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M-134 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-134 is a state trunkline highway
in the Upper Peninsula
(UP) of the US state of Michigan
. It connects Interstate 75
(I-75) north of St. Ignace
with the communities of Cedarville and De Tour Village
along Lake Huron
. East of De Tour, the highway crosses the De Tour Passage on a ferry to run south of the community of Drummond on Drummond Island. It is one of only three state trunklines in Michigan on islands; the others are M-154
on Harsens Island
and M-185
on Mackinac Island
. M-134 is also one of only two highways to utilize a ferry in Michigan; the other is US Highway 10
(US 10) which crosses Lake Michigan
from Manitowoc, Wisconsin
, to Ludington
. Most of the mainland portion of M-134 is also part of the Lake Huron Circle Tour.
A separate highway bore the M-134 designation in the Lower Peninsula
from the late 1920s to the late 1930s. The current highway's immediate predecessors were the included the original M-4 in the state. That designation was renumbered to the current M-134 moniker in 1939. Since the trunkline number was finalized, it was extended eastward to end south of Goetzville in the 1950s, with a further extension to De Tour in the 1950s. The western section was moved closer to the lakeshore in the 1960s. The last change came when M-134 was extended to Drummond Island in 1989.
near the St. Martin Bay of Lake Huron. As the highway runs eastward, it carries the Lake Huron Circle Tour over the Pine River on Huron Shore Drive. The trunkline turns to the southeast and follows the shoreline along the bay and runs inland at the bases of the peninsulas that form the Search Bay. Returning to a shoreline routing at Mismer Bay, M-134 runs through the wooded rural areas into Hessel. There Huron Shore Drive continues eastward to Cedarville where the highway meets the south end of M-129
north of Marquette Island. Farther east, M-134 runs along the north side of the many small bays and channels that separate the Les Cheneaux Islands
from the mainland. About 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Cedarville, M-134 crosses into Chippewa County
for about a mile and a half (2.5 km); the highway passes back into a sliver of Mackinac County that extends along the Lake Huron shoreline for another 5 miles (8 km) before finally crossing back into Chippewa County.
Near Albany Harbor, M-134 follows Scenic Road to an intersection with M-48
. The main route of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour turns north on M-48 while a locally-designed loop route continues east on M-134 along Lake Huron. The highway continues past De Tour State Park and St. Vital Point before heading northeasterly to De Tour Village. In the middle of the village, M-134 runs north on Ontario Street and turns east along Elizabeth Street to connect to the ferry docks; the loop tour continues north out of town on county roads. The highway uses the ferry, run by the regional public transportation agency, to cross the De Tour Passage. Once on Drummond Island, M-134 follows Channel Road northward along the passage before turning eastward. The trunkline cuts across to run along Sturgeon Bay on the north shore of the island. On the east side of the bay, M-134 turns inland and runs east to the Four Corners, south of the unincorporated community of Drummond. The trunkline terminates at that intersection south of the Drummond Island Airport
where Channel, Townline, Johnswood, and Shore roads (west, north, east and south respectively) come together. M-134 is one of three state highways in Michigan located on an island; the two other state highways located on islands are M-185 on Mackinac Island and M-154 on Harsens Island.
No part of M-134 is listed on the National Highway System
, a system of roadways important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility. In 2009, the Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) conducted a survey to determine the traffic volume along the highway, reported using a metric called average annual daily traffic (AADT). The department determined that the highest count was the 3,595 vehicles a day that used the highway west of the M-129 junction in Cedarville; the lowest counts were 608 vehicles daily between the M-48 junction and the De Tour village limits. On the island, 667 vehicles use M-134 daily. According to tourism officials in the area, over 100,000 vehicles per year are transported round trip on the ferry with almost twice as many additional passengers.
and Chippewa counties. As part of the service between De Tour and Drummond Island, EUPTA operates up to three different vessels: the SS Drummond Islander, SS Drummond Islander III and the SS Drummond Islander IV. , fares start at $12 per car and increase based on the size of the vehicle transported, including a fuel surcharge. Passenger fares are $2 for adults and $1 for seniors or students; the vehicle driver's fare is included in the vehicle charge. Ferries leave Drummond Island at 10 minutes after the hour, from De Tour at 20 minutes to the hour, and run most of the day; some crossing times are only operated seasonally. M-134 is one of two highways in Michigan to use a ferry connection; the other is US 10 between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
from M-66
three miles (4.8 km) north of McBain
east to Falmouth in the northern Lower Peninsula
. In 1938, the Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD) returned the road to local control.
When the rest of the state highway system was first designated, by July 1, 1919, the first state highway in the area of today's M-134 was a section of M-12
. That highway segment was used for US 2
in 1926. A rerouting of US 2 was completed in 1933 between Rogers Park and Sault Ste. Marie
. The new routing followed Mackinac Trail
instead of turning east to Cedarville and north to Sault Ste. Marie. The former routing was given the M-121
designation, and later M-4.
The current designation appeared in the Upper Peninsula in 1939, soon after being removed from Missaukee County. It replaced the former M-4 route designation. At the time, M-134 was routed farther inland between US 2 and a point north of Hessel. The highway ended at the Mackinac–Chippewa county line, but an extension farther east was shown on maps of the time as under construction. This segment of roadway was completed in the latter half of 1940, extending M-134 to terminate at M-48 about 10 miles (16.1 km) west of DeTour. In 1950, a new roadway section was added to the state highway system, bypassing the former routing of M-48 west of DeTour; in the process the MSHD extended M-134 on this new highway and truncated M-48 to the junction south of Goetzville.
In 1958, the highway west of Hessel was shifted to follow an alignment closer to Lake Huron; the MSHD transferred the former routing of M-134 to local control at that time. In October 1963, the final section of I-75/US 2 freeway opened in the UP; M-134's western terminus was truncated slightly to end at the new freeway instead of the former routing of US 2 along Mackinac Trail
. In 1989, MDOT extended the trunkline to add a segment on Drummond Island; in the process, the Drummond Island Ferry across the DeTour Passage was added to the route.
Michigan Highway System
The Michigan State Trunkline Highway System is made up of all the highways designated as Interstates, U.S. Highways and State Highways in the US state of Michigan. The system is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation and comprises of trunklines in all 83 counties of Michigan on...
in the Upper Peninsula
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
(UP) of the US state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It connects Interstate 75
Interstate 75 in Michigan
Interstate 75 is a part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-75 enters the state from Ohio in the south, just to the north of Toledo. It runs generally north through Detroit, Pontiac and Bay City, crossing the...
(I-75) north of St. Ignace
St. Ignace, Michigan
Saint Ignace, usually written as St. Ignace, is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,678. It is the county seat of Mackinac County. From the Lower Peninsula, St. Ignace is the gateway to the Upper Peninsula.St...
with the communities of Cedarville and De Tour Village
De Tour Village, Michigan
De Tour Village is a village in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 325 at the 2010 census.The village is at the extreme eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in Detour Township, at the turning point for the shipping channel connecting the St. Mary's River...
along Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
. East of De Tour, the highway crosses the De Tour Passage on a ferry to run south of the community of Drummond on Drummond Island. It is one of only three state trunklines in Michigan on islands; the others are M-154
M-154 (Michigan highway)
M-154 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is entirely on Harsens Island at the mouth of the St. Clair River. It is one of only three trunklines in Michigan on islands. The other two are M-134 on Drummond Island and M-185 on Mackinac Island...
on Harsens Island
Harsens Island
Harsens Island is a wet marshy location at the mouth of the St. Clair River in the U.S. state of Michigan. Politically, the island is in Clay Township of St. Clair County.-History:...
and M-185
M-185 (Michigan highway)
M-185 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan that circles Mackinac Island, a popular tourist destination on the Lake Huron side of the Straits of Mackinac, along the island's shoreline. A narrow paved road of , it offers scenic views of the straits that divide the Upper and the...
on Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
. M-134 is also one of only two highways to utilize a ferry in Michigan; the other is US Highway 10
U.S. Route 10 in Michigan
US Highway 10 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from West Fargo, North Dakota, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway enters the state on the SS Badger crossing Lake Michigan at Ludington and ends at Bay City.US 10 was created as part of...
(US 10) which crosses Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
from Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Manitowoc is a city in and the county seat of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The city is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2000 census, Manitowoc had a population of 34,053, with over 50,000 residents in the surrounding communities...
, to Ludington
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
. Most of the mainland portion of M-134 is also part of the Lake Huron Circle Tour.
A separate highway bore the M-134 designation in the Lower Peninsula
Lower Peninsula of Michigan
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Ohio and Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people...
from the late 1920s to the late 1930s. The current highway's immediate predecessors were the included the original M-4 in the state. That designation was renumbered to the current M-134 moniker in 1939. Since the trunkline number was finalized, it was extended eastward to end south of Goetzville in the 1950s, with a further extension to De Tour in the 1950s. The western section was moved closer to the lakeshore in the 1960s. The last change came when M-134 was extended to Drummond Island in 1989.
Route description
M-134 starts at the interchange for exit 359 along I-75 north of St. Ignace in rural Mackinac CountyMackinac County, Michigan
-Local Airports:*Mackinac County Airport *Mackinac Island Airport -Airline service:The nearest airports with scheduled passenger service are:*Chippewa County International Airport in Sault Ste...
near the St. Martin Bay of Lake Huron. As the highway runs eastward, it carries the Lake Huron Circle Tour over the Pine River on Huron Shore Drive. The trunkline turns to the southeast and follows the shoreline along the bay and runs inland at the bases of the peninsulas that form the Search Bay. Returning to a shoreline routing at Mismer Bay, M-134 runs through the wooded rural areas into Hessel. There Huron Shore Drive continues eastward to Cedarville where the highway meets the south end of M-129
M-129 (Michigan highway)
M-129 is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from Cedarville to Sault Ste. Marie. South of Nine Mile Road in Chippewa County , M-129 overlays the Michigan Meridian. The section of M-129 that overlays the meridian is named Meridian Road...
north of Marquette Island. Farther east, M-134 runs along the north side of the many small bays and channels that separate the Les Cheneaux Islands
Les Cheneaux Islands
Les Cheneaux Islands are a group of 36 small islands, some inhabited, along 12 miles of Lake Huron shoreline on the southeastern tip of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. The name is French for "the Channels", noting the many channels between the islands in the group...
from the mainland. About 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Cedarville, M-134 crosses into Chippewa County
Chippewa County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Harbor Island National Wildlife Refuge* Hiawatha National Forest * Whitefish Point Unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
for about a mile and a half (2.5 km); the highway passes back into a sliver of Mackinac County that extends along the Lake Huron shoreline for another 5 miles (8 km) before finally crossing back into Chippewa County.
Near Albany Harbor, M-134 follows Scenic Road to an intersection with M-48
M-48 (Michigan highway)
M-48 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It connects Rudyard with Pickford and continues to the far eastern end of the UP. The highway runs for through rural parts of Chippewa County, including along the county line with Mackinac County...
. The main route of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour turns north on M-48 while a locally-designed loop route continues east on M-134 along Lake Huron. The highway continues past De Tour State Park and St. Vital Point before heading northeasterly to De Tour Village. In the middle of the village, M-134 runs north on Ontario Street and turns east along Elizabeth Street to connect to the ferry docks; the loop tour continues north out of town on county roads. The highway uses the ferry, run by the regional public transportation agency, to cross the De Tour Passage. Once on Drummond Island, M-134 follows Channel Road northward along the passage before turning eastward. The trunkline cuts across to run along Sturgeon Bay on the north shore of the island. On the east side of the bay, M-134 turns inland and runs east to the Four Corners, south of the unincorporated community of Drummond. The trunkline terminates at that intersection south of the Drummond Island Airport
Drummond Island Airport
Drummond Island Airport is a public airport located one mile southwest of the central business district of Drummond Island, in Chippewa County, Michigan, United States. It is owned by Drummond Township.Although most U.S...
where Channel, Townline, Johnswood, and Shore roads (west, north, east and south respectively) come together. M-134 is one of three state highways in Michigan located on an island; the two other state highways located on islands are M-185 on Mackinac Island and M-154 on Harsens Island.
No part of M-134 is listed on the National Highway System
National Highway System (United States)
The National Highway System is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities.Individual states...
, a system of roadways important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility. In 2009, the Michigan Department of Transportation
Michigan Department of Transportation
The Michigan Department of Transportation is a constitutional government agency in the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interstate, US and state highways in Michigan with the exception of the Mackinac...
(MDOT) conducted a survey to determine the traffic volume along the highway, reported using a metric called average annual daily traffic (AADT). The department determined that the highest count was the 3,595 vehicles a day that used the highway west of the M-129 junction in Cedarville; the lowest counts were 608 vehicles daily between the M-48 junction and the De Tour village limits. On the island, 667 vehicles use M-134 daily. According to tourism officials in the area, over 100,000 vehicles per year are transported round trip on the ferry with almost twice as many additional passengers.
Ferry
The Eastern Upper Transportation Authority (EUPTA) operates the Drummond Island Ferry across the De Tour Passage in addition to two other ferries and the regional rural bus system for LuceLuce County, Michigan
-Government:The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates themajor local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers...
and Chippewa counties. As part of the service between De Tour and Drummond Island, EUPTA operates up to three different vessels: the SS Drummond Islander, SS Drummond Islander III and the SS Drummond Islander IV. , fares start at $12 per car and increase based on the size of the vehicle transported, including a fuel surcharge. Passenger fares are $2 for adults and $1 for seniors or students; the vehicle driver's fare is included in the vehicle charge. Ferries leave Drummond Island at 10 minutes after the hour, from De Tour at 20 minutes to the hour, and run most of the day; some crossing times are only operated seasonally. M-134 is one of two highways in Michigan to use a ferry connection; the other is US 10 between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
History
Starting in late 1928 or early 1929, the first route designated as M-134 was a road in Missaukee CountyMissaukee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,478 people, 5,450 households, and 4,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 8,621 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
from M-66
M-66 (Michigan highway)
M-66 is a north–south state trunkline highway on the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from the Indiana state line in the south to Charlevoix in the north. M-66 is the only state highway to traverse almost the entire north–south distance of the LP. It starts as a...
three miles (4.8 km) north of McBain
McBain, Michigan
McBain is a city in Missaukee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 656 at the 2010 census.- History :McBain began as a settlement around a sawmill in Riverside Township, founded by Gillis McBain and his brother John McBain in 1887...
east to Falmouth in the northern Lower Peninsula
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
. In 1938, the Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD) returned the road to local control.
When the rest of the state highway system was first designated, by July 1, 1919, the first state highway in the area of today's M-134 was a section of M-12
M-12 (Michigan highway)
M-12 is a former state highway in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was replaced in 1926 by:*U.S. Route 2 in Michigan between the state line at Ironwood and Crystal Falls*M-69 between Crystal Falls and Sagola...
. That highway segment was used for US 2
U.S. Route 2 in Michigan
US Highway 2 is a component of the United States Numbered Highway System that connects Everett, Washington, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan, with a separate segment that runs from Rouses Point, New York, to Houlton, Maine...
in 1926. A rerouting of US 2 was completed in 1933 between Rogers Park and Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
. The new routing followed Mackinac Trail
Mackinac Trail
Mackinac Trail, or Mackinaw Trail is the name for two related, but separate, roadways in the US state of Michigan. The original Mackinac Trail was an Indian Trail that lent its name to the roadways that replaced it. The trail ran from the modern Saginaw to Mackinaw City in the Lower Peninsula with...
instead of turning east to Cedarville and north to Sault Ste. Marie. The former routing was given the M-121
M-121 (Michigan highway)
M-121 is a state trunkline highway in West Michigan. The highway follows Chicago Drive, a local roadway, from Zeeland to Grandville. Chicago Drive itself runs past the M-121 segment on either from Holland to Wyoming. The roadway passes through rural farmland on a route that runs parallel to...
designation, and later M-4.
The current designation appeared in the Upper Peninsula in 1939, soon after being removed from Missaukee County. It replaced the former M-4 route designation. At the time, M-134 was routed farther inland between US 2 and a point north of Hessel. The highway ended at the Mackinac–Chippewa county line, but an extension farther east was shown on maps of the time as under construction. This segment of roadway was completed in the latter half of 1940, extending M-134 to terminate at M-48 about 10 miles (16.1 km) west of DeTour. In 1950, a new roadway section was added to the state highway system, bypassing the former routing of M-48 west of DeTour; in the process the MSHD extended M-134 on this new highway and truncated M-48 to the junction south of Goetzville.
In 1958, the highway west of Hessel was shifted to follow an alignment closer to Lake Huron; the MSHD transferred the former routing of M-134 to local control at that time. In October 1963, the final section of I-75/US 2 freeway opened in the UP; M-134's western terminus was truncated slightly to end at the new freeway instead of the former routing of US 2 along Mackinac Trail
Mackinac Trail
Mackinac Trail, or Mackinaw Trail is the name for two related, but separate, roadways in the US state of Michigan. The original Mackinac Trail was an Indian Trail that lent its name to the roadways that replaced it. The trail ran from the modern Saginaw to Mackinaw City in the Lower Peninsula with...
. In 1989, MDOT extended the trunkline to add a segment on Drummond Island; in the process, the Drummond Island Ferry across the DeTour Passage was added to the route.
Major intersections
See also
- SS Badger, connects US 10 across Lake Michigan
- Lake ExpressLake ExpressLake Express is a high-speed auto and passenger ferry that is in service on a route across Lake Michigan. Lake Express links the cities of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Muskegon, Michigan from late spring to the fall of each year.- Background :...
, a modern ferry that follows a previous route that connected US 16U.S. Route 16U.S. Route 16 is an east–west United States Highway between Rapid City, South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming....
across Lake Michigan