| Southern Terminus: |
Ohio state line (connection w/OH SR-108) at Morenci in southwest Lenawee Co. |
| Northern Terminus: |
M-34 at Clayton in western Lenawee Co. |
| Length: |
10.655 miles |
| Maps: |
Route Map of M-156 |
| Notes: |
 M-156 is a somewhat short highway route connecting M-34 between Hudson and Adrian with Morenci, sitting on the Ohio state line, as well as with Ohio SR-108 leading away from the state line to the south. It also serves as an access route to Lake Hudson State Recreation Area, which was created in 1979, nearly fifty years after M-156 debuted. |
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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 route as a "turnback candidate," completely decommissioning the route as a state trunkline and handing it back to local control. This same recommendation was made for M-120 which intersected and briefly ran concurrently with M-156 in downtown Morenci, thus leaving Morenci with no state trunkline access whatsoever under this plan.) The reasoning may have been that US-127 was proposed to become a freeway running a mile closer to M-156, thus rendering M-156 "redundant" in the eyes of State Highway Dept planners. However, while M-120 was transferred to local control the following summer, the planning recommendations for M-156 were never acted upon. |
| History: |
1931 (June 19) – The State Administrative Board approves a new 8.9-mile state trunkline route to connect Morenci with M-34 at Clayton in Lenawee Co. This is the second longest single segment approved out of a total of 30 additional miles of roadway to be added to the trunkline sytem. |
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1931 (Oct 24) – A new 10.2-mile long state trunkline beginning at M-34 at Clayton and proceeding southerly via Morey Hwy and Lime Creek Hwy to Morenci and through town via North, Main and East Sts to the Ohio State Line is established as M-156. |
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1978 (Early) – News reports state M-156, in its entirety, is to be reconstructed during the construction season "in preparation to turn back to the county." While a jurisdictional transfer of the entire route was, seemingly, in the works, M-156 remains a state trunkline route to the present day. |
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1978 (___ 16) – A route with a new gentle reverse-curve immediately north of the community of North Morenci replacing several sharper ones is officially established as a state trunkline highway. The portion of the former route still open to traffic is temporarily retained in the system as well. |
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1980 (Apr 3) – The segments still open to travel of the former M-156 bypassed by the realignment above, namely short portions of Lime Creek Hwy and Morey Hwy, are cancelled as state trunkline routs eand turned back to local control. |
| Controlled Access: |
No portion of M-156 exists as freeway or expressway. |
| NHS: |
No portion of M-156 is on the National Highway System (NHS). |
| Photographs: |
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| Weblinks: |
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