M-15 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-15 is a north–south state trunkline highway
in the US state of Michigan
. The southern terminus is a junction with US Highway 24 (US 24) just south of Clarkston
on the northwestern edge of the Detroit
metropolitan area
. The trunkline is a recreational route running north and northwest to the Tri-Cities
area. The northern terminus is the junction with M-25
on the east side of Bay City
. The total length is 69.673 miles (112.128 km) between the two regions.
The original M-15 designation was used in the northern half of the state in 1919. This designation was wholly replaced by the US 41
on November 11, 1926. This previous designation contained the section of highway in Marquette County
that is home to the first painted highway centerline in the nation. Another section in western Marquette County included the first bridge built by the state of Michigan. Within the next year after M-15 was replaced by US 41, the designation was reused for a new highway routing along the current highway. This current highway was extended northerly to eventually end at I-75 in Bay City, before it was scaled back slightly to end in southeast Bay City. A proposed, but unbuilt, extension around the west side of Metro Detroit later became part of the I-275
corridor.
This highway is now a part of the Michigan Heritage Route
System, but none of it is located on the National Highway System
. A section of the two-lane highway has the local moniker, "Death Alley", where the local sheriff says the highway is poorly designed. The stretch of highway in Genesee County
has been the location of 14 traffic fatalities between 2004 and 2009 as reported by The Flint Journal, including that of a 14-year-old local girl.
connecting the northern edge of Metro Detroit
with the Tri-Cities
area. It starts at a junction south of the village of Clarkston in northern Oakland County
. The highway runs north along Ortonville Road from the intersection with US 24 (Dixie Highway
) near Deer and Middle lakes through Clarkston. Continuing through town on Main Street near Parke Lake, it comes to an interchange with Interstate 75
(I-75) north of the village next to Little Walters Lake. South of Ortonville
near Lake Louise and Bald Eagle Lake, M-15 turns northwest between the two lakes. The trunkline becomes State Road at the county line and turns north again near Shinanguag Lake near the Ortonville State Recreation Area outside Goodrich
in southeastern Genesee County
. South of Davison
, M-15 intersects I-69
near the Davison Country Club before running through town. In Otisville
, State Road curves around to the west of some small lakes and through town.
State Road turns northwesterly again in Millington
in southwestern Tuscola County
, heading up to Vassar
. In Vassar, M-15 intersects and turns northwest along Huron Avenue, a historical routing of M-24
, crossing the Cass River
in town. Outside Vassar, Huron Avenue becomes Saginaw Road. In western Tuscola County, M-15 intersects M-46
in the community of Richville. The name of the road changes in Saginaw County
to Vassar Road, and the trunkline continues northwesterly through the Blumfield Township
communities of Blumfield Corners and Arthur. Arthur is located along the highway between the M-83
and M-81
junctions.
In Bay County
, M-15 follows Tuscola Road where it meets the western terminus of M-138
which runs along Munger Road in Munger. As the highway enters Bay City
on the southeast side of town, Tuscola Road leaves the farmlands for residential areas of Bay City. The roadway runs northerwesterly near the St. Stanislaus, St. Patrick and Elm Lawn cemeteries, before turning north on Trumbull Street at 10th Street. The highway follows Trumbull Street for five blocks, where the highway designation ends at a four-way intersection with M-25
/Center Avenue. Trumbull Street continues north through this residential section of the city.
(UP). It ran from the state line along the Menominee River
in Menominee
, connecting with STH-15
in Wisconsin
, running north through the UP to Escanaba
, Marquette
and Houghton
. Between Powers
and Escanaba, M-15 ran concurrently with M-12
. The northern terminus of the highway was at Fort Wilkins in Copper Harbor
. The first highway centerline in the nation was painted along a section of the highway in 1917, along the Marquette–Negaunee Road, now a part of Marquette County Road 492.
The Peshekee River Bridge, carried M-15 over the Peshekee River
in western Marquette County's Michigamme Township
. The bridge was built in 1914 in response to the 1913 State Trunk Line Act passed by the Michigan Legislature
. This act designated a state trunkline highway network of nearly 3000 miles (4,828 km). The act further said that the Michigan State Highway Department would design, build and maintain trunkline bridges spanning 30 feet (9 m) or more so long as the local governments improved an adjacent 3 miles (4.8 km) of roads. Marquette County built a mainline road from Marquette
west to Michigamme
near the county line, this road generally followed what is now known as County Road 492 (CR 492). About 5 miles (8 km) west of Marquette on CR 492 is a historical marker at the site of the first center line
painted in 1917 along Dead Man's Curve. M-15 continued through Morgan Meadows and crossing the Carp River into the town of Negaunee and connecting with Ishpeming. This road in now known as East Division or "County Road" also former Business M-28. West of Ishpeming in Ishpeming Township, M-15 followed Randal Drive and Westward to North Lake Junction. M-15 made its way along what is now CR 496 and several abandoned sections through Clarksburg and Humboldt Locations and the village of Champion. West of Champion M-15 continued to Michigamme crossing the Peshekee River, Marquette County improved a 3 miles (4.8 km) section in 1913 to encourage the state to build the bridge. The bridge was designed by C.V. Dewart for the department and built by the local firm of Powell and Mitchell in Marquette. The bridge was designated Trunk Line Bridge No. 1 as the first state-built bridge on the trunkline highway system.
The 1925 draft plan for the establishment of the US Highway System
would have replaced M-15 with three different US Highways. Between Menominee and Powers, M-15 was to be replaced by US 41
. East of Powers to Rapid River, the trunkline would have been US 2. The next segment between Rapid River and Covington was planned as US 102 while the remainder north to Copper Harbor was planned as US 41 In between Powers and Covington, US 41 was planned to follow US 2 west to Iron Mountain
and then route of the modern US 141
between Powers and Covington. When the system was announced on November 11, 1926, US 41 was the only US Highway routed along the alignment of M-15. The original map showed US 41 following an unbuilt alignment between Powers and Marquette, but the US 41 designation was instead routed to follow the former M-15.
in Clarkston running north to M-38
and M-24
in Vassar
. By the end of 1936, M-15 was extended concurrently along M-24 from Vassar into Bay City
. By June 1942, the M-24 concurrency was removed as M-24 was realigned to replace M-85
between Vassar and Caro
. By July 1, 1960, the northern end was extended to run concurrently with M-25
and BUS US 23 to US 23
on the west side of Bay City. This M-15/M-25 routing was extended again in the next year to end at the new I-75
/US 10/US 23 freeway. These two northerly extensions were both reversed and scaled back in 1970. M-15's northern end is moved back to M-25/Center Avenue in Bay City, its current location. At some time after the 1993 beginning of the program, M-15 was named the "Pathway to Family Fun" Recreational Heritage Route in the Michigan Heritage Route
system.
Running roughly parallel to I-75, the route has not been added to the National Highway System, a system of roadways considered important to the nation's economy, defense and mobility.
The state highway map in 1933 showed a proposed southern extenstion from Clarkston through southern Oakland County, Wayne County
into Monroe County
. This proposed highway would have bypassed Metro Detroit
to the west through Farmington
, Northville
, Plymouth
and Belleville
. The full highway was never built, and M-15 was never extended south of Clarkston, but part of this proposal was completed. Much of it later became Haggerty Highway, and part of the I-275
and M-5
corridors.
, who died from her injuries on April 15, nine days after she crashed in a head-on collision on April 6, 2009 on M-15 just north of Green Road in Goodrich
. The accident happened when her brother swerved to avoid a stopped car. The truck he was driving crossed into the path of an oncoming sport-utility vehicle. When Genesee County
Sheriff Robert J. Pickell was asked about the stretch, he said the road suffers from a bad design, including a lack of turn lanes. He was quoted as saying, "It's a death trap," to which he then added the question, "How many people have to die before something is done?"
Pickell said he plans to write a letter to the Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) about these fatality statistics asking for action by the state. Other local government officials have called for solutions to safety issues on the roadway. An employee of the real estate agency near the accident scene said that something should be done to fix the narrow two-lane highway in the area. MDOT said that the state looks at roadways after every fatal crash to determine what improvements could be made. MDOT Bay Region engineer Robert Ranck, Jr. was quoted in the article as saying, "We do not just let them go."
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"....
. The southern terminus is a junction with US Highway 24 (US 24) just south of Clarkston
Clarkston, Michigan
Clarkston, known officially by the name City of the Village of Clarkston, is a small city located within Independence Charter Township in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 882 at the 2010 census.-Overview:...
on the northwestern edge of the Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
metropolitan area
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
. The trunkline is a recreational route running north and northwest to the Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities (Michigan)
The name Tri-Cities refers to two regions in the U.S. state of Michigan. Both are located in the Lower Peninsula.-The Greater Tri-Cities Region:The larger and more well known Tri-Cities is the region surrounding the cities of Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland...
area. The northern terminus is the junction with M-25
M-25 (Michigan highway)
M-25 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron shore of the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula between Port Huron and Bay City. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay and generally lies...
on the east side of Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
. The total length is 69.673 miles (112.128 km) between the two regions.
The original M-15 designation was used in the northern half of the state in 1919. This designation was wholly replaced by the US 41
U.S. Route 41 in Michigan
US Highway 41 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state via the Interstate Bridge between Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee,...
on November 11, 1926. This previous designation contained the section of highway in Marquette County
Marquette County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Hiawatha National Forest * Huron National Wildlife Refuge* Ottawa National Forest -University:Northern Michigan University is a four-year university, established in 1899, located in Marquette, Michigan, on Michigan's Upper Peninsula...
that is home to the first painted highway centerline in the nation. Another section in western Marquette County included the first bridge built by the state of Michigan. Within the next year after M-15 was replaced by US 41, the designation was reused for a new highway routing along the current highway. This current highway was extended northerly to eventually end at I-75 in Bay City, before it was scaled back slightly to end in southeast Bay City. A proposed, but unbuilt, extension around the west side of Metro Detroit later became part of the I-275
Interstate 275 (Michigan)
Interstate 275 in the US state of Michigan is an Interstate Highway that functions as a western bypass of the Detroit metropolitan area. The Michigan Department of Transportation maintains it as a component of the larger state trunkline highway system. The freeway runs through the western suburbs...
corridor.
This highway is now a part of the Michigan Heritage Route
Michigan Heritage Route
Michigan Heritage Route is a designation for roads in Michigan. The designation was created by the state legislature in 1993.The program emphasizes cooperation among local residents, government officials, landowners and interested groups to preserve unique scenic, historic or recreational...
System, but none of it is located 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 section of the two-lane highway has the local moniker, "Death Alley", where the local sheriff says the highway is poorly designed. The stretch of highway in Genesee County
Genesee County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
has been the location of 14 traffic fatalities between 2004 and 2009 as reported by The Flint Journal, including that of a 14-year-old local girl.
Route description
M-15 runs through mostly rural agricultural communities of The ThumbThe Thumb
The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...
connecting the northern edge of Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
with the Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities (Michigan)
The name Tri-Cities refers to two regions in the U.S. state of Michigan. Both are located in the Lower Peninsula.-The Greater Tri-Cities Region:The larger and more well known Tri-Cities is the region surrounding the cities of Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland...
area. It starts at a junction south of the village of Clarkston in northern Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
. The highway runs north along Ortonville Road from the intersection with US 24 (Dixie Highway
Dixie Highway
The Dixie Highway was a United States automobile highway, first planned in 1914 to connect the US Midwest with the Southern United States. It was part of the National Auto Trail system, and grew out of an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final result is better understood as a small network of...
) near Deer and Middle lakes through Clarkston. Continuing through town on Main Street near Parke Lake, it comes to an interchange with 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 the village next to Little Walters Lake. South of Ortonville
Ortonville, Michigan
Ortonville is a village in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is within Brandon Township, although some development near the village lies within adjacent Groveland Township...
near Lake Louise and Bald Eagle Lake, M-15 turns northwest between the two lakes. The trunkline becomes State Road at the county line and turns north again near Shinanguag Lake near the Ortonville State Recreation Area outside Goodrich
Goodrich, Michigan
Goodrich is a village in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,353 at the 2000 census. The village is a suburb of Flint located within Atlas Township.-Geography:...
in southeastern Genesee County
Genesee County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
. South of Davison
Davison, Michigan
Davison is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Flint. The population was 5,536 at the 2000 census. Davison is located within Davison Township, but is administratively autonomous....
, M-15 intersects I-69
Interstate 69 in Michigan
Interstate 69 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that currently runs from Indianapolis, Indiana, to the US–Canadian border at Port Huron, Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of Coldwater and passes through the cities of Lansing and Flint...
near the Davison Country Club before running through town. In Otisville
Otisville, Michigan
Otisville is a village in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 882 at the 2000 census. The village is within Forest Township.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of...
, State Road curves around to the west of some small lakes and through town.
State Road turns northwesterly again in Millington
Millington, Michigan
Millington is a village in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,137 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Millington Township....
in southwestern Tuscola County
Tuscola County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-15* M-24* M-25* M-46* M-81* M-138-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 58,266 people, 21,454 households, and 15,983 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile . There were 23,378 housing units at an average density of 29 per...
, heading up to Vassar
Vassar, Michigan
Vassar is a city in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The small town was founded March 1, 1849. The population was 2,697 at the 2010 census and 2,823 at the 2000 census...
. In Vassar, M-15 intersects and turns northwest along Huron Avenue, a historical routing of M-24
M-24 (Michigan highway)
M-24 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan that extends through Southeast Michigan, from northeast Auburn Hills to Unionville. It starts at an interchange with Interstate 75 and ends where it merges with M-25...
, crossing the Cass River
Cass River
The Cass River is a river in the Thumb region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It drains large portions of Sanilac and Tuscola counties and smaller portions of Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, and Saginaw counties....
in town. Outside Vassar, Huron Avenue becomes Saginaw Road. In western Tuscola County, M-15 intersects M-46
M-46 (Michigan highway)
M-46 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan between Muskegon and Port Sanilac, terminating near Lake Michigan and Lake Huron on each end. Except for the north–south segment that corresponds with the US Highway 131 freeway between Cedar Springs and Howard City, M-46 is...
in the community of Richville. The name of the road changes in Saginaw County
Saginaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 210,039 people, 80,430 households, and 55,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 260 people per square mile . There were 85,505 housing units at an average density of 106 per square mile...
to Vassar Road, and the trunkline continues northwesterly through the Blumfield Township
Blumfield Township, Michigan
Blumfield Township is a civil township of Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 2,014. The 2009 census estimate places the population at 1,847.-Communities:...
communities of Blumfield Corners and Arthur. Arthur is located along the highway between the M-83
M-83 (Michigan highway)
M-83 is a state trunkline in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan primarily serving as a link between I-75/US 23 and the Bavarian themed town of Frankenmuth known for Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, Zehnder's and the Bavarian Inn.-Route description:...
and M-81
M-81 (Michigan highway)
M-81 is a state trunkline in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan that travels from the city of Saginaw at the junction with M-13 and ends at the junction with M-53 east of Cass City over the county line in Greenleaf Township in northwestern Sanilac County.-Route description:M-81 starts...
junctions.
In Bay County
Bay County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 110,157 people, 43,930 households, and 30,048 families residing in the county. The population density was 248 people per square mile . There were 46,423 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
, M-15 follows Tuscola Road where it meets the western terminus of M-138
M-138 (Michigan highway)
M-138 is a long state trunkline highway in the Thumb region of the US state of Michigan.-Route description:M-138 begins at a junction with M-15 just west of the hamlet of Munger, in Bay County's Merritt Township. Known to locals as Munger Road, the route then heads due east through agricultural...
which runs along Munger Road in Munger. As the highway enters Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
on the southeast side of town, Tuscola Road leaves the farmlands for residential areas of Bay City. The roadway runs northerwesterly near the St. Stanislaus, St. Patrick and Elm Lawn cemeteries, before turning north on Trumbull Street at 10th Street. The highway follows Trumbull Street for five blocks, where the highway designation ends at a four-way intersection with M-25
M-25 (Michigan highway)
M-25 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron shore of the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula between Port Huron and Bay City. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay and generally lies...
/Center Avenue. Trumbull Street continues north through this residential section of the city.
Original designation
On July 1, 1919, the original routing of M-15 was located in the Upper PeninsulaUpper 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). It ran from the state line along the Menominee River
Menominee River
The Menominee River is a river in northwestern Michigan and northeastern Wisconsin in the United States. It is approximately 118 mi , draining a rural forested area of northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Michigan...
in Menominee
Menominee, Michigan
Menominee is a city in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,131. It is the county seat of Menominee County. Menominee is the fourth-largest city in the Upper Peninsula, behind Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, and Escanaba...
, connecting with STH-15
Highway 15 (Wisconsin)
-Future plans:The highway is currently being studied for expansion by WisDOT. This includes possible bypass options of Hortonville and capacity expansion. The limits of the study are from US 45 in New London to WIS 76 in Greenville...
in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, running north through the UP to Escanaba
Escanaba, Michigan
Escanaba is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, located in the banana belt on the state's Upper Peninsula. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 13,140, making it the third-largest city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie...
, Marquette
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
and Houghton
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
. Between Powers
Powers, Michigan
Powers is a village in Menominee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 430 at the 2000 census. It was named for John Powers, a bookkeeper for a logging company that came into the area in the late 19th century....
and Escanaba, M-15 ran concurrently with 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...
. The northern terminus of the highway was at Fort Wilkins in Copper Harbor
Copper Harbor, Michigan
Copper Harbor is a small unincorporated community in northeastern Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is within Grant Township on the Keweenaw Peninsula that juts from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Superior.-History:...
. The first highway centerline in the nation was painted along a section of the highway in 1917, along the Marquette–Negaunee Road, now a part of Marquette County Road 492.
The Peshekee River Bridge, carried M-15 over the Peshekee River
Peshekee River
-References:*...
in western Marquette County's Michigamme Township
Michigamme Township, Michigan
Michigamme Township is a civil township of Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 377 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Michigamme is located within the township.-Geography:...
. The bridge was built in 1914 in response to the 1913 State Trunk Line Act passed by the Michigan Legislature
Michigan Legislature
The Michigan Legislature is the legislative assembly of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body consisting of the Senate, the upper house, and the House of Representatives, the lower house. Article IV of the state's Constitution, adopted in 1963, defines the role of the...
. This act designated a state trunkline highway network of nearly 3000 miles (4,828 km). The act further said that the Michigan State Highway Department would design, build and maintain trunkline bridges spanning 30 feet (9 m) or more so long as the local governments improved an adjacent 3 miles (4.8 km) of roads. Marquette County built a mainline road from Marquette
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
west to Michigamme
Michigamme, Michigan
Michigamme is an unincorporated community in Marquette County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and without any legal status as a municipality. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 287....
near the county line, this road generally followed what is now known as County Road 492 (CR 492). About 5 miles (8 km) west of Marquette on CR 492 is a historical marker at the site of the first center line
Road surface marking
Road surface marking is any kind of device or material that is used on a road surface in order to convey official information. They can also be applied in other facilities used by vehicles to mark parking spaces or designate areas for other uses....
painted in 1917 along Dead Man's Curve. M-15 continued through Morgan Meadows and crossing the Carp River into the town of Negaunee and connecting with Ishpeming. This road in now known as East Division or "County Road" also former Business M-28. West of Ishpeming in Ishpeming Township, M-15 followed Randal Drive and Westward to North Lake Junction. M-15 made its way along what is now CR 496 and several abandoned sections through Clarksburg and Humboldt Locations and the village of Champion. West of Champion M-15 continued to Michigamme crossing the Peshekee River, Marquette County improved a 3 miles (4.8 km) section in 1913 to encourage the state to build the bridge. The bridge was designed by C.V. Dewart for the department and built by the local firm of Powell and Mitchell in Marquette. The bridge was designated Trunk Line Bridge No. 1 as the first state-built bridge on the trunkline highway system.
The 1925 draft plan for the establishment of the US Highway System
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
would have replaced M-15 with three different US Highways. Between Menominee and Powers, M-15 was to be replaced by US 41
U.S. Route 41 in Michigan
US Highway 41 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state via the Interstate Bridge between Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee,...
. East of Powers to Rapid River, the trunkline would have been US 2. The next segment between Rapid River and Covington was planned as US 102 while the remainder north to Copper Harbor was planned as US 41 In between Powers and Covington, US 41 was planned to follow US 2 west to Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain, Michigan
Iron Mountain is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,154. It is the county seat of Dickinson County, in the state's Upper Peninsula....
and then route of the modern US 141
U.S. Route 141
U.S. Route 141 is a north–south highway in the U.S. states of Michigan and Wisconsin. US 41 is its parent route. Its northern terminus, on US 41, is near Covington, Michigan; its southern terminus, with I-43 near Bellevue, Wisconsin; it remains in existence in Green Bay, Wisconsin as a...
between Powers and Covington. When the system was announced on November 11, 1926, US 41 was the only US Highway routed along the alignment of M-15. The original map showed US 41 following an unbuilt alignment between Powers and Marquette, but the US 41 designation was instead routed to follow the former M-15.
Current designation
The current routing of M-15 was designated after 1926. The southern end was located at US 10U.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...
in Clarkston running north to M-38
M-38 (Michigan highway)
M-38 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Its west end starts in Ontonagon and runs east to Baraga, some apart. The highway crosses streams and rivers in forest lands and provides access to a casino...
and M-24
M-24 (Michigan highway)
M-24 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan that extends through Southeast Michigan, from northeast Auburn Hills to Unionville. It starts at an interchange with Interstate 75 and ends where it merges with M-25...
in Vassar
Vassar, Michigan
Vassar is a city in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The small town was founded March 1, 1849. The population was 2,697 at the 2010 census and 2,823 at the 2000 census...
. By the end of 1936, M-15 was extended concurrently along M-24 from Vassar into Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
. By June 1942, the M-24 concurrency was removed as M-24 was realigned to replace M-85
M-85 (Michigan highway)
M-85, also known as Fort Street or Fort Road for its entire length, is a state highway route in the U.S. state of Michigan.In Detroit proper, M-85 consists of West Fort street and South Fort street...
between Vassar and Caro
Caro, Michigan
Caro is a city in and the county seat of Tuscola County, Michigan, United States. The population was 4,229 at the 2010 census and 4,145 at the 2000 census ....
. By July 1, 1960, the northern end was extended to run concurrently with M-25
M-25 (Michigan highway)
M-25 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron shore of the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula between Port Huron and Bay City. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay and generally lies...
and BUS US 23 to US 23
U.S. Route 23 in Michigan
US Highway 23 is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan, it is a major north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Lower Peninsula...
on the west side of Bay City. This M-15/M-25 routing was extended again in the next year to end at the new I-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...
/US 10/US 23 freeway. These two northerly extensions were both reversed and scaled back in 1970. M-15's northern end is moved back to M-25/Center Avenue in Bay City, its current location. At some time after the 1993 beginning of the program, M-15 was named the "Pathway to Family Fun" Recreational Heritage Route in the Michigan Heritage Route
Michigan Heritage Route
Michigan Heritage Route is a designation for roads in Michigan. The designation was created by the state legislature in 1993.The program emphasizes cooperation among local residents, government officials, landowners and interested groups to preserve unique scenic, historic or recreational...
system.
Running roughly parallel to I-75, the route has not been added to the National Highway System, a system of roadways considered important to the nation's economy, defense and mobility.
The state highway map in 1933 showed a proposed southern extenstion from Clarkston through southern Oakland County, Wayne County
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
into Monroe County
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
. This proposed highway would have bypassed Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
to the west through Farmington
Farmington, Michigan
Farmington is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit and is part of the Metro Detroit area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,372. It is fully surrounded by Farmington Hills, except for a small portion bordered by Livonia to the...
, Northville
Northville, Michigan
Northville is a city located in and divided by Oakland and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb in Metro Detroit. The population was 5,970 at the 2010 census. The Oakland County portion is surrounded by the city of Novi. The Wayne County portion is surrounded by Northville...
, Plymouth
Plymouth, Michigan
Plymouth is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,132 at the 2010 census. The City of Plymouth is an enclave completely surrounded by Plymouth Charter Township, Michigan.-Geography:...
and Belleville
Belleville, Michigan
Belleville is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,991 at the 2010 census. It is the sister city of Machynlleth, Wales. Belleville is southeast of Ann Arbor and southwest of Detroit.-Geography:...
. The full highway was never built, and M-15 was never extended south of Clarkston, but part of this proposal was completed. Much of it later became Haggerty Highway, and part of the I-275
Interstate 275 (Michigan)
Interstate 275 in the US state of Michigan is an Interstate Highway that functions as a western bypass of the Detroit metropolitan area. The Michigan Department of Transportation maintains it as a component of the larger state trunkline highway system. The freeway runs through the western suburbs...
and M-5
M-5 (Michigan highway)
M-5 is a highway in the metro Detroit area of the US state of Michigan.-Route description:M-5's eastern terminus is at the junction of Grand River Avenue and Interstate 96 in western Detroit...
corridors.
"Death Alley"
M-15 between the Oakland County line and I-69 has been nicknamed by locals as "Death Alley". On April 17, 2009, The Flint Journal reported that between 2004 and April 2009, 14 people have died on the stretch of road in car accidents. The most recent was a 14-year-old girl from Lapeer CountyLapeer County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 87,904 people, 30,729 households, and 23,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 134 people per square mile . There were 32,732 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile...
, who died from her injuries on April 15, nine days after she crashed in a head-on collision on April 6, 2009 on M-15 just north of Green Road in Goodrich
Goodrich, Michigan
Goodrich is a village in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,353 at the 2000 census. The village is a suburb of Flint located within Atlas Township.-Geography:...
. The accident happened when her brother swerved to avoid a stopped car. The truck he was driving crossed into the path of an oncoming sport-utility vehicle. When Genesee County
Genesee County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
Sheriff Robert J. Pickell was asked about the stretch, he said the road suffers from a bad design, including a lack of turn lanes. He was quoted as saying, "It's a death trap," to which he then added the question, "How many people have to die before something is done?"
Pickell said he plans to write a letter to 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) about these fatality statistics asking for action by the state. Other local government officials have called for solutions to safety issues on the roadway. An employee of the real estate agency near the accident scene said that something should be done to fix the narrow two-lane highway in the area. MDOT said that the state looks at roadways after every fatal crash to determine what improvements could be made. MDOT Bay Region engineer Robert Ranck, Jr. was quoted in the article as saying, "We do not just let them go."