8 million |
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| 1980 (June 18) – The two new-alignment stretches of M-62 in eastern Berrien and northwest Cass Co constructed and opened to traffic in late-1979 (see above) are officially established as state trunkline routes, while the two bypassed segments—both named "Old M-62"—are officially cancelled and turned back to county control. |
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| 1990 (Oct 8) – The route of M-51/M-62 through downtown Dowagiac is realigned when the portion of Division St between Main St and Front St is established as a state trunkline route, while the former route along Main St (from Division St to Front St) and Front St (from Main St to Division St) is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to city control. The realignment results in a shorter and more direct route for both trunklines. The intersection of Main St & Division St is also reconfigured to favor the through trunkline route, requiring eastbound Main St traffic at Division St to make a 90° turn to continue into downtown via Main St. | |
| Controlled Access: | No portion of M-62 is freeway or expressway. |
| NHS: | No portion of M-62 is on the National Highway System (NHS). |
| Memorial Highway: | The following Memorial Highway designation has been officially assigned to part of M-62 by the Michigan Legislature:
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| Continue on: | SR-23 into Indiana – via the Indiana Highway Ends website |
| Photographs: | |
| Weblinks: |
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