| Western Terminus: |
M-24 six miles west of North Branch in northwestern Lapeer County (cnr North Branch Rd & Lapeer Rd) |
| Eastern Terminus: |
M-25 in downtown Lexington (cnr Huron Ave & Main St) |
| Length: |
44.179 miles |
| Maps: |
Route Map of M-90 |
| Notes: |
 For many years, long-range plans are to extend M-57 east of M-15 to a connection with M-90 in northern Lapeer Co. However, this extension has long been "a line on a map." The Michigan Dept of State Highways did include the M-57-to-M-90 connector in its six-year program for construction announced in late-January, 1966 with construction planned to start in February 1970. However, transportation budget cuts in the 1970s postponed and/or cancelled many projects during that timeframe and these plans were among those temporarily or permanently delayed. Since that time, there seems to have been no concrete plans to revive the project to construct this highway. |
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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 one major change to the route of M-90 during that timeframe: transfer the entire route to local control. The planner's proposal was to elminate all of M-90, with the sole exceptions of the portion running concurrently with M-19 south of Peck in Sanilac Co. Obviously, since M-90 still exists, this proposal never came to fruition. |
| History: |
1919 (Sept 23) – A 17.0-mile long state trunkline route is established as a state trunkline highway route in central Dickinson Co, beginning at M-12 (later M-45, now M-95) in Randville and continuing easterly via Randville Rd, Herzog Rd, roadways now obliterated by the former Groveland Mine, Groveland Mine Rd (east of the former mine), and modern-day M-69 through Felch to Foster City, where the route terminates at Waucedah–Foster City Rd (present-day G-69/CR-469). This new trunkline route is designated M-90. |
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1922 (Dec 8) – A 2.94-mile easterly extension of M-90 is officially established beginning at the end of the existing trunkline in Foster City to a point just east of the community of Hardwood in eastern Dickinson Co, bringing the total length of M-90 to 19.94 miles. |
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1927 (Apr–May) – The debut of the U.S. Highway system signals the end of the first iteration of M-90. What had been designated as M-69 between the Wisconsin state line and Crystal Falls in Iron Co becomes part of US-2, while the northern segment of M-69 from Crystal Falls northerly to Covington in Baraga Co is designated as part of US-102 (present-day US-141). The vast majority of what becomes US-2 had been designated up to this point as M-12 with the exception of the Crystal Falls–Sagola and Sagola–Iron Mountain segments. The M-69 designation is transferred to replace M-12 between Crystal Falls and Sagola. From Sagola to Randville in Dickinson Co, what had been M-12 becomes both part of M-69 and a southerly extension of M-45 (present-day M-95). At Randville, M-45 continues southerly via the former M-12 into Iron River while M-69 now turns easterly to supplant the entire 17 mile route of M-90 through Felch and Foster City to Hardwood. |
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1927 (Apr–May) – The second iteration of M-90 begins soon after the ending of the first when segments of M-36 and M-38 in northeast Lapeer and southwest Sanilac Cos are redesignated as M-90. Until this point, M-36 began at M-21 at Attica and ran northerly via Lake Pleasant Rd to North Branch, then turned easterly for 3¼ miles via North Branch Rd, southerly 1½ miles along Marsh Rd, easterly 1¾ miles on Burnside Rd to M-53/Van Dyke Rd, where it ended. Here, M-38 having traveled southerly concurrently with M-53 from Marlette, turned easterly along Burnside Rd for 5 miles to Brown City, southerly via Maple Valley Rd for 2 miles, then easterly on Galbraith Line Rd through Melvin for 9 miles to a terminus at M-19, 5 miles south of Peck. On this date, M-36 is redirected to run due northerly from the North Branch area via Pleasant Lake Rd to Clifford with the M-90 designation applied to the former east-west route along North Branch Rd between M-36/Lake Pleasant Rd and M-53/Van Dyke Rd. An additional mile of North Branch Rd (Huron St in North Branch) westerly from M-36 through North Branch which had been a state trunkline highway with an undetermined route designation, is also added onto the new M-90 route. Simultaneously, the M-53/M-38 concurrency between Marlette and Burnside reverts back to just M-53 when all of M-38 from M-53 easterly through Brown City and Melvin to M-19 is redesignated as part of the new M-90 as well. The second iteration of M-90 now runs from North Branch in Lapeer Co to M-19 south of Peck in Sanilac Co. |
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1930 (Dec 2) – When a new state trunkline route for M-36 is established along the township line between Townships 9 and 10 East in Lapeer Co (running along parts of modern-day Millville, Lonsberry and Willits Rds), an 8.2-mile westerly extension to the route of M-90 is also officially added to the state trunkline system on the same day. From North Branch, M-90 now continues westerly along North Branch Rd for 3 miles, northerly along Fish lake Rd for ½ mile, then westerly via Castle Rd for 5 miles to its new western terminus at M-36. The Lapeer–Mayville routing of M-36 along Millville–Lonsberry–Willits Rds would almost immediately be redesignated as M-24 and, at the moment of designation, was not constructed to state trunkine standards and a temporary "marked and maintained" route of M-24 would be signed on its present-day routing along Lapeer Rd. As such, the signed route of M-90 may have likely ended at "temporary" M-24, leaving the last 1.8 miles along Castle Rd unsigned. |
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1935 (Jan 7) – A major easterly extension of M-90 is officially established through southeastern Sanilac Co, bringing the route to the Lake Huron shore. From its existing eastern terminus at M-19 three miles east of Melvin, M-90 is first extended northerly along M-19/Sandusky Rd for 5 miles to the outskirts of Peck. From there, 9.1 miles of Peck Rd from M-90 easterly to M-51 at Howard St in Croswell is established as state trunkline highway as M-90. The extended M-90 continues easterly concurrently with M-51 along Peck Rd from Howard St to Wildcat Rd. From M-51/Wildcat Rd easterly for 2.8 miles, Peck Rd is again transferred to state control, bringing M-90 to its new terminus at US-25/Main St in downtown Lexington. In all, M-90 is extended by 18.8 miles. |
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1935 (Oct 22) – The "temporary" route of M-24 along Lapeer Rd between Lapeer and Mayville becomes the officially established route when the Millville–Lonsberry–Willits Rd route (itself never constructed to trunkline standards) is cancelled as a state trunkline route. Interestingly, the officially-established route of M-90 remains designated on Castle Rd for 1.8 miles beyond M-24/Lapeer Rd, terminating at Willits Rd, which is no longer a state trunkline route. It is still assumed these last 1.8 miles of M-90 are likely not signed as such in the field. |
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1936 (Feb 20) – The three blocks of Huron Ave in downtown Lexington from US-25/Main St easterly to the end of the street at Lake Huron is officially established as a state trunkline route and transferred from municipal to state control and designated as a 0.2-mile long easterly extension of M-90. |
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1942 (Aug 17) – Almost seven full years after the official route of M-24 was shifted easterly from the Millville–Lonsberry–Willits Rd route between Lapeer and Mayville onto the Lapeer Rd route (which had been signed as M-24 since 1930), the westernmost 1.8 miles of the officially-designated M-90 along Castle Rd from M-24/Lapeer Rd to Willits Rd is turned back to county control. This 1.8 mile segment may have never been signed as M-90 in the field. It is unclear why this segment remained under state control for seven years after M-24 was officially transferred to the Lapeer Rd alignment. |
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1948 (July 2)  – A new 111-foot long bridge on M-90 spanning the Flint RIver in Lapeer Co west of North Branch is completed and opened to traffic. |
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1957 (June 17) – The route of M-90 is realigned in two locations:
- In northeast Lapeer Co, M-90 is realigned when the 1.7 miles of North Branch Rd from Marsh Rd easterly to M-53/Van Dyke Rd is transferred to state control and signed as M-90. M-90 then runs concurrently with M-53 along Van Dyke Rd for 1½ miles back to its existing alignment at Burnside Rd. The former route along Marsh Rd between North Branch and Burnside Rds and along Burnside Rd between Marsh Rd and M-53/Van Dyke Rd is turned back to county control.
- In southwest Sanilac Co, 9.0 miles of Burns Line Rd between Brown City and M-19/Sandusky Rd three miles south of Peck is tranferred to state control and established as a realignment of M-90. The route of M-90 now travels on a direct due east-west alignment between M-53 west of Brown City and M-19 south of Peck. The 10.7-mile long former route along Maple Valley Rd from Brown City southerly to Galbraith Line Rd and along Galbraith Line Rd from Maple Valley Rd easterly to M-19 is tranferred to local control. This realignment shortens the route of M-90 by four miles.
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1957 – One year after becoming a part of M-90, the final gravel section of that highway is paved in Sanilac Co. |
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1964 (Dec 14) – The three blocks of Huron Ave in downtown Lexington from US-25/Main St easterly to the end of the street at Lake Huron transferred to state control in 1936 is turned back to municipal control and the eastern terminus of M-90 is, once again, at US-25/Main St. |
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1965 (June 30) – A 3.15-mile state trunkline highway route on new alignment, designated as part of M-90, is established in northern Lapeer Co beginning at the cnr of Fish Lake Rd and North Branch Rd and continues westerly to M-24/Lapeer Rd one mile north of the hamlet of Deerfield. The former 3.4-mile long route of M-90 along Fish Lake Rd and Castle Rd is turned back to county control. |
| Controlled Access: |
No portion of M-90 is freeway or expressway. |
| NHS: |
The portion of M-90 running concurrently with M-53 in northeastern Lapeer Co is on the National Highway System (NHS). (1.5 miles) |
| Memorial Highway: |
At present, no portion of M-90 has been designated as part of a Memorial Highway. |
| Photographs: |
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| Weblinks: |
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