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Highways 160 through 179
FORMER M-168 | FORMER M-169 | FORMER M-178 | M-179 | Jump to Bottom
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Fmr. W. Terminus: |
The site of the former Ann
Arbor Railroad Ferry Docks in Elberta |
| Fmr. E. Terminus: |
M-22 in downtown
Elberta |
| Former Length: |
 0.953 miles |
| Map: |
Route Map of FORMER M-168 |
| Notes: |
Until its decommissioning in April 2012, M-168 was the second-shortest
mainline state trunkline highway in Michigan, not counting Business Connections
and unsigned trunklines. Counting Business Connections, M-168 was the fourth-shortest
state highway as of 2012. |
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M-168's historical
purpose was to serve to connect the Ann Arbor Railroad Carferry docks with M-22 in
Elberta. The Ann Arbor Railroad ran several ferry lines from Elberta, including
ones to Milwaukee
and Kewaunee
in Wisconsin, as well as to Menominee and Manistique in Michigan's Upper
Peninsula. As was the practice at the time, the State Highway Department
connected the various ferry terminals with the rest of the state trunkline
system using short connector highways. M-168 was one such highway in Elberta.
Similar
highways were created in Menominee, Manistique, St Ignace, Mackinaw City
and Muskegon. Those other state highways had since been decommissioned following cancellation of their ferry services;
however, M-168 remained for decades as a link to the past when large railroad and automobile
ferries steamed into and out of the harbor at Elberta. |
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The decommissioning of M-168 was not a secret in the years leading up to its tranfer back to local control. An MDOT
construction projects spreadsheet generated
November 16, 2005 listed a $2.1 million dollar complete reconstruction of
the entire trunkline scheduled for 2010, after which the route was scheduled to be jurisdictionally
transferred to the Village of Elberta. The entire length of M-168 was reconstructed which included, according to an MDOT press release, "decorative sidewalks, lighting, and landscaping, along with safety and drainage improvements." With the downturn in the economy and for various budgetary reasons at MDOT, the jurisdictional transfer of M-168 took an extra couple years meaning the route was able to witness its 80th anniversary as a highway, although it didn't quite make it to its 81st. |
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Old Michigan State
Highway Dept sources indicate that at some point in its history, M-168 was
designated M-229. Unfortunately, it is unclear when
it may have bore such designation—prior to it being designated M-168 or
at some point after for a period of time. The M-229 designation also never
made it to any official highway maps, either, suggesting it may have been
a temporary designation or one which was changed back quickly. |
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History: |
1931 (June 19)  - The State Administrative Board approves the addition of a new trunkline linking M-22 with the Ann Arbor Railroad docks in Elberta as part of 30 additional miles of roadway approved to be added to the trunkline sytem. |
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1931
(July 15) -
A new, 0.8-mile long state trunkline spur highway is commissioned within
the Village of Elberta, designated M-168, beginning at M-22 in downtown and
running northwesterly via Frankfort Ave and Furnace St, terminating at the
Ann Arbor Railroad Carferry docks. It is believed the route is designated
M-168 from the outset, possibly being temporarily redesignated as M-229 for
a time in the future before being changed back to M-168. |
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1932 (Oct 29) - The existing 0.8-mile trunkline routing is cancelled due
to an error in mileage, a State Highway Dept source states, while simultaneously
being "re-determined" as a 1.10-mile long trunkline along the same
routing. It is unclear whether the M-229 designation may have debuted at
this time or not. If so, it would be gone by 1934, as M-168 is clearly indicated
on official state highway maps from that year on. |
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1987 (Nov 16) - MDOT records indicate an additional 0.067-mile of highway
is added to M-168 on this date. However it is not clear where this additional
length is added, though it likely had something to do with a slight realignment
at the M-22 junction. |
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2010 - All of M-168 in its entirety is reconstructed by MDOT along with the addition of decorative sidewalks, lighting, landscaping and drainage improvements. At this time, with the jurisdictional transfer of the route imminent, the Department does not erect new M-168 route markers at the close of the project. Thus M-168 begins a year-and-a-half stint as an unsigned state trunkline highway. |
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2012 (Apr 24) - On this date, the jurisdictional transfter between the State and the Village of Elberta becomes official and M-168 ends its 80 years, 9 months, and 10 days as a state trunkline highway, oficially becoming a City Major street. |
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Freeway/Expwy: |
No portion of the former M-168 was freeway or expressway. |
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Photographs: |
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Weblinks: |
• M-168 @ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of the former M-168 at Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan Highway Ends website. |
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• The Carferries of the Great Lakes - general information on the various railroad carferries on the Great Lakes. |
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• Michigan's Ann Arbor Railroads: Rail to Water - an interesting historical overview from CMU's Clarke Historical Library. |
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• The Carferries of the Great Lakes: The Ann Arbor Fleet - photos of two of the Ann Arbor Railroad's fleet of carferries. |
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• Elberta's Long-Awaited Facelift - A story from Interlochen Public Radio about the reconstruction of M-168 and the other changes in Elberta from 2010. |
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• Trackdog's Ann Arbor Railroad Car Ferry Page [dead link] - photos of some of the Ann Arbor railroad carferries. |
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• Trackdog's Michigan Railroad Car Ferry Page [dead link] - photos of some of the Lake Michigan railroad carferries. |
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PLEASE NOTE:
Former M-169 route information can be found on its own page: Former M-169 Route Listing. |
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PLEASE NOTE:
Former M-178 route information can be found on its own page: Former M-178 Route Listing. |
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Western Terminus: |
M-43, 2.5 miles
west of downtown Hastings |
| Eastern Terminus: |
US-131 at Exit
61 near Bradley |
| Length: |
16.963 miles |
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Map: |
Route Map of M-179 |
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Notes: |
The modern-day
iteration of M-179 is one of several route additions resulting from the Rationalization
process of the late-1990s. The state had long-range
plans for many years to add a state trunkline connection from Barry Co into
Allegan Co and the Rationalization process provided that vehicle. The portion
of county-designated highway A-42 east
of US-131 was transferred to the
state and designated M-179. A source claims the route was to be a westerly
extension of existing M-79 (Charlotte-Hastings),
but having three concurrent trunkline routes through downtown Hastings was
not desirable. Thus, the route bears a related designation instead of M-79 itself. |
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As an interesting aside, both iterations of M-179 (1935-58 and 1998-Present)
terminated at US-131... |
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History: |
1928 (May 28) – A new, more direct alignment for US-131 (newly re-signed from M-13 weeks before) is officially determined in Osceola Co between Ashton and LeRoy along present-day Mackinaw Tr between 13 Mile Rd on the south and 180th Ave on the north. While much of the former route of US-131 (formerly M-13) along 210th Ave, LeRoy Rd (Gilbert St in the Village of LeRoy) and 180th Ave is turned back to local control on this same day, the portion of the former segment of US-131 along 210th Ave from the new route of US-131 to M-63/14 Mile (Luther) Rd is retained in the state trunkline highway system as the connection for M-63 to US-131. Actual changes in the field may not take place until 1930, as the new direct alignment into LeRoy doesn't seem to be completed and opened to trafic until then. |
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1931 (July 15) – The 0.4 mile of 14 Mile (Luther) Rd between 210th Ave and US-131/Mackinaw Tr southwest of LeRoy is assumed into the state trunkline system as a new alignment for M-63. Instead of turning southerly via 120th Ave to terminate at US-131 one mile south of 14 Mile (Luther) Rd, approximately two miles north of Ashton, M-63 now continues due easterly along 14 Mile (Luther) Rd to terminate at US-131/Mackinaw Tr. The mile-long segment of 210th Ave between US-131 and M-63 is retained in the state trunkline highway system as a connector route initially designated as US-131 STUB. It is highly unlikely this route is not signed as "US-131 STUB" in the field, but rather signed either as "TO M-63" or just as a leg of M-63 itself northbound and as "TO US-131" or just as US-131 southbound. |
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1934 (mid) – After likely being unsigned or signed with its destination routes (see above) for three years, this short trunkline connector is assigned its own route designation: M-179. It is likely also signed in the field at the same time as well, as the M-179 designation begins appearing on official State Highway Dept maps in mid-1934. M-179 is one of the shortest state highways in Michigan coming in at about one mile in length, serving as a connector route between M-63 heading west toward Luther and US-131 heading south toward Reed City. |
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1958 (Sept 16) - The short M-179 connector between US-131 and M-63 is cancelled
and the road is given back to local control. |
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1998 (Oct 31) - As one of the relatively few
jurisdictional transfers as part of the short-lived Rationalization process,
all of county-maintained A-42 between US-131 at
Exit 61 near Bradley and M-43 west of Hastings
is transferred to the state. The portion of A-42 west
of US-131 is retained locally by
Allegan Co, however. |
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1999 (Apr 7-8) - M-179 route markers are erected along the new highway
over the course of two days. On April 7th, the eastbound route markers are
installed as well as plastering over the A-42 markers on the US-131 freeway
exit signage. The westbound markers were installed on April 8th. |
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Freeway/Expwy: |
No portion of M-179 is freeway or expressway. |
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Pure Michigan Byway: |
 Chief Noonday Recreational Heritage Route - This route is named after Chief Noonday, an Iroquois hero of the War of 1812. Legend has it that it was Chief Noonday who carried the body of Tecumseh, Pawnee leader of the Indian warriors, from his final battlefield. Chief Noonday was also instrumental in the negotiations that opened much of Michigan to settlement. Living out his last years in the Yankee Springs area at Slater's Mission, his grave lies near Prairieville. The local chapter of the North Country Trail is also named after Chief Noonday. |
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Photographs: |
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Weblinks: |
• M-179
@ Michigan Highway Ends - photos of the termini of M-179 at
Dan Garnell's excellent Michigan
Highway Ends website. |
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FORMER M-168 | FORMER M-169 | FORMER M-178 | M-179 | Up to Top |
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