M-147 is a former state trunkline route existing from August 31, 1931 until January 12, 1993.
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| Western Terminus*: |
M-106/Cooper St at the intersection of Cooper St & Parnall Rd north of Jackson |
| Eastern Terminus*: |
Entrance to the Parnall Correctional Facility (State Prison of Southern Michigan) north of Jackson |
| Final Length*: |
0.505 miles |
| Maps: |
 Route Map of Former M-147 |
| Notes: |
* The termini and final length for M-147 reflect the beginning and ending of the route and its length as of the time of the route's decommissioning on January 12, 1993. |
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Former M-147 was a short spur trunkline route established as a connection between M-106/Cooper St north of Jackson and the main entrance to the State Prison of Southern Michigan, or what is today the Parnall Correctional Facility after the State Prison was split into four separate facilities in 1988. Always one of the state's shortest state trunkline highways, while it still serves as part of the primary access to the Parnall facility, the Jackson Co Road Commission approached MDOT in the late-1980s about transferring the Parnall Rd portion of the route back to county control. After several years of study, an agreement was reached in 1992 and the portion of Parnall Rd between M-106/Cooper St and the prison entrance was jurisdictionally transferred to the county in mid-January 1993 and the portion leading into the prison itself from Parnall Rd was decertified as a public roadway, becoming a prison-owned access roadway. |
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As noted above, M-147 was a single-purpose trunkline route, providing a state highway access to the main entrance of the prison. The first state prison in Michigan was opened in Jackson in 1842, but by the early 20th Century, it was clear a newer, larger, more modern facility would be required. Construction on what became the new State Prison of Southern Michigan began in 1924 and the facility opened its doors in 1926. Two years later, the first segment of a proposed Jackson–Stockbridge trunkline route was established running along Cooper St from Jackson northerly to the present-day intersection of Cooper & Bunkerhill Rds, with a further extension from there northeasterly toward Stockbridge established in December 1930. M-106 was completed and opened to traffic from Jackson to Cooper & Bunkerhill in 1928, with the extension to Stockbridge completed in 1932. While M-106 connected the new prison with the City of Jackson, in August 1931, the State Highway Dept designated a new ½ mile trunkline route leading from M-106 along Parnell Rd for a short distance before bending northerly into the prison complex, ending at the main gate, designating the new route as M-147. For its first half-century, M-147 ran easterly from M-106/Cooper St as a two-lane highway for approx 1,400 ft (0.265 mile) to a split where Parnall Rd continued easterly and M-147 veered off to the north into the prison. Then, around 1985, the Parnell Rd portion of the state trunkline was widened to a four-lane cross-section and the segment proceeding northeasterly into the prison was realigned at its intersection with Parnall into less of an acute angle so that Parnall Rd traffic is favored over that proceeding into the prison. Another two decades later, the trunkline itself would be decommissioned entirely.
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Interestingly, in an article in the May 12, 1957 edition of the Jackson Citizen-Patriot, it was noted that M-147 was an "unmarked trunkline," which is somewhat odd since the route had been indicated on official state highway map since the mid-1930s. Generally, state trunkline routes shown on maps provided to the public are signed in the field. (However, the article also stated the length of M-147 as 0.29 mile, although for its entire existence, it was 0.505 mile in length, so the accuracy of the article may be in doubt.) In the same article, Jackson Co Road Commission Engineer E.K.McAllister stated M-147 was designated "so it would be kept in repair by the state highway department because it leads to a state institution." |
| History: |
1931 (Aug 31) – A new 0.505-mile state trunkline route is officially established to connect the Michigan State Prison (later the State Prison of Southern Michigan, now the Parnall Correctional Facility portion of the overall facility) with M-106 north of Jackson. The new trunkline consists of approx 1,400 ft (0.265 mile) of existing Parnall Rd—now transferred to state jurisdiction—with the remaining 1,267-foot (0.240 mile) segment consisting of a spur leading from Parnall northeasterly to the main prison entrance gate. |
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1933 – Construction of M-147 is complete and the route is paved throughout. |
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c.1985 – The entirety of M-147 along Parnell Rd (0.265 mile) is widened from two to four lanes, and the intersection of Parnall Rd and the entrance roadway into the prison is realigned to favor Parnall Rd traffic. |
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1980s (Late) – The Jackson Co Road Commission starts to inquire about the possibility of transferring M-147 from state to county control. While this would decrease the amount of state trunkline maintenance money by $8,500 received by the County to maintain the route for MDOT, but it would be partially offset by additional Act 51 funding as that portion of Parnall Rd would become a County Primary Road. However, before any transfer can take place, MDOT states it would need to conduct traffic studies. |
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1993 (Jan 12) – After being approved as a turnback candidate by the State Administrative Board on January 5, 1991 and following a resolution by the Jackson Co Road Commission accepting jurisdiction of the route on October 28, 1992, the cancellation of M-147 as a state trunkline route and the transfer of the 0.265-mile Parnall Rd segment to county control is made official on January 12, 1993. The 0.240-mile segment of M-147 from Parnall northeasterly into the prison campus is decertified by MDOT as a public roadway and is now a prison access road. Thus ends the 61.4-year existence of M-147 as a state trunkline highway. |
| Controlled Access: |
No portion of former M-147 upon decommissioning existed as freeway or expressway. |
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