| M-148 is a former state trunkline route existing from October 29, 1932 until 1933. |
| Western Terminus*: |
 The southern end of Scenic Dr at the Muskegon Channel in Muskegon State Park |
| Eastern Terminus*: |
Jct US-31 & M-20 at cnr of Lake Ave–Holton Rd & Whitehal Rd in North Muskegon |
| Final Length*: |
7.032 miles |
| Maps: |
Route Map of Former M-148 |
| Notes: |
* The termini and final length for M-148 reflect the beginning and ending of the route and its length as of the time of its decommissioning in 1933. |
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M-148 is a somewhat anomalous state trunkline route in that while it was officially established by the State Highway Dept, it was (likely) never posted in the field and was quickly redesignated as an extension of M-20. So, while it's treated as a "real" state trunkline designation, it never appeared on actual highway signage nor did it ever appear on road maps distributed for public consumption. The atypical nature of this trunkline route also makes it more difficult to properly document it as it existed on paper—albeit officially—instead of as a physically-signed highway. M-148 was redesignated as a westerly extension of M-20 within a year and remained so until mid-1961 when M-20 was diverted to turn southerly into Muskegon with the completion of the US-31 freeway in the area. At that point, the M-213 designation—which had formerly been used on Maple Island Dr in northern Muskgeon Co from 1935 to 1960, was reassigned to the Muskegon State Park spur route. M-213 existed for just over another decade before the entire route of what was originally M-148 was cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control. |
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This route was established in late-1932 as an acess highway leading to the still somewhat-new Muskegon State Park which had been established a decade prior. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began making improvements to the park's visitor facilities at the time of the establishment of this highway and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the southerly extension of Scenic Hwy from Memorial Dr toward the Muskegon Channel in 1939. |
| History: |
1932 (Oct 29) – A new 8.3-mile long state trunkline route is officially established from North Muskegon along the north shore of Muskegon Lake, ending in Muskegon State Park at the Muskegon Channel leading into Lake Michigan and assigned the route designation of M-148. The first 0.505-mile portion of the new trunkline route follows the former route of US-31 from the north end of the Veterans Memorial Causeway north of Muskegon southwesterly via Lake Ave then northwesterly along Center St into downtown North Muskegon which is bypassed by a new alignment for US-31 along Whitehall Rd at this point as well. From there, the new M-148 continues southwesterly on Ruddiman Dr, then westerly via Memorial Dr to the shore of Lake Michigan in Muskegon State Park. From there, the remaining 1.3 mile segment of the route route southerly to the Muskegon Channel is not yet constructed. |
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1933 (Mid) – By midyear 1933, the new trunkline from US-31 east of downtown North Muskegon westerly to Muskegon State Park is redesignated as a westerly extension of M-20. It is unclear whether M-148 was ever actually signed along the completed portion of the route or not, however, and do date has only been noted as appearing on one publicly-available map—the 1933 edition of the Automobile Club of Michigan's "Official Map of Lower Peninsula of Michigan." As such, the first and only iteration of the M-148 route designation comes to an end. |
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1961 (Aug 21) – After running to Muskegon State Park for nearly three decades, M-20 from US-31/Whitehall Rd into the state park is redesignated as M-213 to allow M-20 to be rerouted into downtown Muskegon. |
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1971 (Aug 15) – Almost exactly ten years later, M-213 is cancelled in its entirety and transferred to municipal and county control. The Department of Natural Resources takes over the portion of Scenic Dr from Memorial Dr southerly toward the Muskegon Channel as a park roadway. |
| Controlled Access: |
No portion of former M-148 upon decommissioning existed as freeway or expressway. Those types of highways did not exist at the time of the decommissioning of M-148. |
| Weblinks: |
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