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Western Terminus:	M-120 five miles west of Fremont (cnr 48th St & Maple Island Ave)
Eastern Terminus:	US-131/M-46 at Exit 118 west of Howard City
Length:	31.492 miles
Maps:	Route Map of M-82 M-20/M-120/M-82 Maps (1969–1971)
Notes:	The years have been both kind and not-so-kind to the current iteration of M-82; its routing has changed several times due mainly to the rerouting of other state highways. First, M-46 was routed off the Newaygo-to-Howard City stretch and M-82 was extended easterly for 15 miles to end at US-131/M-46. Then, M-20 was rerouted west of White Cloud, scaling back M-82 to end at M-20 in Hesperia. Later, the M-82 designation was removed from the concurrent stretch with M-120 south of Hesperia, bringing the route to its current state.
	When what had been signed as M-41 was given a new route designation in 1927 due to the arrival of the U.S. Highway System, it was given the M-82 designation—interestingly "82" is exactly two times "41." Whether or not this was a purposeful move on the part State Highway Dept personnel is not known, but it is a somewhat intriguing curiosity.
	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 the following changes to the route of M-82 during that timeframe: An entirely new alignment for M-82 from Hesperia westerly to New Era, running on the quarterline halfway between Garfield Rd and Hayes Rd from existing M-82 along Maple Island Ave (present-day M-120) to approximately 112th Ave, then bending west-northwesterly to merge into Hayes Rd approximately ½ mile east of 88th St then continuing westerly via Hayes Rd to a new terminus at US-31 north of New Era. Interestingly, a US-31 freeway was proposed for Oceana Co, but running east of the existing route through New Era, Shelby and Hart with a proposed interchange at relocated M-82 a little east of 88th St., but the proposed M-82 route is shown as still continuing to existing US-31 even though existing US-31 was proposed for turnback to the county. Existing M-82 between Hesperia and Shelby was earmarked for transfer back to local control. In spirit, this proposal was implemented just a few years after these maps were issued, albeit running along Hayes Rd itself as opposed to a new alignment halfway between Hayes and Garfield Rds. As M-20 was proposed to be realigned in Newaygo Co to run from Fremont directly east to an intersection with M-37 halfway between Newaygo and White Cloud, the existing route of M-82 from Fremont easterly to Newaygo was proposed to be transferred to local control with the eastern terminus for M-82 to be scaled back to the initial M-20 & M-82 jct five miles west of downtown Fremont.
History:	1919 (Sept 4) – A 8.25-mile long state trunkline route is officially established in Luce Co beginning immediately north of the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic RR (¼ mile south of the northern village limit of Newberry) and continuing northerly along present-day M-123 for 4¼ miles to Four Mile Corner, then turning westerly along Deer Park Truck Trl (present-day H-37/CR-407) for four more miles to a terminus at Eight Mile Corner. The new trunkline route is given the designation of M-82.
	1920 (May 4) – The 0.5-mile portion of Newberry Ave from just north of the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic RR on the north end of Newberry (the southern end of officially-established M-82) and the northern end of officially-established M-25 entering the village from the south halfway between Avenue A and McMillan Ave is officially established as a state trunkline highway, bridging the gap between the two segments. The northern 0.3 mile of this half-mile segment is designated as M-82, while the southern 0.2 mile is part of M-25. (M-25 turns westerly from Newberry Ave at Harrie St.)
	1923 (Apr 20) – After just 3½ years, the 4.0-mile segment of M-82 from Four Mile Corner north of Newberry westerly to Eight Mile Corner (present-day H-37/CR-407) is cancelled as a state trunkline highway and turned back to county control. This leaves only the 4¼-mile segment of M-82 between Newberry and Four Mile Corner.
	1925 (Sept 9) – A decision is made to consolidate the routes of both M-82 running from M-25 (later M-28) in downtown Newberry northerly and M-84 running from M-25 (present-day M-28) at McLeod's Corner (southeast of Newberry) southerly to M-12 (later US-2, then M-48, now H-40) at Garnet with that of M-48 running from M-12 at Caffey easterly through Trout Lake, Rudyard, and Pickford toward DeTour Village, creating one unified route using the M-48 designation. To do this, M-48 is now signed concurrently with M-12 betwen Caffey and Garnet in Mackinac Co, where it then supplants M-84 northerly into Luce Co. M-48 is then routed concurrently with M-25 from McLeod's Corner westerly into Newberry where it then replaces the M-82 designation northerly to its terminus at Four Mile Corner north of Newberry. Thus ends the first iteration of M-82.
	1926 (Late) – After several proposals and a bit of political wrangling on the actual numbering and routes, the U.S. Highway system is announced, with 13 new national route designations destined for Michigan. Due to this, several state highway designations across the state are changed and the designation of M-41—running between Hart and Newaygo via Hesperia and Fremont in Oceana and Newaygo Cos—is earmarked to be replaced in its entirety by the M-82 designation, as "41" will be assigned to one of thw new U.S. Highway routes.
	1927 (May 15) – The various state trunkline designation changes due to the debut of the U.S. Highway system in the State of Michigan become official as to the many modifications to other routes affected by those changes. M-41 in its entirety from Hart to Newaygo is decommissioned, with the M-82 route markers erected over the entire route. Beginning at M-11 (becoming US-31) in Hart, the new M-82 replaces the M-41 designation southesterly through Ferry and Hesperia to the Fremont area. M-82 runs concurrently with M-24 (changing to M-20) into Fremont, where the new M-82 travels southerly and easterly supplanting M-41 into Newaygo, terminating at M-37 on the north side of Newaygo. Thus marks the beginning of the second, and current, iteration of M-82.
	1927 (May 17) – A 18.3-mile state trunkline segment is officially established and added to the system beginning at M-37 in downtown Newaygo continuing easterly to the northern jct of US-131 & M-46 in downtown Howard City, and designated as an extension of M-82. From downtown Newaygo, the new segment runs southeasterly and easterly via Quarterline St, then easterly along 76th St, southerly on Basswood Ave, easterly again via 78th St, southerly on Walnut Ave, easterly along 80th St, southerly again via Summer Ave for 1½ miles. M-82 then turns easterly via 82nd St running just north of the present-day route between Summer Ave and Thornapple Ave, then along the present-day route of M-82 between Thornapple and Old M-46, following present-day Old M-46 back to 82nd St before turning northeasterly via Island View Dr, then easterly along 80th St to Oak Grove, turning southerly for one mile via Elm Ave, then easterly along 88th St and continuing into Montcalm Co on Howard City Rd to its new eastern terminus in downtown Howard City.
	1930 (Nov 22) – A new alignment for M-82 in Hart and Elbridge Twps via York Rd east of Hart in central Oceana Co is assumed into the state trunkline system removing nine 90° turns in the route in the process. The former route turned southerly from Polk Rd via 100th Ave, then turned easterly for ½ mile via Hazel Rd, southerly for ½ mile along 104th Ave, easterly for ½ mile on Filmore Rd, southerly for ½ mile via 108th Ave, easterly for 1 mile along Scout Rd, southerly for ½ via 116th Ave, then easterly on Baseline Rd for approximately ½ mile. The new alignment runs along a more direct, angling alignment via York Rd between the cnr of 100th Ave & Taylor Rd southeasterly to Baseline Rd at Knox Creek. The 4.2 miles of new trunkline replaces the 5.6 miles of former route, which is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to county control.
	c.1936–37 – M-46 is concurrently signed with M-82 from Newaygo to US-131 at Howard City, eliminating a discontinuous M-46 routing.
	1938 – The concurrent M-46/M-82 designation between Newaygo and Howard City is removed and becomes only M-46. Ironically, this will be redesignated as M-82 when M-46 is rerouted in 45 years. The route of M-82 is scaled back to end at M-37 in Newaygo.
	1947 (Oct 9) – The western end of M-82 is realigned in Oceana Co. From 132nd Ave just north of Ferry, M-82 now heads westerly via Shelby Rd (Ferry St in the village limits of Shelby) for 7.4 miles to end at US-31 in downtown Shelby. The 11.4 mile former route via 132nd Ave, Pierce Rd, 128th Ave, York Rd and Polk Rd between Ferry and Hart is turned back to county control and shortening the route of M-82 by 4.0 miles. With this realignment, the entire route of M-82 is now completely hard-surfaced.
	1963 (Oct 19, Nov 29) – A new, straight-as-an-arrow (with one slight dip at the South Branch of the White River immediately west of Hesperia) state trunkline highway segment is completed and opened to traffic on October 19. The new highway segment begins at M-82/Division St in Hesperia and runs westerly via South Ave, then over a newly-constructed alignment crossing the South Branch of the White River to 198th Ave where it continues westerly along a reconsturcted Hayes Rd to 154th Ave southeast of Ferry for a total of 6.74 miles and signed as part of M-82. This direct alignment replaces a wandering, 8.50-mile segment of Loop Rd to the north featuring over a dozen curves—most of them 90° turns. While a westerly extension of this new alignment along Hayes Rd is still underway, M-82 traffic is directed from the western end of the completed section northerly along 154th Ave (a "marked and maintained" segment) for ¾ mile back to the former Loop Rd alignment. While the new alignment shaves ¾ of a mile from the route, the greatest benefits come from the elimination of the many curves and turns along the route and Hayes Rd being a well-engineered facility. This new alignment is officially established as a state trunkline route on November 29 and simultaneously the former route along Loop Rd east of 154th Ave (and W Michigan Ave and N Division St in the village of Hesperia) is cancelled as a trunkline routing and turned back to local control.
	1964 (Late Oct, Nov 30) – The remaining 8.962 miles of the newly-engineering and relocated M-82 along the Hayes Rd corridor in south-central Oceana Co is completed and opened to traffic in late October. This segment picks up at 154th St southeast of Ferry and continues due westerly along a mixture of re-engineered Hayes Rd and newly-constructed highway alignment (where no roadway previously existed) to a new terminus at US-31/Oceana Dr about a mile north of downtown New Era. The new segment shortens the route of M-82 by 3.89 miles. Then one year and a day after the previous 6.74-mile segment of relocated M-82 is assumed into the state trunkline highway system, this segment is officially established as a trunkline route on November 30. At the same time, the 11.6-mile long former route of M-82 along Loop Rd from 154th St through Ferry to 132nd St, northerly along 132nd to Shelby Rd, then westerly along Shelby Rd (Ferry St in Shelby) to Shelby is cancelled and turned back to local control. The ¾ mile long temporary connection between the first Hayes Rd segment opened and the original route along Loop Rd east of Ferry has the M-82 markers removed and remains a county road.
	1970 (Feb 3) – The 1970 Michigan Official Highway Map is released by the Dept of State Highways... but with changes indicated that aren't going to be reflected in reality until July. Specifically, the M-20 realignment along One Mile Rd between White Cloud and Hesperia in Newaygo Co is shown as complete (albeit without an M-20 symbol on the map) even though the road will not be complete until July 1. From Hesperia to US-31 at New Era, what had been M-82 is now shown on the map sans route designation! The former M-20 between Muskegon and "Fremont Junction" west of Fremont is shown as M-120, but terminating at "Fremont Junction" instead of continuning northerly supplanting the M-82 designation to Hesperia, which is what the Dept of State Highways had anticipated being the case come July. Because of the premature mapping changes, State Highways maintenance workers hastily erect new route markers largely conforming to what is depicted on the map: M-120 now takes the place of M-20 from Muskegon northeasterly to "Fremont Junction," but also runs concurrently with M-82 to Hesperia (even though the original plan was to remove M-82 from this segment of highway). M-82 signs are swapped out for M-20 markers between New Era and Hesperia and removed from the White Cloud-to-Fremont Junction route. (The former M-20 from White Cloud to M-82 east of Fremont is simply an unsigned trunkline, while M-20/M-82 from that point west through Fremont to "Fremont Junction" is signed only as M-82 now.) However, since the One Mile Rd alignment is not yet complete, M-20 is temporarily a discontinuous route due to the mapping issues and the rushed route signing changes caused by it. See: M-20/M-120/M-82 Maps (1969–1971) for a graphical depiction.
	1970 (July 1) – With the relocation of M-20 in Newaygo Co off its former stair-step route from White Cloud southwesterly through Fremont and on toward Muskegon and onto a direct westerly alignment from White Cloud to Hesperia, the M-20 designation is continued westerly from Hesperia supplanting the route of M-82 along 1963–64 realignment via Hayes Rd. With M-20 having its new western terminus at US-31 north of New Era, M-82 now terminates at M-20 in Hesperia. The 5-mile formerly concurrent M-20/M-82 segment from Fremont westerly becomes just M-82, while the 7-mile long section of M-82 from Hesperia southerly is now co-signed with the newly-created M-120. M-82 is now only 22 miles in length (down from more than 40 miles prior to 1963).
	1973 (Oct 22) – M-82 is once again lengthened, this time on the east end andironically via its pre-1938 routing from Newaygo easterly toward Howard City. This eastward extension of M-82 replaces the M-46 designation, which is routed southerly from the Howard City area via the newly-completed US-131 freeway to Cedar Springs, then westerly replacing M-57 to the Kent City area. The length of M-82 is increased by approximately 17 miles (back near the 40-mile range).
	c.1978 – Since the final seven miles of both M-82 and M-120 were co-signed with each other, it was inevitable one would lose out and be truncated back to "Fremont Junction" (jct M-82 & M-120 west of Fremont.) That's exactly what happened in the late 1970s. The first Official Michigan Highway Map without the concurrent M-82/M-120 routing from west of Fremont to Hesperia was issued in 1979, implying the M-82 designation was scaled back in the 1978 season. The Official map has been less-than-accurate before, however, so the exact time of the change is unclear. (It was likely the 1970 mapping error—see above—that allowed M-82 to continue to be concurrently designated with M-120 between "Fremont Junction" and Hesperia in the first place for nearly an entire decade!)
	1984 (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.
	1985 (Dec 23) – The 2.064-mile segment of OLD M-46 ("OLD M-82') at Howard City along W Howard City–Edmore Rd and Shaw St from downtown westerly to the US-131 & M-82 interchange (present-day Exit 118) is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control in two sections: The 0.618-mile portion from Ensley St (former US-131) in downtown Howard City westerly along Shaw St to the west village limits is transferred to village control, while the 1.446 miles of W Howard City–Edmore Rd from the west village limits westerly to the US-131 & M-82 interchange is transferred to county control. This had been an unsigned trunkline since the freeway was completed 12 years prior. Interestingly, in the official jurisdictional transfer documents, MDOT refers to this as "OLD M-82" even though the segment was last signed as M-46 prior to its rerouting along the US-131 freeway in 1973, although this section of highway was part of the route of M-82 until 1938 when it was replaced by M-46.
	1994 (Mar 1) – MDOT reconfigures the intersections of M-82 at 72nd St and Warner Ave approximately three miles south of downtown Fremont in western Newagyo Co. 72nd St is the east-west road and Warner Ave is the north-south road with M-82 approaching the intersections along 72nd from Newaygo from the east, then using a sweeping curve cut-off roadway to transition to proceed northerly along Warner toward Fremont, with 72nd continuing due westerly from the southeast end of the cutoff and Warner continuing due southerly from the northwest end of the cutoff. MDOT causes 72nd St to be truncated prior to its intersection with M-82 so that it no longer intersects with M-82 at all and then reconfigures the Warner Ave & M-82 intersection so that Warner now meets up with M-82 at a nearly 90° intersection. This new "turned-in approach" roadway constructed for Warner Ave is now assigned, jurisdiction-wise, as County Primary road to the Newaygo Co Road Commission. (The actual route of M-82 through this curve is not affected.)
Controlled Access:	No portion of M-82 is freeway or expressway.
NHS:	No portion of M-82 is on the National Highway System (NHS).
Memorial Highway:	The following Memorial Highway designation has been officially assigned to part of M-82 by the Michigan Legislature: Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway – "That portion of highway M-82 beginning at the city of Newaygo in Newaygo County and extending east to Howard City in Montcalm County..." From MDOT: "It is fitting that the State recognize the almost 1.8 million American veterans who served in Korea at great personal cost. In designating public works in the memory of veterans, the State keeps citizens mindful about the horrors of war, and the importance of an unrelenting effort to seek peaceful solutions to global problems. This portion of M-82 is the first to memorialize this group of veterans."
Photographs:
Weblinks:	M-82 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-82 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website. M-20/M-120/M-82 Maps (1969–1971) – how a mapping error related to an M-20 relocation caused the M-82 designation to be extended an additional 7 miles from "Fremont Junction" to Hesperia for almost a decade longer than it was originally supposed to!

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