Back to Previous Route: M-88

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Western Terminus:	I-196/US-31 at Exit 34 near Ganges, 6 miles west of Fennville
Eastern Terminus:	BL I-94/Dickman Rd in Battle Creek, just southwest of downtown
Length:	61.187 miles
Maps:	Route Map of M-89
Notes:	The Rationalization process of the late-1990s brought about several changes to the state trunkline sytem, including the addition of more than 50 miles of county roads and city streets in Calhoun Co into the system. While the actual transfers took place on October 31, 1998, the new route numbers were not known to the general public until July 1999 when that year's Official Michigan Transportation Map as issued. In Battle Creek, the routing of M-89 was changed to encompass some of the newly-transferred highways. It was lengthened by 2.98 miles via the former routing of M-37 from the intersection of W Michigan Ave & Bedford Rd to the jct of BL I-94/Dickman Rd near downtown. Specifically, the post-Rationalization M-89 was redirected southeasterly from M-37/Beford Rd via W Michigan Ave to Washington St, then southerly on Washington to BL I-94/Dickman Rd. The newly-extended M-89, however, did not take over the portion of M-37 which turned east to run concurrently with BL I-94 via Dickman Rd to I-194. Prior to the change, which resulted in a net gain of 2.98 miles, M-89 was 59.77 miles long. Interestingly, it was not until 2000 that the various realignments and new routings in and around Battle Creek were signed. By 2001, these routes were nearly 100 percent signed and, on the surface, assumed into the state trunkline system.
	The easternmost 46 miles of M-89, in conjunction with the northern portion of M-40, serves as a major connecting route between Battle Creek and Holland.
	In an interesting historical development along the route of M-89 in northern Kalamazoo Co, when the route of M-89 between Plainwell and Richland was officially established on June 28, 1928, there was one major difference between this newly-designated route and the eventual route followed by the highway. As it was officially established, M-89 was to run almost due southeasterly from the Chicago, Kalamazoo & Saginaw Railroad mainline crossing at Richland Junction into downtown Richland largely following the grade of the Chicago, Kalamazoo & Saginaw Railroad spur from Richland Junction into Richland which had formerly been the Detroit, Toledo & Milwaukee Railroad, then Michigan & Chicago Ry and Michigan Ry (electric interurban lines), before being converted back to steam operation as part of the CK&S. This spur line was no longer being operated by the Michigan Ry (interurban) beginning August 6, 1928 just over a month after the State Highway Dept established M-89 along its route! However, almost 1½ years later on January 1, 1930—after sitting there unused for those 17 months—the CK&S purchased the line from Richland to Richland Junction (and on to Hooper in Allegan Co) and would operate it, along with successor railroads Penn Central (1968–1976) and Conrail (1976–1978) before it was finally abandoned 48 years later. By that time, however, the State Highway Dept had long abandoned its plans to convert the KC&S right-of-way to a direct routing for M-89 into Richland.       The route of M-89 as it was signed from Richland Junction southeasterly via Richplain Dr then easterly along C Ave to M-43 beginning in 1928 was originally a "marked-and-maintained" route (pending the eventual completion of the more direct route along the railroad grade), then using M-43 from C Ave southerly for a mile to get back to the official route of M-89. But on September 1, 1961, however, with no abandonment in sight for the CK&S Railroad line from Richland Junction to Richland, the State Highway Dept finally gave up on the route which had been laid out 33 years earlier and officially cancelled it, instead subsituting the "marked-and-maintained" segment of M-89 as the official route. Interestingly, to this day, the portions of M-89 west of Richland Junction toward Plainwell and from Richland easterly toward Battle Creek (those improved in the early 1960s) are highly engineered sections of highway situated within a 120-foot right-of-way, while the portion between Richland Junction and Richland—the segment which was originally supposed to be temporary until the more direct alignment was constructed—retains its original 1920s-era engineering quality and remains within its original 66-foot right-of-way.
	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 had just one proposed improvement, realignment or modification to the route of M-89 during that timeframe: Realignment of M-89 onto a new divided highway alignment beginning where the existing route's interchange with the proposed US-131 freeway on the western limits of Plainwell in Allegan Co, then swinging on a wide arc southwesterly then westerly and northwesterly on a divided highway bypass around Otsego to M-40 just south of the southern limits of the CIty of Allegan. The combined M-40/M-89 would then continue northwesterly along a bypass, running to the southwest of the existing route along Lincoln Rd, merging back into the existing route of M-89 at the jct of M-40 & M-89 (cnr Lincoln Rd & 124th Ave) near Dunningville. The former route was to have been turned back to local control, with the exception of the portion of former M-89 along N Cedar St in Allegan, which would have become part of an extension of M-118 (now designated M-222). This proposal was never acted upon, however.
History:	1919 (June 9) – A 5.0-mile long state trunkline highway segment is established in Allegan Co beginning at M-11 (later US-31, now A-2/Blue Star Hwy) four miles south of Douglas and continuing easterly along 124th Ave to the west city limit of Fennville and is designated as T.L. 89 (Trunk Line 89).
	1919 (July 1) – T.L. 89 is signed in the field as M-89 as all state trunkline highways in Michigan are signed with route markers. At this point, M-89 is likely also signed along Main St in Fennville from the west city limit to Wilson St, although this segment is still a municipally-controlled street.
	1919 (Aug 15) – Just nine weeks after the first portion of T.L. 89/M-89 is officially established as a state trunkline routing, an additional 0.8-mile segment along Main St through Fennville is officially added to the system from the west city limit easterly to Wilson St.
	1920 (Apr 1) – An additional 25.4 miles of state trunkline mileage in Allegan Co is established in two sections: From the east end of M-89 in Fennville running for 15.6 miles heading southerly via Wilson St/57th St, easterly along 118th Ave, southerly on 42nd St, easterly following Monroe Rd and Delano Rd to the west limit of Allegan, where the route of M-89 is signed along city-maintained streets (Delano St, N Cedar St, Monroe St and Grand Ave). From the east city limits of Allegan, the second new official segment of M-89 added begins on the east limits of Allegan and continues easterly for 9.8 miles via 116th Ave (later M-118, now M-222), terminating at M-13 (later US-131, now A-45) in downtown Martin.
	1920 (Aug 25) – Nearly five months after M-89 was extended from Fennville to Martin via Allegan, an additional 1.5 miles of state trunkline mileage within the City of Allegan is officially assumed into the trunkline system, again, in two segments: From the western limits of Allegan, the 0.8-mile portion of M-89 along Delano St to N Cedar St and southerly via N Cedar St to Monroe St; and the 0.7-mile segment along Grand Ave (later M-118, now M-222) from Main St easterly to the east city limit. The ½ mile portion of Monroe St and Grand Ave from N Cedar St on the west to Main St on the east remains a city-maintained segment of M-89.
	1927 (Feb 26) – The 12.0 miles of Lincoln Rd (Allegan St in Otsego and Plainwell) from the southern limits of Allegan southeasterly through Otsego to US-131/Main St in downtown Plainwell is established as a state trunkline highway route and the M-89 designation is applied to it. To make this happen, all of M-89 from the cnr of N Cedar St & Monroe St in Allegan easterly to US-131 (formerly M-13) in downtown Martin is redesignated as an easterly extension of M-40, which runs from Niles through Dowagiac, Decatur and Paw Paw, entering Allegan from the south. M-40 now makes a 90º turn at Allegan to continue easterly to Martin. Meanwhile, the route of M-89 is redirected southerly from N Cedar St & Monroe St concurrently with M-40 via N Cedar for three blocks to Hubbard St. There M-89 now travels via city-maintained streets easterly via Hubbard St for three blocks, southeasterly on Brady St for a block, southwesterly across the Kalamazoo River via State St/Second St, then southeasterly along Marshall St to the southern city limit of Allegan where it picks up the officially-established state turnkine routing toward Otsego and Plainwell.
	1927 (June 30) – A brand-new, 1.0-mile long alignment for M-89 west of Allegan is established as a state trunkline route, travelling via Monroe Rd from 42nd St to 118th Ave. The former 1.5-mile long route along 42nd St from Monroe Rd notherly to 118th Ave and via 118th Ave from 42nd St westerly to the new alignment is turned back to local control.
	1928 (June 28) – When the 19.2 miles of Lincoln Rd from just west of Allegan northwesterly to Holland is officially established as a state trunkline highway route, it becomes part of a redirected M-40 from Allegan to Holland. The former route of M-40 from Allegan to Martin is redesignated as M-118 (present-day M-222). To get to the new M-40 routing from downtown Allegan, M-40 now runs concurrently with M-89 along N Cedar St from Monroe St to Delano Rd, then along Delano Rd to Lincoln Rd northwest of the city.
	1928 (June 28) – On the same day that M-40 is redirected from Allegan to run northwesterly toward Holland, another segment of an overall Battle Creek–Holland through route is officially assumed into the state trunkline system. A total of 19.3 miles of new state trunkline mileage is established beginning at the eastern terminus of M-89 in Allegan Co at US-131/Main St in downtown Plainwell and continues easterly and southeasterly through the southwesternmost corner of Barry Co and into Kalamazoo Co where it passes through Richland on its way to a new eastern terminus at M-96 a mere 1,320 feet into Calhoun Co northwest of Battle Creek. This new M-89 extension runs along the general path of modern-day M-89, although several minor relocations have occurred over the decades. (See the "Notes" section above for details on the difference between the officially-established route between Richland Junction and RIchland and the one that was "marked-and-maintained" as M-89.)       Additionally, the portion of the newly-designated M-89 route in northeast Kalamazoo Co from 42nd St north of Augusta easterly to M-96 is not yet constructed to state trunkline standards, so M-89 is temporarily directed southerly along 42nd St as a "marked-and-maintained" route to M-96 in Augusta until the route to the east can be brought up to standards.
	1930 – The 3¾ miles of M-89 in northeastern Kalamazoo Co from 42nd St north of Augusta to its terminus at M-96 northeast of Augusta is brought up to full state trunkline standards and signed as part of M-89. The temporary routing along 42nd St southerly into Augusta remains a local roadway.
	1930 (Dec 2) – At Allegan, a 1.3-mile long trunkline route for M-40/M-89 is established beginning at the Cedar St & Cutler St–Western St intersection and continuing westerly along Western St, then northwesterly along a new highway alignment to the cnr of Monroe Rd–Delano St & Lincoln Rd intersection northwest of town, although this new segment is likely not yet completed and opened to traffic as the contract to build the section for $34,590 is not by the state until mid-October, meaning this segment of M-40/M-89 doesn't likely open to traffic until sometime in 1931. The 1.2-mile segment of M-40/M-89 along Cedar St from M-118/Monroe St northerly to Delano St and via Delano St from Cedar St northwesterly to Lincoln Rd is cancelled as a trunkline route (although remains signed as part of M-40/M-89 until the new alignment is completed and opened to traffic) while the one-block section of Cedar St from Cutler–Western Sts northerly to M-118/Monroe St becomes a short extension of the route of M-118.
	1931 (June 14) – 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 1.3-mile portion of M-89 in Allegan traveling via Hubbard, Brady, State, Second and Marshall Sts along formerly city-controlled streets is officially established as a state trunkline route and transferred to state control.
	1932 (Oct 29) – M-89 is realigned just west of Otsego in southeastern Allegan Co onto a new, more-direct, sweeping curve alignment. Beginning one mile west of downtown Otsego, the new M-89 alignment curves gently to the northwest, merging back into the existing alignment after 1.2 miles. The former 1.4-mile long route via Jefferson Rd, a bridge across the Kalamazoo River that has since been removed, and 19th St (Old Otsego–Allegan Rd) is either turned back to county control or, in the case of the bridge and approaches, obliterated.
	1942—1943 – The route of M-89 through the center of Allegan is realigned via more direct routing utilizing a new crossing over the Kalamazoo River and the Allegan Dam impoundment. The new alignment begins at the cnr of Marshall St & Second St and continues northwesterly across the river and impoundment to a jct with M-40 (and the existing route of M-89) at the intersection of Cedar, Hubbard & Ely Sts. The realignment takes place in two steps: 1942 (Jan 28) – The former route of M-89 through downtown Allegan via Hubbard St, Brady St, State St and Second St is turned back to city control on this date, even though the new alignment is not yet established as a trunkline route or open to traffic. Therefore, the former route is retained as a "marked-and-maintained" route along streets now under city jurisdiction. 1943 (Feb 26) – The new alignment for M-89 along Marshall St from Second St northwesterly to M-40 and the former route of M-89 at N Cedar St & Hubbard St is established as a state trunkline route. Official MSHD records indicate the Kalamazoo River bridge is completed and opened to traffic in 1943. (Ironically, records also indicate this new bridge will be reconstructed in 1947–1948, for reasons not yet clear.)
	1949 (Nov 10)—1953 – A major project to reroute M-89 in west-central Allegan Co actually takes several years to complete. In the end, M-89 continues due easterly from Fennville along 124th Ave for 8.3 miles on a mixture of roadway either transferred from local to state control or on newly-built alignment (the official establishment of which occurs on Nov 10, 1949) to M-40/Lincoln Rd where it turns southeasterly to run concurrently with M-40 along Lincoln Rd for 5.2 miles back to the former route of M-89 at Monroe Rd. The changes take place in the following manner: 1949 (Nov 10) – The 8.3 miles of 124th Ave from Fennville easterly to M-40/Lincoln Rd is officially added to the state trunkline highway system, even though a portion of it is not yet constructed. What is completed by the end of 1949, though, includes the first 2.36 miles of 124th Ave from M-40 westerly to the first Kalamazoo River bridge, including the bridge itself. The existing route of M-89 from M-40/Lincoln Rd westerly along Monroe Rd and 118th Ave, northerly via 57th St and Wilson Ave into Fennville is officially cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to county control, although it will remain as a "marked-and-maintained" trunkline route (under county jurisdiction) until the new highway is complete. 1951 – The bridge spanning the more westerly channel of the Kalamazoo River along 124th Ave immediately north of the Swan Creek Marsh Impoundment is completed, although the segment of 124th Ave on either side of the bridge is not yet complete. 1952 – The 8.0-mile segment fo 124th Ave from M-40/Lincoln Rd westerly to Fennville's east city limit is completed with a stablized aggregate surface and is likely signed as M-89 at this time. The 15.3-mile former route along Monroe Rd, 118th Ave, 57th St and Wilson St that was officially turned back to local control in 1949 then has its M-89 route markers removed. 1953 – The 8 miles of the newly-rerouted M-89 from M-40/Lincoln Rd westerly via 124th Ave to the Fennville city limit is completely hard-surfaced throughout.
	1949 (Nov 10) – On the same date as the new alignment of M-89 east of Fennville in Allegan Co is officially established, a new 4.09-mile long M-89 alignment from Richland easterly for 4 miles past the southern tip of Gull Lake in Kalamazoo Co is also officially established along its present-day routing. The former 4.3-mile long route of M-89 along D Ave is turned back to county control.
	1951 – Even though construction is nearly complete on a new alignment for M-89 along 124th Ave east of Fennville to replace the last gravel stretch of M-89, the unpaved portions of 118th Ave and Monroe Rd west of Allegan still signed as M-89 (the "marked-and-maintained" route noted above) are hard-surfaced. It is ironic, since this portion of M-89 had been turned back to county control two years earlier and the M-89 route markers will disappear from the route within the next year.
	1960 (Sept 27) – 1962 (Oct 5) – M-89 at Plainwell also becomes part of a temporary routing for US-131 when the new US-131 freeway is completed from M-118 at Martin southerly to an interchange with M-89 on the western edge of Plainwell. From there, US-131 traffic is temporarily routed along M-89/Allegan St back to the existing route of US-131 in downtown Plainwell. Once the section of US-131 freeway from M-89 southerly into Kalamazoo Co is completed and opened to traffic, this segment of M-89 returns to being just M-89.
	1961 (Sept 20) – The route of M-89 between Plainwell and Richland is re-engineered and upgraded throughout with gentler curves, lesser grades, and improved drainage. Even though the "new" route of M-89 largely follows the path of the existing highway, the entire segment from the east limits of Plainwell to Richland is simultaneously cancelled as a state trunkline route and re-established. Overall, the existing route of M-89 along this stretch totals 10.3 miles, while the newly established route comes in at 10.09—a negligable difference. Except where the highway alignment deviates from its former path, the new roadway is built directly atop the existing one. The deviations along this segment include: a wider curve radius constructed from just west of 5th St in Allegan Co east of Plainwell southeasterly to 4th St. The former route is obliterated, although its route is still evident from the line of trees along the south side of the highway from 5th St southeasterly; a direct "cut-off" of a former curve where the original route of M-89 dipped to the south beginning approximately ½ mile east of 4th St in southeastern Allegan Co and returning to the new alignment about 330 feet west of 2nd St. The former route here was also obliterated and the right-of-way sold off, although one portion of the former roadbed serves as part of the driveway for a private residence; a more gentle curve alignment beginning at Doster Rd on the Allegan/Barry Co line and continuing southeasterly for ½ mile. The former roadbed was obliterated, but its location is still discernable from the line of trees on the south side of the highway; a more direct alignment adn wider curve radius from approximately ⅛ mile north of B Ave in northern Kalamazoo, southeasterly to 27th St. Much of the former route is turned back to county control and renamed Winding Ln; and the end of 33 years of a established-but-never-constructed segment of M-89 between Richland Junction and Richland. (See the "Notes" section above for details on this segment.) The never-built portion of M-89 along the Chicago, Kalamazoo & Saginaw Railroad alignment is officially cancelled and what has been the "marked-and-maintained" route along Richplain Dr and C Ave to M-43/32nd St for the past three decades is officially established as the trunkline routing. M-89 has been signed concurrently with M-43 along 32nd St between C St and downtown Richland for 33 years, however now that concurrency is permanent instead of "temporary."
	1963 (Dec 16) – With the completion of the I-96/US-31 freeway in western Allegan Co between South Haven and Douglas, M-89 is extended westerly from its previous terminus at Blue Star Hwy (former US-31) for 0.4 mile to meet the new freeway. The 0.4 mile of 124th Ave from Blue Star Hwy westerly through the I-96/US-31 interchange is also officially established as a state trunkline highway route at the same time.
	1965 – In preparation for the eventual rerouting of M-96 into Battle Creek, the M-96 designation is truncated back to the M-89 & M-96 junction near the Kalamazoo/Calhoun Co line. M-89 is then extended southeasterly via what had been M-96 along Michigan Ave to end at M-37 in Battle Creek. The former M-37/M-96 pairing into downtown Battle Creek becomes just M-37. (M-96 itself would be rerouted easterly from Augusta through Fort Custer and into Springfield on Nov 5, 1971.)
	1998 (Oct 31) – M-89 is officially extended southeasterly replacing the former routing of M-37 into downtown Battle Creek along Michigan Ave, then southerly along Washington St to BL I-94/Dickman Rd. Signage in the field, however, is not changed for some time to signify this rerouting.
	2000 – MDOT finally lets contracts to sign the realignment of M-89 as well as the many other realigned and newly-created state trunkline routes in and around Battle Creek.
	2019 (Aug 19) – Due to the myriad changes in the greater Kalamazoo area due to the jurisdicational changes of the state trunklines traveling through the city of Kalamazoo, MDOT decides to reroute M-43 on a rather circuitous route from Richland northwesterly via M-89 to Plainwell, then southerly with US-131 from there back to its existing route west of Kalamazoo, in the name of "route continuity." The M-43 route markers begin being posted along M-89 on this date.
Controlled Access:	No portion of M-89 is freeway or expressway.
NHS:	The following segments of M-89 are on the National Highway System (NHS) (both added to the NHS in 2012 with the passage of the MAP-21 funding and authorization bill): From the eastern terminus of M-89 at BL I-94/Dickman Rd in Battle Creek northwesterly to jct M-37/Bedford Rd in northwest Battle Creek. (2.9 miles) From US-131 at Exit 49 in Plainwell northwesterly through Allegan to the northwestern jct with M-40 at cnr Lincoln Rd & 124th Ave between Allegan and Hamilton. (18.9 miles)
Memorial Highway:	At present, no portion of M-89 has been designated as part of a Memorial Highway.
Photographs:
Weblinks:	M-89 @ Michigan Highway Ends – photos of the termini of M-89 at Dan Garnell's archived Michigan Highway Ends website.

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