| Western Terminus: |
I-75 at Exit 378
near Kinross |
| Eastern Terminus: |
M-129 four miles
south of Donaldson (7 miles north of Pickford) |
| Length: |
 7.918 miles |
| Maps: |
 Route Map of M-80 |
| Notes: |
The current iteration of M-80 was designated in late 1994 or early 1995. Formerly a
Chippewa county road bearing the names Gaines Hwy and Tone Rd, this route
was transferred to MDOT who
then completely rebuilt it and gave it a state highway designation. While
Chippewa County's state highway mileage has gone up by well over 20 miles
in recent years, M-80's purpose is clear: it serves the Chippewa Co International
Airport and the Kinross Correctional Facility, both of which are on the site
of the former Kincheloe Air Force Base. M-80 now provides "all-weather" access
to those facilities from both I-75 and M-129. |
| |
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, there was no recommendation from MSHD staff for the route of M-80—as in 1960, there was no M-80! The previous iteration of the route in Gladwin Co had been turned back to county control in 1939 and the current iteration would not exist for another ~35 years! |
| History: |
1919 (Dec 4) – A 19.0-mile long state trunkline route is officially determined in Lenawee Co beginning on the western city limit of Adrian and continuing northwesterly through Rome (present-day Rome Center) and Devils Lake, ending at M-23 (later US-112, present-day US-12) approximately one mile east of Somerset. |
| |
1919 (Dec 24) – An additional 0.6-mile of M-80 is officially assumed into the state trunkline system in Adrian from the west city limit (just west of Charles St) southeasterly along Maumee St to Scott St. The remainder of Maumee St from Scott St easterly to M-34 at the cnr of Wlliams St & Maumee St in downtown Adrian is signed as M-80, but is still under the jurisdiction of the city. |
| |
1926 (Nov 11) – With the debut of the US Highway system
in 1926, the first iteration of M-80 is replaced in its entirety by US-127.
(This route would later be designated as part of US-223 when US-127 is
realigned to run southerly toward Cincinnati instead of Toledo.) While the US Highway System was officially created and designated in 1926, it is likely that all route signs were not erected until sometime in early 1927. |
| |
1927 (Feb 8) – The M-80 designation is only absent from the state for a short time when M-18 in Gladwin Co is realigned to run due
southerly from Beaverton to end at US-10 in North Bradley. The former route
of M-18 from Beaverton to M-30 southeast of Beaverton is redesignated as
M-80. The new M-80 runs easterly from Beaverton via Glidden Rd for three miles, then southerly via Shock Rd for 1-1/2 miles, easterly via Dale Rd for 1-2/3 mile to a terminus at M-30 at the corner of Dale & Dundas Rds. |
| |
1927 (Oct 20) – The one mile segment of M-30 along Dale Rd between the terminus of M-80 at the cnr of Dale & Dundas Rds southeast of Beaverton and present-day M-30 is turned back to county control when a new 2.7-mile segment of trunkline is determined as part of M-30 from that location south and southwesterly to the present-day intersection of M-30 & Dundas Rd. The former 2.9-mile portion of M-30 along Dundas Rd from Dale Rd southerly to the new segment of M-30 becomes an extension of M-80. This change does not show up on official state highway maps until 1931, signalling the physical routing changes in the field may take an additional four years to implement. |
| |
1937 (Aug 30) – The State Highway Department reassumes control of the one-mile segment of Dale Rd from Dundas Rd easterly to M-30 that it had transferred to county control on Oct 20, 1927, nearly ten years earlier. The route of M-80 is then extended easterly over Dale Rd from Dundas to M-30, with the former route of M-80 along Dunas Rd from Dale Rd southerly turned back to county control. This change shows up on official state highway maps as early as May, so actual signage in the field may have changed earlier in the year, with the official jurisdictional transfer taking place later in the summer. |
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1939 (July 13) – The second iteration of M-80 is "decommissioned" in its
entirety; the route is turned back to local control. It would be 55 years
before another M-80 designation would exist in Michigan. |
| |
1994–95 – The Gaines Hwy/Tone Rd routing through
the former Kincheloe Air Force Base area (now the Chippewa Co International
Airport and Kinross Correctional Facilities) is transferred to the state.
The road is rebuilt to "all-weather" standards
and signed as the third iteration of M-80. |
| Controlled Access: |
No portion of M-80 is freeway or expressway. |
| NHS: |
No portion of M-80 is on the National Highway System (NHS). |
| Memorial Highway: |
At present, no portion of M-80 has been designated as part of a Memorial Highway. |
| Photographs: |
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| Weblinks: |
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