M-159 is a former state trunkline route existing from c.1930 until December 29, 1937.
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| Western Terminus*: |
M-129/M-48/Meridian Rd at the cnr of Main St (Gogomain Rd) in Pickford |
| Eastern Terminus*: |
Cnr of E Main St (Gogomain Rd) & Manila St on the east side of Pickford |
| Final Length*: |
0.38 miles |
| Maps: |
 Route Map of Former M-159 |
| Notes: |
* The termini and final length for M-159 reflect the beginning and ending of the route and its length as of the time of the route's cancellation on December 29, 1937. |
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M-159 was a short, 0.4-mile long spur route from then-US-2 (present-day M-129/M-48) in downtown Pickford along Main St to Manila St on the east edge of town. The route was first designated on internal State Highway Dept maps as "US-2 STUB," which was assumedly unsigned. (There is no evidence any of the STUB routes around the state were ever signed in the field.) Around 1930, the short trunkline route was officially designated as M-159 until 1937 when the entire route was decommissioned. It's not entirely clear if M-159 was signed in the field during its short existence, but it is assumed it was. |
| History: |
1915–1919 – When originally established as a state trunkline route, even before any of the routes were signed with route numbers and highway markers in the field, T.L. 48 (Trunk Line 48) was designated along Gogomain Rd from Pickford easterly for five miles, before turning southerly for two additional miles to 26 Mile Rd. This includes the stretch of Main St through downtown Pickford that would one day become M-159. |
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1920–29 – When Michigan's state trunkline highways are signed in the field, M-48 remains signed (or "marked-and-maintained" along Main St/Gogomain Rd from Pickford easterly five miles, even though it had officially been relocated two miles south to the 26 Mile Rd alignment. This is because the new five-mile section of M-48 along 26 Mile Rd is not constructed to state highway standards, meaning M-48 remains signed along the future route of M-159 heading east from Pickford. |
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1929 (Oct 24) – About the same time the State Highway Advisory Board approves the addition of a "stub from US-2 to Pickford, three-tenths of a mile" to the state highway system, a new $32,000, 60-foot-long bridge spanning the East Branch of the Munuskong River southeast of Pickford is completed, the last project along the 26 Mile Rd route which was officially established as part of M-48 in late 1919 but not yet completed and opened to traffic until now. M-48 is now finally routed westerly along 26 Mile Rd from Fairview Rd to US-2/Meridian Rd (present-day M-129), then northerly with US-2 into Pickford where it picks up its former route. The "marked-and-maintained" portion of M-48 via Fairview and Gogomain Rds has its markers removed and county maintenance of the route resumes. However, Main St through Pickford would not be off the state trunkline system for long. |
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1929 (Dec 2) – The portion of Main St (Gogomain Rd) through downtown Pickford from US-2/Meridian Rd (later M-121, then M-5, now present-day M-129/M-48) easterly three long blocks to Manila St is transferred to state control and established as a state trunkline route. As it acts as a spur trunkline route leading from US-2 through downtown Pickford, it is given the internal route designation of "US-2 STUB." There is no evidence, however, any of the so-called "STUB" routes created around the state during this era are actually signed in the field as such or with any designation at all. |
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c.1930 – While M-159 was never included on official highway maps—both those issued for general public consumption as well as internal departmental maps—several other trunkline highway routes in the 150s were first established in or around 1930. In the early 1930s, the State Highway Dept numbered many trunkline routes sequentially as they were established, so an establishment year of 1930 is assumed, based on the lack of a definitive source. |
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1930 – Also during the 1930 construction season, M-159 is given a 20-foot wide concrete surface, meaning the entire 2,000-foot long route is now fully paved. |
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1937 (Dec 29) – The entire 2,000 feet segment of Main St through downtown Pickford designated as M-159 is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to county control. The M-159 route designation has gone unused on the state trunkline system ever since. |
| Controlled Access: |
No portion of former M-159 upon decommissioning existed as freeway or expressway, existing largely before modern-day control of access principles are practiced. |
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