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M-139 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-139 is a state trunkline highway
in the US state of Michigan
, entirely within Berrien County
. It was formed originally as a bypass of the Benton Harbor
and St. Joseph
area, but now it serves to provide access into the area from a set of bypasses consisting of Interstate 94
(I-94) and US Highway 31
(US 31).
southwest of Niles
in Bertrand Township
, traveling northeast into downtown Niles, where it turns north. It proceeds through Berrien Springs
, meeting US 31/St. Joseph Valley Parkway
just to the northwest. From there the route travels northwest through Royalton Township
to the community of Scottdale where it turns northward at M-63
. There is a junction with I-94 at its exit 28; M-139 then passes through the community of Fair Plain
and enters the eastern edge of Benton Harbor
. Before terminating at Main Street in Benton Harbor, the road splits into a one-way pair
just north of Empire Avenue. Northbound traffic is routed along Martin Luther King Drive while southbound traffic flows on Fair Avenue.
freeway carrying US 31 was completed from northwest of Berrien Springs (exit 15) to Napier Avenue near Benton Harbor (exit 24). The former section of M-139 replaced by US 31 was once again designated M-139, with M-139 extending further along the former US 31 to the freeway's exit 15. According to the Michigan Highways site:
In 2008, M-139 was planned to extend southerly to end at Main Street (Business US 12, BUS US 12) in Niles along the unsigned state trunkline OLD US 31 and BUS US 31, but after the City of Niles announced its plan to take over maintenance of the section of East Main Street between Front Street/BUS US 31 and Fifth Street/M-51
in order to ban trucks, the plan was revised to extend M-139 further south, replacing the BUS US 12 designation southwesterly to US 12. The extension was executed on March 5, 2010, prior to route marker installation.
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 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"....
, entirely within Berrien County
Berrien County, Michigan
Berrien County is a county located in the extreme southwest of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 156,813. The county seat is St. Joseph....
. It was formed originally as a bypass of the Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
and St. Joseph
St. Joseph, Michigan
St. Joseph is a city in the US state of Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,789. It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, about east-northeast of Chicago. It is the county...
area, but now it serves to provide access into the area from a set of bypasses consisting of Interstate 94
Interstate 94 in Michigan
Interstate 94 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of New Buffalo...
(I-94) and US Highway 31
U.S. Route 31 in Michigan
US Highway 31 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Alabama, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that runs from the Indiana–Michigan state line at Bertrand Township to its terminus at Interstate 75 south...
(US 31).
Route description
M-139 begins at a junction with US 12U.S. Route 12 in Michigan
US Highway 12 is a US Highway that runs from Aberdeen, Washington to Detroit, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan it runs for . Previous to the creation of Interstate Highways in Michigan, US 12 ran along Michigan Avenue between Kalamazoo and Detroit, a highway corridor now served by I-94...
southwest of Niles
Niles, Michigan
Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. The population was 11,600 at the 2010 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
in Bertrand Township
Bertrand Township, Michigan
Bertrand Township is a civil township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 2,380.- Communities :...
, traveling northeast into downtown Niles, where it turns north. It proceeds through Berrien Springs
Berrien Springs, Michigan
Berrien Springs is a village in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,862 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Oronoko Charter Township. Berrien Springs is best known for its Seventh-day Adventist community and Andrews University...
, meeting US 31/St. Joseph Valley Parkway
St. Joseph Valley Parkway
The St. Joseph Valley Parkway is a freeway in the U.S. states of Indiana and Michigan, serving as a bypass route around Elkhart, Mishawaka, and South Bend in Indiana and Niles in Michigan. The freeway runs to the south and west of Elkhart and South Bend and Niles and consists of segments of U.S...
just to the northwest. From there the route travels northwest through Royalton Township
Royalton Township, Michigan
Royalton Township is a civil township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan, a few miles southeast of the city of St. Joseph. The population was 3,888 at the 2000 census. There are no incorporated municipalities in the township, but portions are considered to be part of the Benton...
to the community of Scottdale where it turns northward at M-63
M-63 (Michigan highway)
M-63 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from M-139 at Scottdale through the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph to Interstate 196/US Highway 31 at exit 7 just outside Hagar Shores. The trunkline runs through residential areas south of St. Joseph and through...
. There is a junction with I-94 at its exit 28; M-139 then passes through the community of Fair Plain
Fair Plain, Michigan
Fair Plain is an unincorporated community in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and has no legal status as a municipality. The population of the CDP was 7,828 at the 2000 census....
and enters the eastern edge of Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
. Before terminating at Main Street in Benton Harbor, the road splits into a one-way pair
One-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or just couplet is a pair of parallel, usually one-way streets that carry opposite directions of a signed route or major traffic flow, or sometimes opposite directions of a bus or streetcar route....
just north of Empire Avenue. Northbound traffic is routed along Martin Luther King Drive while southbound traffic flows on Fair Avenue.
History
M-139 was determined as a state trunkline in 1929 from Scottdale to Benton Harbor, but the first sections were not opened until 1931. In 1964 or 1965, US 31 was rerouted along M-139 from I-94 to Scottdale, and M-139 was truncated to I-94. On August 27, 2003, the St. Joseph Valley ParkwaySt. Joseph Valley Parkway
The St. Joseph Valley Parkway is a freeway in the U.S. states of Indiana and Michigan, serving as a bypass route around Elkhart, Mishawaka, and South Bend in Indiana and Niles in Michigan. The freeway runs to the south and west of Elkhart and South Bend and Niles and consists of segments of U.S...
freeway carrying US 31 was completed from northwest of Berrien Springs (exit 15) to Napier Avenue near Benton Harbor (exit 24). The former section of M-139 replaced by US 31 was once again designated M-139, with M-139 extending further along the former US 31 to the freeway's exit 15. According to the Michigan Highways site:
In 2008, M-139 was planned to extend southerly to end at Main Street (Business US 12, BUS US 12) in Niles along the unsigned state trunkline OLD US 31 and BUS US 31, but after the City of Niles announced its plan to take over maintenance of the section of East Main Street between Front Street/BUS US 31 and Fifth Street/M-51
M-51 (Michigan highway)
M-51, is a north–south state trunkline highway in the southwestern portion of the US state of Michigan. The northern terminus is on I-94 west of Paw Paw, where it continues north for less than a mile to W Red Arrow Highway as Van Buren CR 671, and the southern terminus is at the Indiana state...
in order to ban trucks, the plan was revised to extend M-139 further south, replacing the BUS US 12 designation southwesterly to US 12. The extension was executed on March 5, 2010, prior to route marker installation.