| Southern Terminus: |
Jct BL I-94/BUS US-127/M-50 at cnr of Louis Glick Memorial Hwy, E Michigan Ave & Cooper St in downtown Jackson |
| Northern Terminus: |
M-36 in downtown Gregory (cnr Main St & Carr St) in southwest Livingston Co |
| Length: |
27.410 miles |
| Maps: |
Route Map of M-106 |
| Notes: |
In 2004, both streets comprising the former one-way pair couplet of M-106 on the north side of downtown Jackson were converted to two-way traffic. The former northbound side along Cooper (formerly Milwaukee) St from Michigan Ave to Francis (formerly Cooper) St retained the M-106 designation while the former southbound side along Francis (formerly Cooper) St from Cooper (formerly Milwaukee) southerly to Louis Glick Hwy became an unsigned trunkline route. (See note below, however, for additional explanation of "unsigned" status.) This action essentially reverses the splitting of M-106 into a one-way pair in Jackson in 1967. |
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While the former sbd M-106 along Francis (formerly Cooper) St in Jackson was supposed to be an unsigned state trunkline—a likely turnback candidate—either a signing contractor of MDOT themselves made a mistake when all new "OLD M-106" route marker assemblies were posted along this "unsigned" trunkline in 2004. An MDOT source stated the local MDOT office has been notified and the errant signs were to be removed at some point. By 2008, those signs had been taken down. |
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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 the following changes to the route of M-106 during that timeframe:
- Transferring jurisdiction of the portion of M-106 "inside" the proposed downtown Jackson state trunkline loop. With the completion of the one-way loop in 1968, this proposal was implemented.
- Complete eliminiation of the portion of M-106 east of M-92 (proposed future M-47, present-day M-52) at Stockbridge in southeastern Ingham Co and easterly into Livingston Co. All of existing M-36 from M-92 (present-day M-52) easterly to US-23 is also proposed for decommissioning. Neither of these proposals ever came to fruition.
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| History: |
1928 (Jun 28) – A new state trunkline is established at Jackson, beginning at US-12/Michigan Ave at the cnr of Cooper St (present-day Martin Luther King Jr Dr) and proceeding northerly from downtown via present-day MLKing Jr Dr and Cooper St to Portage River crossing on Cooper St, 4.6 miles north of downtown Jackson at the State Prison Farm. The route is designated M-106. |
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1930 (Apr 11) – The State Administrative Board approves a major extension for M-106 from its current terminus at the State Prison Farm northeast of Jackson for approximately 14 miles to M-49 on the western limits of Stockbridge in southeast Ingham Co. (At this time, M-49 begins in Mason, travels easterly along present-day M-36 through Dansville, then turns southerly along present-day M-52 through White Oak to Stockbridge, then follows modern-day M-106 into Gregory where it picks up present-day M-36 again through Pinckney, Lakeland and Hamburg to US-23 north of Whitmore Lake.) |
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1930 (Dec 8) – The 14.5-mile long extension of M-106 from the north end of the existing highway at the State Prison Farm northeast of Jackson to M-49 (present-day M-52) on the west limits of Stockbridge is officially established as a state trunkline highway route, following a direct "airline" route along a combination of existing and yet-to-be-constructed roadways. From the Cooper St crossing of the Portage River in northeast Blackman Twp, M-106 now continues northeasterly via Elliot and Bunkerhill Rds for approximately four miles. In the vicinity of Coon Hill Rd, the established route for M-106 continues almost due northeasterly along an "airline routing" almost exactly parallelling the Grand Trunk Railway about a mile to the north from that point toward Stockbridge. Until that alignment is constructed, M-106 is routed northerly from Coon Hill Rd along Bunkerhill Rd, easterly via Plum Orchard Rd, northerly on Musbach Rd, easterly via Territorial Rd, northerly along Mayer and Wilmore Rds into Ingham Co and northerly into Stockbridge. From there, a further extension of M-106 follows what had been part of M-49 into Gregory in southwest Livingston Co. M-49 is simultaneously rerouted between Gregory and southeast Ingham Co via Plainfield. |
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1935 (Oct 22) – A variety of proposed-but-never-built state trunkline routes in northeast Jackson, southeast Ingham, southwest Livingston and northwest Washtenaw Counties that were officially established in 1930 are officially cancelled due a lack of highway funding at the state level. In each case, the state highway route corresponding to those proposed routes runs along county roads which are "marked-and-maintained" routes. As such, each of those "temporary" routes are officially established as trunkline routes. In the case of M-106, the signed segment from Coon Hill Rd south of Pleeasant Lake in north central Jackson Co to Stockbridge in southeastern Ingham Co becomes the permanent alignment of the route. |
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1940 (Nov 4) – Four short realignments in Jackson Co "smooth out" a few sharp corners, with the former route being turned back to local control in all four cases:
- A short realignment immediately north of the Portage River about 4½ miles north of downtown Jackson.
- The 90° turn of M-106 from Bunkerhill Rd onto Plum Orchard Rd is replaced by a sweeping curve.
- A new bypass of the community of Munith also removes M-106 from Musbach Rd and Territorial Rd (west of Ryan Rd).
- The sharp turn from Territorial Rd onto Wilmore Rd is "cut-off" as well. (Former M-106/Wilmore Rd between Territorial and "new" Wilmore is renamed Mayer Rd.)
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1967 (Nov 30) – In Jackson, Milwaukee St (present-day Cooper St) from BL I-94/Michigan Ave to Ganson St and Ganson from Milwaukee (present-day Cooper) westerly to M-106/Cooper St (present-day Francis St) is added to the state trunkline system as a new northbound routing of M-106. The existing segment of M-106 via Cooper St (present-day Francis St) from Ganson St southerly to Michigan Ave becomes southbound only. |
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1968 (Nov 1) – As part of a massive realigning of the state trunklines through downtown Jackson, the southernmost 0.056 mile of M-106/Cooper St (present-day Francis St) is removed as a trunkline when the terminus of the highway is moved slightly north to the new intersection with BL I-94/BUS US-127/M-50 wbd/Louis Glick Hwy. |
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1969 (Nov 3) – A new "cut-off" route on the north end of Milwaukee (present-day Cooper) St in Jackson is created to ease the connection for northbound traffic connecting with Cooper (present-day Francis) St. The former "northbound connector" via Ganson St remains a trunkline for now. |
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1971 (Jun 30) – The Ganson St connector, noted above, between M-106 nbd/Milwaukee (present-day Cooper) St and M-106 sbd/Cooper (present-day Francis) St is transferred back to local control. |
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2004 – Both streets comprising the former one-way pair couplet of M-106 on the north side of downtown Jackson are converted to two-way traffic. The former northbound side along Cooper (formerly Milwaukee) St from Michigan Ave to Francis (formerly Cooper) St retains the M-106 designation while the former southbound side along Francis (formerly Cooper) St from Cooper (formerly Milwaukee) southerly to Glick Hwy becomes an unsigned trunkline route. This action essentially reverses the splitting of M-106 into a one-way pair in Jackson in 1967. |
| Controlled Access: |
No portion of M-106 is freeway or expressway. |
| NHS: |
The portion of M-106 in Jackson from its southern terminus at BL I-94/BUS US-127/M-50 to I-94 at Exit 139 is on the National Highway System (NHS). |
| Memorial Highway: |
At present, no portion of M-106 has been designated as part of a Memorial Highway. |
| Photographs: |
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| Weblinks: |
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