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On to Next Route: M-10 |
| Western Entrance: | From Wisconsin via the Lake Michigan Carferry S.S. Badger at the ferry docks in Ludington, south end of James St |
| Eastern Terminus: | Jct I-75/US-23 (at Exit 162) & M-25/BS I-75 just west of Bay City |
| Length1: | 139.564 miles1 – land route only |
 169.334 miles1 – including S.S. Badger route in Michigan |
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| Map: | Route Map of US-10 |
| Notes: | Prior to the coming of the Interstates, US-10 was a key US Highway in Michigan. Beginning in the heart of downtown Detroit at a junction with US-12, US-16 and US-25, US-10 continued through such cities as Pontiac, Flint, Saginaw and Midland, all the while gradually bending west to cross the Lower Peninsula to meet the Lake Michigan Carferries at Ludington, where the route continued across the lake via the ferry to Manitowoc, Wisconsin and on to Seattle. In present times, just as US-10 was truncated at Fargo, North Dakota in the west, it was scaled back from Detroit to end in Bay City in 1986. Also, after some years of tenuous service in the 1980s, the Lake Michigan Carferry service is again running strong, ferrying people and their automobiles between Ludington and Manitowoc, providing that crucial link in the route of US-10. |
 1Route Lengths explained: The first figure given, 139.564 miles, is the physical, driveable length of US-10 between the S.S. Badger carferry docks in Ludington and its eastern terminus near Bay City. The second figure, 169.334 miles, is that distance plus the 29.77 miles of the route of the S.S. Badger's route across the Michigan half of Lake Michigan (approximately halfway across the lake between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisc.). Most sources do not include this mileage as it is not part of a physical roadway one can drive upon. However, in May 2015, the states of Michigan and Wisconsin joined to have the Badger's route officially designated as part of the route of US-10. As such, both lengths are included here |
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| For more information about the Lake Michigan carferry, the S.S. Badger, visit the Lake Michigan Carferry, Inc. website for current sailings, historical information, fares, and activities to do while on board the four hour crossing. | |
| For the first forty years of the existence of the US-10 freeway—now stretching from west of Farwell to Bay City—no exit numbers or milemarkers were posted along its route. For decades, MDOT only posted exit numbers and milemarkers along routes which actually began as freeways or entered Michigan at the southern or western state boundaries. Some routes, such as US-10, became freeways part-way through their travels through the state, and these routes were not assigned milemarkers. Starting in the early 1990s, MDOT began slowly milemarking the remaining freeways in the state, posting milemarkers on US-10 between Farwell and Bay City in 2001. It wasn't until 2010-12 that most of these freeways, however, had exit numbers assigned and US-10 was no exception. New exit signs along the US-10 freeway between Farwell and Bay City were installed in 2012 featuring exit numbers matching the milemarkers erected a decade before. |
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| In October 1982, the Reflective Systems Unit of MDOT began reviewing the state trunkline sytem and "discovered a substantial number of dual and some triple routing on both the free access and limited access system." The result of which was forwarded to "the Trunkline Numbering Committee in an attempt to reduce as much of this unnecessary routing as possible in an attempt to avoid driver confusion and save funds." That December, the MDOT Transportation Planning unit proposed "US-10 – Eliminate the entire route numbering in Michigan." In March 1983, the Supervising Engineer of the Reflective Safety Unit replied:
"We concur with changing US-10 to M-10 from Ludington to Bay City, and eliminating US-10 from Bay City to Detroit. This action would require extension of US-24 (Telegraph Road) to I-75 changing US-10BR in the city of Pontiac to US-24BR, and extending M-4 (Northwestern Highway) to Cobo Hall. Although this is an expensive option, this will ultimately save this agency funds. District Traffic and Safety Engineer, Dave Van Hine, suggested consideration be given to extending M-25 from Bay City to Ludington instead of changing to M-10. M-25 would be a continuous route from Port Huron to Ludington."
The request to truncate US-10 to I-75/US-23 west of Bay City was sent to AASHTO in 1985 and it was approved that fall. Over the next two years, MDOT undertook the process of eliminating US-10 between Bay City and downtown Detroit, although in a different manner than originally proposed. Instead of decommissioning US-10 between Ludington and Bay City in favor of the M-10 designation (or extending M-25 from Bay City to Ludington), that portion of the route was left untouched. As the M-10 designation remained available, it was applied to the portion of US-10 following the John C Lodge Frwy in the Detroit area and also extended along Northwestern Highway, supplanting the M-4 designation. |
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| History At-A-Glance : |
A comprehensive and detailed history of US-10 appears after this section. The major historical milestones of US-10 include:
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| History: | 1920s – Before the advent of the US Highway system in the mid-1920s, the Ludington-to-Detroit route of US-10 was made up of the following state routes:
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| 1926 (Nov) – As the Joint Commission tasked with establishing the nationwide network of signed U.S. Highways works through that process, the initial designation applied to the route earmarked for the Ludington–Midland–Saginaw–Flint–Detroit corridor in Michigan is US-12, while the Detroit–Chicago route is given the US-10 designation. This puts US-12 north of US-10, out-of-sequence. By the end of the process in November, however, the US-10 and US-12 designations are reversed with US-10 applied to the Ludington-to-Detroit route. The State Highway Dept announces the new US Highway designations will become effective the next May. |
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| 1927 (May 2) – Road crews erect temporary cardboard route markers over the existing state trunkline route markers for all new US Highways and changed state highways as a result of the new US Highways. US-10 superceeds portions of M-20, M-24 and M-10, as noted above. (The State Highway Dept plans to have permanent markers in place by midsummer.) | |
| 1927 (June 29) – A new 1.9-mile long route for newly-signed US-10 north/west of Farwell is officially established along Main St in Farwell from Superior St west to Corning St then northerly via Corning St–Old State Rd to the existing route at Surrey Rd. The existing 2.3-mile route north from Main St along Superior St and North Rd, then west via Surrey Rd to Old State Rd is cancelled as a state and turned back to local control. |
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| 1927 (July 1) – The first 5.6 miles of the so-called "Dixie Cut-Off" along Western Rd, newly renamed Dort Hwy—the eastern bypass of the City of Flint—is opened to traffic on July 1. Paving was completed June 6 on the segment beginning at US-10/Saginaw Rd northwest of Grand Blanc and continuing northerly to Davison Rd. This segment was officially assumed into the state trunkline system on November 1, 1926. Work on extending the bypass route around the remainder of Flint continue and it is assumed the route as it stands bears no designation or route markers at this time. The bypass is named for J. Dallas Dort (1861–1925), of the Dort Motor Car Co, an early pioneer in the automobile industry in Flint, parterning with William Durant, the founder of General Motors, at one point. | |
1928 (Jan 9–June 28) – During 1928, the 8.894 miles of US-10/Dort Hwy in the Flint area—known as the "Dixie Cut-Off"—is officially established as a state trunkline route in two segments:
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| 1928 (Jan 19) – A short, 0.3-mile long segment of US-10/Woodward Ave south of downtown Pontiac in Oakland Co is officially established as a state trunkline highway route, although it has been part of M-10 (and now US-10) since 1913. The segment runs from South Blvd to E Wilson St. |
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| 1928 (Mar 6) – A new 0.8-mile long sweeping double-curve alignment along US-10 in eastern Mason Co is established as a state trunkline route, bypassing "downtown" Walhalla via present-day Gibson Rd. The former 1.0-mile long route along Walhalla Rd and First St is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to county control. |
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| 1928 (July 11) – The Detroit City Council approves the request made jointly by Grover C Dillman, State Highway Dept engineer, and John W Reid, commissioner of public works, to erect route markers on the various streets in downtown Detroit carrying the new U.S. Highway routes. US-10 is to be marked along Woodward Ave from the northern city limit southerly to the route's terminus at City Hall. | |
| 1928 (Dec 18) – Although already part of the routes of US-10 and US-31, the 0.5 mile segment of Ludington St on the east side of Ludington from US-31 /Washington Ave easterly to the east city limit at Jackson Rd is officially established as a state trunkline highway and placed under State Highway Dept jurisdiction. |
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| 1928 (Dec 19) – A day later, another segment of highway which is already part of the route of US-10 in the City of Pontiac from Wilson St southeasterly along Woodward Ave to South Blvd is officially established as a state trunkline highway route and placed under State Highway Dept jurisdiction. To this point, it had been a "marked-and-maintained" route officially under city jurisdiction. |
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| 1929 (Mid) – The remainder of the new "Dixie Cut-Off" or Dort Hwy eastern bypass of Flint is completed and opened to traffic from Davison Rd northerly back to the existing route of US-10 (formerly M-10 until 1927) north of Mount Morris. The final project to be completed before the entire bypass could be opened to through traffic is a Pere Marquette Ry (later C&O and Chessie System, now CSX Railroad) overpass located 1,000 feet north of Pierson Rd. US-10 is then relocated to utilize the bypass route in its entirety, with the former route of US-10 through Flint being redesignated as M-10, ironically reviving the designation which existed along the route just one year prior! |
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| 1929 (Early) – During the first part of the year, a major realignment for US-10 in western Lake Co is completed and opened to traffic. The new route, which runs almost due easterly from Branch on the Mason/Lake Co line for 9½ miles, then due southerly into Baldwin for another three miles, had been officially established on October 4, 1926 while the route was still part of M-20, prior to it receiving its US-10 designation in 1927. The former route of US-10—which turned southerly at Branch via Tyndall Rd, then easterly on Stevensen Rd, southerly again via South Branch Rd, then southeasterly along the Pere Marquette Ry line on Wingleton Rd to 52nd St, then easterly into Baldwin, then stair-stepping northeasterly through the village on various municipal streets—had also been officially canceled as a trunkline route in October 1926, but was retained as a "marked-and-maintained" route by the State Highway Dept until the new roadwas was completed. |
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| 1929 – Originally entering Saginaw from the southeast on Genesee Ave and crossing the Saginaw River via the Genesee Ave Bridge, then turning northerly on Michigan Ave for a block before turning westerly along State St through the remainder of the city, US-10 now continues westerly from Michigan Ave remaining on W Genesee Ave for seven additional blocks before turning notherly via Bond St for block before turing back westerly along State St. |
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1931 (June 14) – Act 131 of 1931—the Dykstra Act—is passed allowing the State Highway Dept to take over control of state highways running into and through incorporated cities, thereby officially incorporating them as state trunkline highways. For US-10, six segments of of the route are affected, totalling 15.86 miles:
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| 1931 (July 15) – While it may (or may not) have been signed as part of US-10 prior to this time, the 0.3-mile long segment of S Robert St in downtown Ludington from Ludington Ave southerly approximately 5 blocks to the Pere Marquette Carferry (later the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Carferry, present-day Lake Michigan Carferry) Dock is officially established as a state trunkline and part of US-10. |
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| 1931 (Aug 31) – The original US-10 (and M-20 prior to that) route into Midland from the northwest travels through Sanford and Averill along Saginaw Rd, then turns due easterly via Wackerly Rd for 3.3 miles, then runs southerly along Eastman Rd into downtown Midland. A new 3.6-mile long realignment for US-10 continues southeasterly from Wackerly Rd along Saginaw Rd, turning easterly to intersect Eastman Rd one mile south of Wackerly Rd where it turns southerly along its existing alignment into downtown Midland. The former 4.3-mile long route via Wackerly Rd from Saginaw Rd to Eastman Rd and via Eastman Rd south to Saginaw Rd is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control. |
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| 1931 (Aug 31, Oct 6) – A 5.0-mile long direct route in northeast Isabella Co is established for US-10 between Loomis and Clare on August 31. Starting at the south city limit of Clare on the Clare/Isabella Co line, the new highway continues southeasterly parallelling the Pere Marquette Ry line (running about 120 feet north of the railroad for most of the distance) to Buchtel St on the east side of Loomis. The 6.2-mile long former route of US-10 via Clarabella Rd easterly from Clare to Loomis Rd, then southerly along Loomis Rd to "downtown" Loomis, then easterly on Washington St and southerly via Bechtel St is cancelled as a state trunkline highway route and turned back to local control. The new highway is completed and opened to through traffic between Clare and Loomis on October 6. |
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1932 (Oct 29) – Two realignments for US-10 in Osceola Co are established:
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| 1932 (Oct 29) – A 5.7-mile long new segment of US-10 between North Bradley and Coleman in northwest Midland Co is officially assumed into the state trunkline highway system in order to keep US-10 on the north side of the Pere Marquette Ry tracks between those communities. The new alignment eliminates two grade crossings. The 5.7-mile long former route along Barden Rd at North Bradley from Saginaw Rd southwesterly across the tracks then northwesterly along the south side of the rail line via Pere Marquette Rd into Coleman, then back northerly across the tracks via Brown St to Railway St is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control. |
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| 1934 (May–June) – A new 3¼-mile long US-10 bypass of Midland is completed and opened to traffic along present-day Saginaw Rd between Eastman Rd and M-20/Bay City Rd. The former route of US-10 through downtown Midland via Eastman Rd, Ellsworth St and Bay City Rd is designated as US-10A. Construction of the new bypass route costs $95,500 to complete. |
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| 1935 (Jan 7, Oct 22) – A 15.6-mile long segment of future M-115 is officially established as a state trunkline route on January 7, 1935 beginning in Farwell at the cnr of W Main St & Corning St and continuining northwesterly from the west end of Main St along a new proposed highway toward Osceola Co. The first two miles of this new trunkline route are also to become the new route for US-10 heading west from Farwell. At present, US-10 travels through Farwell via Main St, then turns northerly along Corning St and Old State Ave, then westerly on Surrey Rd toward Lake Station. Later in the year, |
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| 1935 (Jan 7, Oct 22) – A new route for US-10 heading northwesterly from Farwell in southern Clare Co is officially established as a state trunkline route on January 7 from Main & Corning Sts in downtown Farwell northwesterly for 2.276 miles to the existing route of US-10 at Surrey Rd. (The establishment is part of a longer 15.6-mile establishment for the new M-115, the Clare–Frankfort Diagonal and part of a larger Detroit–Frankfort Diagonal.) The former route, however, is cancelled and turned back to local control later in the year on October 22, running via Corning St–Old State Rd from Main St to Surrey Rd and along Surrey Rd from Old State Rd westerly to the new jct of US-10 & M-115 at Surrey Rd & Ludington Dr northwest of Farwell. (The new alignment may have opened to traffic that summer.) |
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| 1936 (Oct 30) – The first 5.44 miles of a planned 13.6-mile long relocation for US-10 between Evart and Lake Station, in Osceola and Clare Cos, respectively, is completed and opened to traffic from 6 Mile Rd at the Muskegon River bridge on the east edge of Evart easterly to M-66 two miles east of Sears. While the new alignment is not yet officially established as a trunkline route, US-10 traffic is routed along the new highway from Evart to M-66, then southerly along M-66 for three miles back to the original route at 3 Mile Rd. The former route of US-10 east of Evart via 6 Mile Rd to Sears, 50th Ave south to 3 Mile Rd and 3 Mile Rd east to M-66 temporarily becomes an unsigned trunkline route. |
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| 1936 (Dec 9), 1937 (Aug 30) – A 2.92-mile long new alignment for US-10 is officially established as a new trunkline route in southern Clare Co between Farwell and Clare from just east of Beaver Ave east of Farwell to Maple Rd (just west of Cunningham St) in Clare on December 9, 1936. Almost 10 months later on August 30, 1937, the 3.39-mile long former route of US-10 is cancelled as a state trunkline highway, with the portion along Maple Rd westerly to Harrison Ave northerly to Washington Rd turned back to local control, while from Harrison Ave & Washington Rd west-northwesterly to the Pere Marquette Ry then northwesterly to the new alignment is abandoned as a public road with the portion south of the railroad obliterated and the portion north of the railroad becoming a private driveway. |
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| 1937 (Aug 30) – The 5.44-mile long realignment of US-10 in Osecola Co from Evart east past Sears to M-66 opened to traffic ten months earlier is officially established as a state trunkline route, while at the same time the 8.2-mile long former route of US-10 east of Evart via 6 Mile Rd to Sears, 50th Ave south to 3 Mile Rd and 3 Mile Rd east to M-66 is cancelled as a trunkline route and turned back to county control. |
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| 1937 (Dec 29), 1938 (Dec 6) – As part of a larger project to improve the route of US-10 in eastern Mason and western Lake Cos, US-10 is realigned at Walhalla from an existing "S"-curve between Walhalla and Campbell Rds onto a newly-constructed, smoother set of curves just to the northeast of the former alignment. The former alignment along Gibson Rd and First St east of Gibson Rd is cancelled as a state trunkline highway route and turned back to county control on December 29, 1937 while the new alignment, interestingly, isn't officially established as a trunkline route between Gibson Rd and First St on December 6, 1938. Construction on the new alignment is completed and opened to traffic sometime in later 1938. |
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| 1937 (Dec 29), 1938 (Dec 6) – The remainder of the US-10 realignment project between Evart in Osecola Co and Lake Station in Clare Co is completed and opened to traffic, specifically the portion of the route from M-66 southeasterly to Lake Station. The 8.1 miles of former US-10 from M-66 at Gilbos Corner in central Orient Twp easterly along 3 Mile Rd into Clare Co then along Eight Point Lake Rd and Mystic Lake Rd to Gibson Ave, then northerly along Gibson Ave to the new alignment of US-10 is cancelled as a trunkline route and turned back to county control, while the 4.674 miles of new US-10 along Ludington Rd from Gibson Ave at Lake Station northwesterly to the Clare/Osceola Co line is offically established as a state trunkline route on December 29, 1937. It's not until December 6, 1938 that the 3.492 miles of US-10 between M-66 and the Clare/Osceola Co line is similiarly officially established as a trunkline route, although it has been open to traffic for a year at that point. |
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| 1939 (July 13) – A construction project on the eastern edge of Reed City in Osceola Co eliminates two 90° curves in the route and also results in a new bridge spanning the Hersey River. Beginning approximately 100 feet east of Glenn St, a new 0.4-mile long alignment for US-10 is officially established as a state trunkline route with two sweeping curves replacing the former alignment which is cancelled as a trunkline route. Two portions of the former route survive as public roadways: Werth Dr along the east city limit and a 350-foot portion of Commerce Dr immediately west of present-day BUS US-10/Church St. The remainder of the former roadway is either obliterated or becomes private roadway segments. |
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| 1939 (July 13–Nov 3) – The so-called last link in the overall "Wider Woodward" project to widen Woodward Ave between Detroit and Pontiac, the 1.332-mile, eight-lane divided highway bypass of downtown Birmingham is officially established as a state trunkline highway route on July 13. The new segment of highway, which is constructed atop the former Grand Trunk Railway grade through Birmingham, which was relocated as part of a huge project between Royal Oak and Bloomfield Hills, is opened to traffic on November 3 and cost nearly $168,000 to construct. The opening ceremonies are well-attended by civic leaders, State Highway Commissioner Murray D. Van Wagoner, as well as a group of Native Americans who had camped out in the median of the new highway the previous week and were present to, as contemporary media accounts termed it, "additional color" and added "authenticy to the pageantry." One media report stated, "Chief Black Cloud, a descendant of Chief Pontiac, handed a peace pipe to Don Bell, a descendant of John Hunter, first settler in this vicinity. The Hunter descendants rode in a covered wagon for [the] ceremony." The new downtown bypass of Birmingham had been named on July 10 by the city commission to commemorate John W. Hunter who also founded Birmhingham in 1819. While the downtown Birmingham bypass has only been under construction since 1937, the entire "Wider Woodward" project actually began in 1913! |
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| 1940 (Nov 12) – The 1.3-mile portion of Woodward Ave through downtown Birmingham which had been bypassed by the newly-constructed Hunter Blvd downtown bypass (opened to traffic just over twelve months earlier) is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to city jurisdiction. The City was desirous of reintroducing angled on-street parking back to Woodward Ave in the downtown area and was not able to do so as long as the former route of US-10 was still a state trunkline route, albeit an unsigned one. |
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| 1941 (Early) – During the first half of 1941, the M-10 designation through the City of Flint is replaced in its entirety by a brand-new BUS US-10 designation, resulting is the absence of the M-10 designation from Michigan for 4½ decades. |
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1942 (Jan 28) – A trio of official changes in the route of US-10 occur:
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| 1943 (Early/Mid) – The US-10 relocation project in Clare—where US-10 is moved from E Fourth St north to E Fifth St to remove two 90° turns in the route, one traffic signal, two "bad curves" and other route deficiencies—is completed and opened to traffic. The route had already been established in January 1942 and construction was allowed to proceed, even in light of the onset of World War II. The contract for the project was let prior to the Attack on Pearl Harbor and, after several months of negotiation between the Michigan State Highway Dept and the War Department, federal officials allow the project to proceed. Final surfacing of the new segment is completed in 1943 and opened to traffic. The former routing along E Fourth St has been operating as a "marked-and-maintained" trunkline since it was officially cancelled and turned back to local control in January 1942. |
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| 1945 (June 26) – In a somewhat odd venture, a state trunkline routing which occurred 16 years prior is finally made "official" in terms of established trunkline routing. In 1929, the route of US-10 in Saginaw was adjusted to continue due westerly from the Genesee Ave Bridge via W Genesee Ave to Bond St, then turn northerly one block via Bond St to its previous routing along State St. This change was never officially made in terms of state jurisdiction, however, and the previous Michigan Ave–State St route remained the officially established trunkline route, while W Genesee Ave–Bond St was the "marked-and-maintained" route. On June 26, 1945, the 1929 change is made official when the W Genesee—Bond route is officially established as the US-10 route, while the Michigan–State combination is cancelled and turned back to city jurisdiction. (No actual route or signage changes take place in the field, however.) |
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| 1948 (July 2) – The reconstructed segment of US-10 in Ludington leading from the downtown area to the Pere Marquette carferry dock which was officially established in early 1942 is completed and opened to traffic. The delay between the establishment of the route and it being opened to traffic is quite likely due to World War II. |
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| 1948 (Late) – Although the 4.9-mile long realignment of US-10 between Chase in Lake Co and Reed City in Osceola Co was officially established as a trunkline route in early 1942 and grading and drainage structures were completed during 1942–43, completion of the portion of the new route from Hawkins Rd east of Chase to 220th Ave northwest of Reed City doesn't happen until late 1948, due to wartime material and labor shortages. When the new route is finally completed and opened to traffic, the southeasterly "cross-country" portion between the corner of 5 Mile Rd & 220th Ave and N Park St & North Ave at the Reed City city limit is not included and remains unconstructed. US-10 is therefore routed southerly from 5 Mile Rd along 220th Ave—which becomes a "marked-and-maintained" route and not an officially established trunkline—to the former route at Upton Ave, where it then continues easterly into downtown Reed City. (Upton Ave itself from 220th Ave to Park St has been a "marked-and-maintained" route since early 1942 when it was officially cancelled as a trunkline route.) US-10 route markers are removed from the "marked-and-maintained" route along Hawkins Rd, 64th St–4 Mile Rd and 220th Ave south of Upton Ave, while the southeasterly angling unconstructed segment from the corner of Mile Rd & 220th Ave and N Park St & North Ave as well as N Park St from North Ave southerly to Upton Ave remain the officially established route, albeit incomple and unsigned—for now. Also, with the completion of this segment of US-10, the entire route within the state is now paved. |
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| 1949 (Nov 10) – The State Highway Dept officially throws in the towel on ever completing the proposed alignment of US-10 into Reed City from the northwest, beginning at the corner of 5 Mile Rd and arcing southeasterly to N Park St & North Ave, then running along N Park St to the existing route of US-10 at Upton Ave west of downtown—even though most or all of the necessary 100-foot-wide right-of-way has been purchased for the highway. The 0.2-mile, two-block segment of Upton Ave between Park St and US-131/Chestnut St downtown is also part of this trunkline cancellation. While that segment of US-10 is officially cancelled‚ (the 1.0-mile of unconstructed roadway plus the 0.3 mile of Park St in Reed City between North and Upton and the 0.2 mile of Upton between Park and Chestnut), no new routing for US-10 between those points is offically established as a state trunkline routing at this point! While 220th Ave from 5 Mile Rd to Upton Ave and Upton Ave from 220th to Chestnut St remains a "marked-and-maintained" route, there is now officially a gap in the established route of US-10 across the state (although the signed route is continuous). |
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| 1953 (July 24) – With the completion of a good portion of the US-23 "Saginaw East Belt", the co-signed portion of US-10/US-23 between Bridgeport and downtown Saginaw becomes US-10/BUS US-23. |
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| 1954 (March 31) – After injuctions and court challenges that went as far as the State Supreme Court were finally resolved, the first step in a locally-controversial one-way street system on the northwest side of Saginaw is implemented, ironically, restoring (at least the westbound side of) US-10 to its pre-1929 routing. After crossing the Saginaw River via the Genesee Ave bridge, westbound US-10 now turns northerly one block via Michigan Ave, then back westerly for 17 blocks (1.07 mile) along State St (the 1927–29 route of US-10), while the eastbound side of US-10 now turns southerly off State St onto Madison St (present-day Carolina St) for one block, then turns easterly to follow W Genesee St also for 17 blocks (1.07 mile) to Michigan Ave. The interesting aspect is no official jurisdictional changes are part of this project. State St west of Bond St and W Genesee Ave east of Bond St (as well as the one block of Bond St between the two) remain part of the officially established trunkline route, while State St east of Bond St to Michigan Ave (as well as the one block of Michigan Ave) and W Genesee Ave west of Bond St (and the one block of Madison [Carolina] St) are actually "marked-and-maintained" trunkline routes: Maintained and signed by the State Highway Dept as trunklines, but not officially transferred to state control. State HIghway Commissioner Charles M Ziegler states he is willing to let the one-way pair be implented, but notes it will only be a "temporary solution" pending construction of Davenport Ave as a through route and a similar east-west one-way pair on the east side of the river. | |
| 1956 (Mar 26) – US-10 is realigned approximately ½ mile west of the hamlet of Nirvana in east-central Lake Co. The new alignment features two gentle sweeping curves that takes the highway to the north of Nirvana Cemetery and is officially established as a state trunkline on March 26, while the former route along Knight St is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to county control. | |
| c.1957 – Sometime around 1957, the entirety of US-10A at Midland is redesignated as BUS US-10. All US-10A route markers are swapped out for BUS US-10 route marker assemblies. The limits of the route remain the same. The earliest mention of Midland's US-10A being BUS US-10 is on an internal State Highway Dept trunkline mapbook produced in July 1957. |
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| 1958 (June 30) – With the completion of the Fenton-Clio Expressway (a freeway) from Birch Run southherly past Flint, the US-23 designation is moved to the new freeway and the former US-10/US-23 becomes just US-10. Through the center of Flint, Saginaw St becomes just BUS US-10. |
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| 1958 (Sept 16) – Two short state trunkline highway segments are officially established in the area of the US-10/Dixie Hwy & Williams Lake Rd–Walton Blvd intersection in Waterford Twp between Drayton Plains and Waterford (northwest of Pontiac). A 0.2-mile long trunkline is established as a cut-off route for nwbd US-10/Dixie Hwy traffic to reach ebd Walton Blvd while a second 0.1-mile trunkline provides the same purpose for sebd US-10/Dixie Hwy traffic accessing wbd Williams Lake Rd. (At this location, US-10 crosses the east-west Williams Lake Rd–Walton Blvd at an approximately 45° angle, making the aforementioned turns rather difficult.) |
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| 1958 (Nov 14–20) – In an odd move, the State Highway Dept officially certifies the 0.4 miles (three blocks) of Upton Ave in Reed City from Sears St easterly to US-131/Chestnut St downtown on November 14. This has been part of the US- 10 "marked-and-maintained" route since the 1940s and, ironically, was the originally-certified route for US-10 (and M-20 before it) beginning in 1919. Why only those three blocks of Upton Ave are certifed as an official state trunkline route is unclear, but what is even more unclear is why just six days later on November 20, that certification is cancelled as a state trunkline highway route! The northside US-10 bypass of Reed City will not be officially certified until December 12, so this six-day certification of the three blocks of Upton Ave in Reed City remains an unexplained oddity. |
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| 1958 (Oct 29, Dec 12) – The 2.292-mile long US-10 northern bypass of Reed City in Osceola Co is completed and opened to traffic on October 29. The segment is officially certified as a state trunkline highway route, however, approximately five weeks later on December 12. As the portion of the former route of US-10 west of US-131/Chestnut St had already been officially cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control in 1942 and 1948, although it remained a "marked-and-maintained" trunkline route until the new bypass is completed on October 29, no cancellations or jurisdictional transfers occur as part of this establishment. The portion of the former US-10 from US-131/Chestnut St easterly to the east end of the new bypass east of Reed City is redesignated as BUS US-10 and that route is then run concurrently with US-131 along Chestnut St from Church St northerly to a western terminus at the new US-10 bypass north of downtown. Interestingly, the 0.2-mile long segment of Mackinaw Tr from US-131/Chestnut St northeasterly to the new US-10 bypass had been part of the segment of the former route of US-131 north of Reed City cancelled as a state trunkline route on October 22, 1957 when the new US-131 alignment was certified north of Reed City just west of the Pennsylvania Railroad. However, on December 12, that 0.2 mile segment is re-certified as a state trunkline route to serve as a connector for BUS US-10 between US-131/Chestnut St and the new US-10 bypass route. |
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| 1958 (Nov 20—Dec 12) – The first phase of a locally-contentious project to create a one-way pair of roadways for US-10 (and M-47 west of Bay Rd) in the northwest portion of Saginaw is completed and opened to traffic November 20. Previously, Davenport Ave existed one block north of State St only from the Johnson St Bridge westerly to Durand St with a one-block break at the C&O Railway, then again from Lewis [Mason] St westerly to Barnard St. West of Barnard, a 3½ block long Cronk St ran from M-47/Bay St easterly to a dead-end east of Taft St. This project constructed a connector from Madison [Carolina] St to Cronk St at Taft, then subsuming Cronk St to Bay St, then westerly along a newly-built roadway to Passolt St on the city limit, where the newly-built Davenport Ave curves southerly to merge back into State St west of Ethel Ave in Saginaw Twp. Wbd US-10 traffic now turns northery off State St for one block along Madison [Carolina] St, then westerly along the new Davenport Ave route into Saginaw Twp. (Sbd M-47 joins this new route from Bay St westerly.) State St from the new Davenport Ave split easterly into Saginaw to Madison [Carolina] St becomes ebd US-10 ony (and also nbd M-47 up to Bay St). At Madison [Carolina] St, ebd US-10 continues as it had previously via Madison [Carolina] for one block to W Genesee St, then easterly toward the Saginaw River. This configuration results in ebd US-10 traveling easterly along State St to Madison [Carolina] St where it performs a "bump" with its wbd counterpart which features wbd traffic on a one-way street directly approaching the ebd traffic at the same intersection on the same street! (The plan, however, is for the "missing" segments of Davenport Ave between Barnard St and Madison [Carolina] St to be completed and the remainder of Davenport upgraded to become the westbound side of US-10 in the future, thereby removing the odd "bump" situation at State St & Madison [Carolina] St.) Almost exactly a month after opening to traffic, the 1.405-mile segment of Davenport Ave from Madison [Carolina] St westerly to the point where it merges back into State St is officially established as a state trunkline route on December 12. The one block of Madison [Carolina] St between State St and Davenport Ave is not officially established and remains a "marked-and-maintained" route that is still technically a city street, but is signed as part of US-10 and is maintained by the State Highway Dept. |
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| 1959 (June 11) – The U.S. Route Numbering Committee of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO, today's AASHTO) approves the Michigan State Highway Dept's application to relocate the route of US-10. This application covers approval to move the US-10 designation onto several freeway segments either under construction (or soon scheduled to be) between Clare and the Clarkston area. The first segment covers the future US-10 freeway from Clare southeasterly past Midland, then easterly along the newly-completed M-20 freeway to Bay City. From there, US-10 is to be paired with I-75/US-23 along a freeway from Bay City southerly past Saginaw to Birch Run where US-10 is planned to exit the freeway and transition back to its existing alignment from Birch Run, around the east side of Flint, to the Genesee/Oakland Co line. There, the second segment of relocated US-10 will transition onto the future I-75 freeway southeasterly to the Clarkston area, where it will resume along its existing alignment through Pontiac and on to Detroit. |
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| 1959 (July 8) – The 0.24 mile, three-block-long segment of Woodward Ave from US-25/Fort St in downtown Detroit southerly to Jefferson Ave (Proposed I-75) is officially certifed as a state trunkline highway route as an extension for the US-10 designation. Formerly having its eastern national (and Michigan) terminus at Detroit City Hall, like the other US Highway routes terminating at Detroit, US-10 is being extended to meet up with the proposed route of I-75 through downtown Detroit. It is assumedly signed as part of US-10 by November 3 when the last segment of the John C Lodge Expwy in the downtown area opens to traffic from the Congress St ramps, passing under Cobo Arena and continuing easterly along Jefferson Ave where it meets Woodward Ave. |
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| 1959 (Fall) – The new M-20 freeway from Bay City is extended westerly from Bay City Rd near the Bay/Midland Co line (present-day Exit 129) westerly, parallel to and north of existing M-20/ Bay City Rd for a total of 3.488 miles. The first 3.0 miles, from Bay City Rd westerly to just west of US-10/Saginaw Rd is a continuation of the fully controlled-access freeway. From that point westerly back to existing M-20 at Ellsworth St, M-20 utilizes a one-way pair of streets—Lyon Rd eastbound and Patrick Rd westbound. The new M-20 route hasn't yet been officially established as a trunkline route (although it is open to traffic and signed as one!). It is likely the BUS US-10 designation at Midland is relocated onto the new M-20 route from US-10/Saginaw Rd westerly to Ellsworth St with the former segment of M-20/BUS US-10 along Ellsworth St from Lyon Rd to Bay City Rd and via Bay City Rd easterly to US-10/Saginaw Rd becoming an unsigned trunkline route for the time being. |
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| 1960 (June 28) – The U.S. Route Numbering Committee of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO, today's AASHTO) approves the Michigan State Highway Dept's application to extend the route of US-10 at its meeting in York Harbor, Maine. The extension runs from its previous eastern terminus at US-25/Fort St in downtown Detroit southerly for 0.24 mile along Woodward Ave to a new terminus at the proposed junction of I-75 & US-12 at the corner of Woodward Ave & Jefferson Ave. This segment had been officially established as a trunkline route almost an entire year earlier in July 1959 and likely signed in the field as part of US-10 in early November 1959 with the completion of the John C Lodge Expwy in the area. |
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| 1960 (July 29) – A 4.28-mile long, two-lane undivided limited-access "Super 2" expressway is completed between existing US-10/Midland Rd 1¼ miles northwest of Freeland northerly to the M-20 freeway (present day US-10) about 1½ miles east of the Midland/Bay Co line. In preparation for for the completion of the US-10 Midland Bypass freeway later in the year, US-10 is routed northerly along this new expressway to the M-20 freeway, then westerly along the M-20 freeway back to existing US-10 along Saginaw Rd in Midland. The former route of US-10 along Midland Rd (Saginaw Co) and Saginaw Rd (Midland Co) between Freeland and Midland temporarily remains an unsigned state trunkline route. |
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| 1960 (Aug 2) – The two short cut-off access roadways at the US-10/Dixie Hwy & Williams Lake Rd–Walton Blvd intersection established on September 16, 1958 (see entry above) are cancelled as unsigned state trunkline routes and turned back to county control. The 0.2-mile connector for nwbd US-10 traffic accessing Walton Blvd is named Floradale Rd and later turned into a two-way roadway, while the 0.1-mile long cut-off for sebd US-10 traffic accessing Williams Lake Rd remains a one-way connector. |
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| 1960 (Nov 4–15) – A 9¼-mile segment of the new US-10 freeway opens to traffic around the north side of Midland between Bay City Rd east of the city and Stark Rd northwest of the city on November 4, although this segment of freeway hasn't been officially established as a state trunkline route yet. Eleven days later on November 15, the 12.768-mile segment of the former route of US-10 from Stark Rd northwest of downtown Midland easterly and southeasterly around the city via Saginaw Rd and into Saginaw Co on Midland Rd to the southern end of the new two-lane US-10 expressway (opened on July 29—present-day M-47) northwest of Freeland is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to county and city control. Simultaneously, BUS US-10 through downtown Midland is extended on either end to meet up with the new bypass freeway: On the north, the 0.939 mile segment of Eastman Rd from former US-10/Saginaw Rd northerly to the new US-10 freeway (at present-day Exit 122) becomes a northerly extension of BUS US-10. On the east, the 2.31-mile segment of the former US-10/M-20 freeway from Saginaw Rd easterly to the new bypass at the Midland/Bay Co line (at present-day Exit 128) is also redesignated as M-20/BUS US-10. In total, the route of BUS US-10 at Midland gains 3.25 miles. |
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1960 (Nov 15) – Related to recent US-10 freeway completions and other highway route changes, several trunkline establishments and cancellations occur in the Saginaw–Midland region (although, interestingly, none of the US-10 freeway in Midland Co will be officially established as a trunkline route for over a year, even though segments are already open to traffic):
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| 1960 (Dec 5)—1961 (Jan 3) – A 14.93-mile long segment of freeway is opened to traffic on December 5 beginning at the north end of the existing US-23 bypass of Saginaw at M-81 northwesterly over the Saginaw River via a new four-lane bascule Zilwaukee Bridge, then curving northerly past Bay City, terminating at existing US-23 at Kawkawlin. The new freeway is designated as I-75/US-10/US-23 from Saginaw to an interchange with the M-20 freeway west of Bay City where US-10 now turns westerly supplanting M-20 on the freeway into Midland. (North of M-20, the new freeway segment continues north as I-75/US-23 to Kawkawlin.) US-10 also now joins with US-23 from Bridgeport northerly to the beginning of the new segment of I-75/US-10/US-23 at M-81 east of Saginaw. The former route of US-10 from Bridgeport into downtown Saginaw is redesignated as part of a new BL I-75 routing, from downtown Saginaw westerly to M-47 west of Saginaw it becomes an extension of M-81, from there northwesterly to one mile north of Freeland (where a new two-lane expressway continues due northerly) it becomes part of M-47, and from that point to M-20 in Midland, the former US-10 is earmarked to be turned back to local control. Road crews begin changing out the various route markers on all the affected routes on December 8, with the work being completed by the end of the month. The entire 14.93-mile long freeway segment is officially established as a trunkline route a month later on January 3. (This segment of freeway becomes the second section of I-75 in Michigan to be opened with I-75 route markers posted as its time of opening.) |
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| 1961 (June 28) – The U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) approves a request from the Michigan State Highway Dept relocate the route of US-10 at Pontiac, removing it from its through-town route along the Woodward Ave–Saginaw St–Oakland Ave route and transferring to the "Pontiac Bypass" along Square Lake Rd and Telegraph Rd, designated as M-58 since it was constructed in 1928. Also approved is a request to replace the existing route of US-10 through the city with a BUS US-10 routing. According to the State Highway Dept application, "This change in numbering is requested in order to utilize a high type facility that will accommodate the most important and heaviest motor traffic flow in the area." |
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| 1961 (Oct 7) – The U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO, today's AASHTO) approves a request from the Michigan State Highway Dept relocate the route of US-10 through the Greater Flint area, removing it from its former route from Birch Run southeasterly bypassing Flint to the east, then southeasterly through Grand Blanc to the Genesee/Oakland Co line, where it will transition to the I-75 freeway currently under construction in Oakland Co. In this proposal, US-10 will be concurrently designated with the I-75/US-23/Fenton-Clio Expwy from Birch Run to Flint and the under construction I-75 freeway from Flint to the Oakland CO line. Existing US-10 from Birch Run to M-83 at Clio is earmarked to be turned back to local control, while the remainder of the segment from M-83 southerly past Flint, through Grand Blanc to the Genesee/Oakland Co line is proposed to become a southerly extension of M-83 (with the existing BUS US-10 through Flint to become BUS M-83). This relocation request is somewht odd in that the State Highway Dept had requested a similar relocation request for the portions of US-10 from Clare past Midland, Bay City and Mount Pleasant to Birch Run and from the Genesee/Oakland Co line southeatserly to Clarkston to be transferred to parallel freeway facilities being construction. Why the department waited an additional two years to request the segment through Genesee Co also be transferred to the parallel freeway segments is unclear. |
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| 1961 (Oct 27) – A project to convert the existing 7½-mile long US-23/US-10 "Saginaw East Belt" to a full freeway—it was opened in stages in 1949 and 1953 as a two-lane controlled-access highway with intersections instead of grade-separations—is completed and opened to traffic five days before its target completion date. New northbound lanes are constructed on the existing right-of-way and interchanges are built at US-10/Dixie Hwy, M-46/Holland Rd and M-81/East Washington Rd, while intersecting roads are either dead-ended or grade separations are constructed. This newly "freeway-ized" segment connects with new segments of I-75/US-10/US-23 freeway on either end, which will now make I-75 and uninterrupted full freeway from southwest of Flint in Genesee Co northerly to jct M-13 at Kawkawlin, concurrent with US-23 for that entire distance and with US-10 from Birch Run to jct M-15/M-25 at Bay City. |
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| 1961 (Nov 17, Nov 25) – The 8.5-mile segment of I-75/US-10/US-23 freeway in Saginaw Co beginning at the north end of the "Fenton–Clio Expressway" at Birch Run (present-day Exit 136) and continuing northwesterly to the southern end of the 1949–54 US-23 "Saginaw East Belt" (designated as US-10/US-23 since the beginning of the year) at Dixie Hwy in Bridgeport at present-day Exit 144 southeast of Saginaw is opened on November 17. Instead of the usual ribbon-cutting ceremony, Gov. Swainson participated in a log-cutting ceremony to open the new highway, reminiscient of the Saginaw area's role in the lumbering era a century earlier. This segment of freeway is also officially established as a state trunkline route eight days later on November 25. The 8.8-mile former route of US-10/US-23 along Dixie Hwy between Birch Run Rd and the northern end of this segment at Bridgeport is turned back to county control on November 25 as well. |
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| 1961 (Dec 15–20) – A 25-mile portion of new US-10 freeway opens between Stark Rd northwest of Midland and the newly completed US-27 "expressway" at Clare on December 15. The $14.5 million freeway segment includes a a 365-foot bridge spanning Sanford Lake near the village of the same name in central Midland Co. At this time, all of US-10 from Bay City to Clare is temporarily designated as "TO I-75," directing through I-75 traffic between completed segments south of Bay City and north of Grayling. Five days later on December 20, the entire 35.51-mile segment of the US-10 freeway from the east Midland Co line east of Midland northwesterly through Midland and Isabella Cos and into Clare Co to US-27 at Clare is officially established as a state trunkline route. The "Midland Bypass" portion of the freeway (jct M-20 westerly to Stark Rd) has been open for over a year and the remainder of the freeway from Stark Rd to Clare, as noted above, has been open five days. The 35.64 miles of the former route of US-10 along Saginaw Rd between Stark Rd northwest of Midland through Sanford, North Bradley, Coleman and Loomis to the US-10 interchange southeast of Clare (present-day BUS US-10) is cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to local control also on December 20. |
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| 1961 (Late) – By the end of 1961, US-10 is removed from its route through downtown Pontiac and transferred onto the "Pontiac Bypass" travelling around the city to the west, as approved by AASHO in June. The bypass route, designated as M-58 since it was constructed in 1928, now becomes the mainline route for US-10. It departs its former route along Woodward Ave to run westerly along Square Lake Rd south of Pontiac, then turns northwesterly and northerly along Telegraph Rd until it meets its former route at Dixie Hwy northwest of the city. The former US-10 route through the city via Woodward Ave–Saginaw St–Oakland Ave is redesignated as BUS US-10. Where M-58 had formerly been concurrently designated with M-24 along Square Lake Rd between Woodward Ave and Telegraph Rd, it now becomes US-10/M-24. |
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| 1962 (Oct 25) – The 21½ mile long segment of I-75/US-10 freeway between existing US-10/Dixie Hwy (present-day Exit 93) at Clarkston in north-central Oakland Co and the US-23/Fenton-Clio Expwy (at present-day 115) southwest of Flint is opened to traffic, although it won't be officially established as a state trunkline route for 11–21 days. The State Highway Dept had originally planned to open the entire 33½ mile segment of I-75 from M-24/Lapeer Rd northeast of Pontiac all the way to US-23 southwest of Flint, but delayed the opening of the 11½ segment between M-24/Lapeer Rd and Dixie Hwy until later in the year. The US-10 route markers are removed from Dixie Hwy between Clarkston and the Oakland/Genesee Co line. From there northerly past Flint to Clio, the former route of US-10 is redesignated as M-54, while the US-10 markers are removed from Dixie Hwy between Clio and Birch Run Rd near Birch Run. The US-10 designation now joins with I-75 between Clarkston and Flint, and with I-75/US-23 from Flint to Birch Run. US-10 now exists as freeway from east of Clare to Clarkston. | |
| 1962 (Nov 5–15) – The 33.72-mile long segment of I-75 (and, in part, I-75/US-10) freeway between M-24 northeast of Pontiac and US-23 southwest of Flint is officially established as a state trunkline highway route, although the portion from US-10/Dixie Hwy at Clarkston and US-23 has been open since October 25. The establishment is official in Genesee Co on November 5 and in Oakland Co ten days later on November 15. The remaining 11½ segment of I-75 freeway between M-24/Lapeer Rd and US-10/Dixie Hwy north of Pontiac is still a month away from opening to traffic. The 11.7-mile segment of Dixie Hwy parallel to the new I-75/US-10 freeway, formerly signed as US-10, between Clarkston and the Oakland/Genesee Co line is officially cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to County control on November 15 as well. | |
| 1962 (Nov 26–28) – While the US-10 route markers were removed in Late October, the 3.575 miles of former US-10 along Saginaw Rd in Genesee Co between M-54/Clio Rd and the Saginaw Co line and Dixie Hwy in Saginaw Co from the Genesee Co line and M-54/M-83/Birch Run Rd are officially cancelled as a state trunkline route and turned back to the respective county control. The cancellations occur on November 26 in Genesee Co and November 28 in Saginaw Co. | |
| 1967 (Oct 5) – The I-75/US-10/ US-23 Zilwaukee Bridge spanning the Saginaw River is rammed by the 550-foot freighter J.F. Schoellkopf Jr while the bascule (draw) bridge is in the down (closed) position and open to vehicular traffic. The southbound lanes of I-75/US-10/US-23 are closed and traffic is detoured via M-25 into Bay City, then southerly via M-13 back to the freeway to avoid the closed bridge. The freighter is initially left in place and not removed from under the span for fear that the bridge might collapse. Damaged to the bridge is termed to be "subtantial" in nature. Within days, southbound traffic is rerouted to share the northbound lanes on the bridge while repairs are made to the bridge. | |
| 1968 (Mar 11) – Repairs to the I-75/US-10/US-23 Zilwaukee Bridge spanning the Saginaw River which was rammed by freighter J.F. Schoellkopf Jr while the bascule (draw) bridge is in the down (closed) position the previous October 5 are completed and the bridge is fully reopened to vehicular traffic, relieving a major traffic issue in the region. | |
| 1969 (June 24–Oct 26) – On June 24, the U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO, today's AASHTO) considers a request from the Michigan State Highway Dept relocate the route of US-10 between Pontiac and downtown Detroit. The relocated segment begins at the jct of US-10 & US-24 at the cnr of Telegraph Rd & Square Lake Rd with US-10 heading southerly concurrently with US-24 along Telegraph Rd to BS I-696/John C Lodge Frwy in Southfield, then southeasterly along the Lodge Frwy (replacing the BS I-696 designation) into downtown Detroit where it would terminate at the corner of Jefferson Ave & Randolph St, one long city block east of its existing terminus at Woodward & Jefferson. The AASHO subcommittee, though defers action on the request as they as the Dept of State Highways for additional information on its plans to upgrade the existing US-24/Telegraph Rd segment as well as future plans for relocating US-10 to the proposed Northwestern Hwy Freeway and proposed I-275 north extension. The request is then appoved at the next AASHO regular meeting on October 26 at the Sheraton Hotel in Philadelphia, where the subcommittee specifies, however, that the portion of US-10 along US-24/Telegraph Rd between Southfield and Pontiac be signed as TEMPORARY US-10 until it is relocated to the proposed Northwestern Hwy Freeway and Future I-275, which the State Highway Dept says is "anticipated... to be completed within the next seven to ten years." (e.g. 1976–1979 timeframe). Oddly, nothing is stated about converting existing US-10 route signage between Pontiac and Flint to also include the TEMPORARY designation. |
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| 1970 – Based on the AASHO approval to relocate the route of US-10 between Detroit and Pontiac in 1969, the US-10 designation is removed from the Woodward Ave corridor and placed onto the John C Lodge Frwy between downtown Detroit and US-24/Telegraph Rd in Southfield, replacing the BS I-696 designation along that route. From Southfield, US-10 is now signed concurrently with US-24 along Telegraph Rd northerly to the northern terminus of US-24 at existing US-10 at Square Lake Rd southwest of Pontiac. The former route of US-10 along Woodward ave is redesignated as M-1 with the portion along Square Lake Rd between Woodward Ave and US-24/Telegraph Rd south of Pontiac becoming part of an extended BUS US-10 routing. Interestingly, while the portion of US-10 along US-24/Telegraph Rd between Southfield and Pontiac was supposed to be signed as TEMPORARY US-10 as per AASHO, no evidence exists that "TEMPORARY" signs were ever actually erected along that portion of the route and it is signed simply as part of US-10. |
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| 1973 (Nov 1) – With the completion of I-75 between West Branch and Roscommon, the "TO I-75" designation is removed from US-10 between Bay City and Clare. |
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| 1974 (Summer) – The inadequate median "curbs" and steel guardrails separating the directions of travel on the US-10/John C Lodge Frwy through Southfield from M-102/Eight Mile Rd northerly are replaced by concrete median barriers in a drastic increase of motorist safety. In the process, all street lights are moved from the outside edges of the freeway lanes to new standards erected atop the new concrete median barriers. The remainder of the median barrier on the Lodge within the CIty of Detroit from M-102/Eight Mile Rd southerly will be completed during 1975. |
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| 1974 (June 25) – At its regular meeting in Seattle, the U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO, today's AASHTO) approves a request from the Michigan Dept of State Highways & Transportation to relocate the route of US-10 in the Clare-Farwell area from its existing route via the downtowns of both communities and placing it onto a new freeway bypass to the north. The recognition of a new BUS US-10 routing through downtown Clare—along exisitng US-10 east of downtown and concurrently with BUS US-27 north of downtown—is approved as well. | |
| 1975 (Nov 12, 11:00 am) – The 9.2-mile long US-10/M-115 freeway bypass of the Clare and Farwell area is completed and opened to traffic at a public dedication ceremony put on by the Clare Chamber of Commerce at 11:00 am. "Miss Michigan Transpo of 1976," Barbara Tomak of Lansing, assists with the ribbon cutting on the $16.3 million freeway. The route of US-10 now continues northwesterly from the first Clare exit (present-day Exit 95) for 2 miles along what had been designated as unsigned "CONN US-10" (Connector US-10) eastbound and unsigned "CONN US-27" (Connector US-27) westbound (and formerly part of TO I-75 until 1973) to US-27, continuing around Clare concurrently with US-27 for 4 miles, then heading westerly along the new freeway facility with M-115 for 8 miles back to the former route of US-10 along Ludington Dr. The former route of US-10 from present-day Exit 95 east of Clare into downtown Clare is redesignated as BUS US-10, with that designation continuing northerly along BUS US-27 from downtown Clare to a terminus at US-27/US-10 north of the city (at present-day Exit 160). Former US-10 from downtown Clare westerly through Farwell is retained as an unsigned state trunkline at this point. |
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| 1975 (Nov 26) – The new US-10/M-115 freeway bypass of Farwell and Clare is officially established as a state trunkline route, having opened to traffic two weeks earlier. The former route of M-115 and US-10/M-115 through Farwell and into downtown Clare remains an state trunkline highway route. | |
| 1980 (Aug 1) – A decades-old trunkline establishment issue at Pontiac is finally remedied. In 1957, a new grade separation and quasi-interchange was constructed along Telegraph Rd (then designated as M-58) at Orchard Lake Rd (then designated as M-218) to replace the key surface intersection on the southwest side of Pontiac. Oddly, the relocated segment of Telegraph Rd was not officially established as a state trunkline route at that time, nor was the former alignment of M-58 along the renamed "Old Telegraph Rd" cancelled and turned back to local control. This is corrected when the 0.865-mile segment of US-10/Telegraph Rd constructed in 1957 is officially established as a state trunkline and the 0.819-mile segment of Old Telegraph Rd is cancelled and turned back to city and county control. | |
| 1982 (Oct)—1983 (Mar) – In October 1982, some MDOT staffers internally propose terminating US-10 at its jct with I-75/US-23 west of Bay City, removing the concurrent designation with I-75 between Bay City and Waterford as well as the concurrent routing with US-24 between Pontiac and Southfield, and giving the route a new designation—possibly that of M-4—along the John C Lodge Frwy from Southfield into Downtown Detroit. By March 1983, others within the department concurred and the termation of US-10 at Bay City forwarded to AASHTO for approval. (See Notes section above for details.) |
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| 1985 (Oct 12) – At its regular meeting in Seattle, the U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approves a request from the Michigan Dept of Transportation to eliminate the portion of US-10 from the jct with I-75/US-23 at Bay City and downtown Detroit. In its application to AASHTO, MDOT notes, "The US-10 route markers from Bay City south to the Pontiac area do not significantly effect traffic guidance. The proposed changes will eliminate 78 miles of multiple signing along the present route of US-10 route between Bay City and I-696 north of Detroit." |
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| 1986–87 – Approximately 44% of the length of US-10 in Michigan is lopped off when all of the route of US-10 south of Bay City to its former eastern terminus in downtown Detroit is "decommissioned." US-10 now ends at I-75/US-23 west of Bay City. The portions of the former US-10 which were concurrently designated with other routes retain those other route numbers. Former US-10 along Dixie Hwy and Telegraph Rd from I-75 northwest of Clarkston to Square Lake Rd (jct US-24) southwest of Pontiac becomes an extension of US-24 and the former BUS US-10 through Pontiac becomes BUS US-24. The John C Lodge Frwy from jct I-696/Walter P Reuther Frwy in Southfield and jct I-75/Fisher Frwy at downtown Detroit is redesignated as M-10. The final segment of the former US-10 is designated as BS I-375, but was never signed as such (it will late become part of M-10). The US-10–to–M-10 designation changeover on the John C Lodge Frwy is done during the reconstruction of the freeway in Detroit: Northbound is closed from April 11–July 17, while the southbound side is closed July 27–November 4. When the freeway reopens, it is signed with M-10 route markers instead of the US-10 signs it had when it closed for rebuilding. Route markers along the remainder of the decommissioned portion of US-10 from Bay City to Detroit are removed over time. | |
| 1989 – The former route of US-10 through Farwell and into downtown Clare becomes a signed state highway once again—it had remained an unsigned state trunkline since 1975. Most commercial maps have labled this road as BUS US-10, but all signs along the route reveal this is actually a re-re-location of M-115 back onto its original alignment. In 1975, M-115 had been routed along with US-10 onto the newly constructed freeway bypass to end at US-27 north of Clare. Now, M-115 is transferred back onto Ludington Dr and ends in downtown Clare at jct BUS US-27 & BUS US-10 and the US-10 freeway bypass of Farwell and Clare retains only the US-10 designation. | |
| 1992 (Oct 19) – After having been bypassed by the new US-10 freeway 17 years earlier, the 1½ mile segment of former US-10 in southern Clare Co along W Ludington Dr and Surrey Rd from US-10 easterly to M-115/Cadillac Dr as well as the ¼-mile long W Ludington Dr cut-off are cancelled as (unsigned) state trunkline routes and transferred to county control. |
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| 1998 (Feb 4) – The entrance to the Lake Michigan Carferry docks is changed from the south end of William St to the south end of James St in Ludington. Formerly, US-10 continued westerly on Ludington Ave for an additional three blocks to William St, then turned southerly for four blocks to the carferry docks. With the reconfiguration of the carferry docks and entrance in 1998, US-10 is officially established along the 0.492-mile segment of James St from Ludington Ave southerly for seven blocks to the ferry docks entrance. In the realignment, MDOT reconstructed James St, and placed a "US-10 ENDS" route marker assembly at the entrance to the docks. The former route of US-10 along William St is cancelled as a state trunkline route "by obliteration," according to MDOT documentation—however, the two blocks of William St from Ludington Ave to Filer St are actually transferred to city control, while the portion south of Filer St is, indeed, obliterated in preparation for the construction of Harbor View Arena to begin in 1999. The former portion of US-10 along Ludington Ave between James St and William St is now an extension of M-116. |
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| 2012 (Summer) – The US-10 freeway from M-115 northwest of Farwell to its eastern terminus at I-75/US-23 at Bay City gets exit numbers for the first time in its fifty year history. The new exit numbers correspond to milemarkers installed along the freeway 11 years earlier. Signs bearing the new exit numbers are added as part of a routine freeway sign replacement project. |
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| 2015 (May 15) – At its regular meeting in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approves a request from the Michigan Dept of Transportation to officially designate the Lake Michigan Carferry route across Lake Michigan from Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin as an official segment of US-10. For the previous 88 years, in the eyes of AASHTO and the state DOTs, US-10 technically ended in Ludington at the carferry dock and separate, second segment of US-10 began at the carferry dock in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, even though the carferry crossing the lake was a de facto segment of the route. Now, US-10 is (officially) one complete route from Bay City, Michigan to West Fargo, North Dakota. |
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| 2016 (July 25) – The West Michigan Pike Historic Byway is officially unveiled at a ceremony in Muskegon's Heritage Park. Running from the Indiana state line south of New Buffalo up Michigan's west coast to Ludington, the Byway mayfollow US-10 from the western jct with US-31 east of Ludington westerly into downtown Ludington. | |
2019 (May–June) – Edenville Dam Failure:
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| Controlled-Access: | Freeway: From M-115 northwest of Farwell to eastern terminus. |
| Expressway: None. | |
| NHS: | The entire length of US-10 in Michigan is part of the National Highway System (NHS). The portion of US-10 from the western jct with US-31 east of Ludington westerly to the Lake Michigan Carferry dock in Ludington is an "Intermodal Connector" on the NHS. |
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| Circle Tour: |  Lake Michigan Circle Tour: From west jct of US-31 east of Ludington to east jct of US-31 west of Scottville. |
 Lake Michigan
Circle Tour – Loop: From the west jct of US-31 east of Ludington to the S.S. Badger Carferry dock in Ludington, then across Lake Michigan via the ferry. |
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 Lake Michigan Circle Tour &ndsh; Loop: From eastern jct of US-31 west of Scottville to jct Old US-31 in downtown Scottville. NOTE: This LMCT Loop route was removed/decommissioned some time in late 2004 or early 2005 and no longer exists. |
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| Pure Michigan Byway: |  West Michigan Pike Historic Byway: The route of the Byway may follow US-10 from the western jct with US-31 east of Ludington westerly into downtown Ludington. |
| Memorial Highway: | The following segments of US-10 have been designated as Memorial Highways:
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| Continue on: | US-10 into Wisconsin |
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| Weblinks: |
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