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M-61 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-61 is a state trunkline highway
in the US state of Michigan
that runs between Marion
and Standish
. The highway runs along the boundary area between Northern Michigan
and Central Michigan
in the Lower Peninsula
. M-61 runs through rural forestland connecting several smaller communities together as it connects M-115
, US Highway 127
(US 127), Interstate 75
(I-75) and US 23
. Less than 10,000 vehicles a day use various segments of the roadway on average.
The trunkline was first designated along a portion of its current alignment by 1919. M-61 was extended in segments through 1940, with a truncation at the end of the 1950s. One change in routing in the 1970s resulted in the current routing of the highway.
south of Marion at an intersection with M-115. It runs eastward and meets M-66
before crossing into Clare County
. The highway runs along the boundary between the regions of Northern and Central Michigan through forest land and crosses the Muskegon River
en route to Harrison
. There it follows Main Street into town to an intersection with 1st Street near Budd Lake
. M-61 turns south at the intersection and joins the business loop of US 127 (BUS US 127) through town. BUS US 127/M-61 follows Clare Avenue south of the city to exit 170 on the US 127 freeway. The business loop ends, and M-61 turns east along Gladwin Road.
The highway passes south of Wiggins Lake as it approaches the junction with M-18
in Gladwin
. The two highways run concurrently
on Cedar Avenue for approximately ten blocks through downtown. M-61 leaves town on the east side near the airport
. The highway continues eastward to a junction with M-30
(Meridian Road
) in White Star on the west banks of the Smallwood Lake section of the Tittabawassee River
. The highway crosses the river and runs through Wooden Shoe Village as it continues through the Au Sable State Forest
, crossing extreme northern Bay County
. The trunkline crosses into Arenac County
before meeting I-75 and US 23 in Arenac County
near Standish
.
The Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) maintains M-61 like all other state trunkline highways in the state. As a part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic along its roadways using a metric called average annual daily traffic (AADT). This is a measurement of the traffic along a segment of roadway for any average day of the year. The highest traffic level for M-61 in MDOT's 2009 surveys was 9,257 vehicles per day along the Harrison business loop. The lowest AADT was 981 vehicles daily between the Osceola–Clare
county line and the Muskegon River crossing. No section of M-61 has been added to the National Highway System
, a network of roads important to the country's defense, economy and mobility.
was redesignated M-61 between US 131
at Tustin
and M-115 near Marion. At the same time, additional county roads were upgraded to state highways, extending the western M-61 to US 127 in Harrison. The gap between Harrison and Gladwin was eliminated in 1940 when the roadway was built between the two towns. At the end of the 1950s, M-61's designation was removed between M-115 and US 131. The western end was realigned in 1974 to bypass Marion, shortening the route of M-61.
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"....
that runs between Marion
Marion, Michigan
Marion is a village in Osceola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 836 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Marion Township.-Geography:...
and Standish
Standish, Michigan
Standish is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,581. It is the county seat of Arenac County.The town was platted by John D. Standish in 1871...
. The highway runs along the boundary area between Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
and Central Michigan
Central Michigan
Central Michigan, often called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Southern Michigan can be considered as a subregion of Central Michigan. As its name implies, it is the central area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and...
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...
. M-61 runs through rural forestland connecting several smaller communities together as it connects M-115
M-115 (Michigan highway)
M-115 is a state trunkline highway in the northwestern part of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway takes a generally southeast-to-northwest direction between Clare and Frankfort on Lake Michigan...
, US Highway 127
U.S. Route 127 in Michigan
US Highway 127 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that runs for , entering from Ohio south of Hudson and ending at a partial interchange with...
(US 127), 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) and 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...
. Less than 10,000 vehicles a day use various segments of the roadway on average.
The trunkline was first designated along a portion of its current alignment by 1919. M-61 was extended in segments through 1940, with a truncation at the end of the 1950s. One change in routing in the 1970s resulted in the current routing of the highway.
Route description
M-61 starts in eastern Osceola CountyOsceola County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,197 people, 8,861 households, and 6,415 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 people per square mile . There were 12,853 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
south of Marion at an intersection with M-115. It runs eastward and meets 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...
before crossing into Clare County
Clare County, Michigan
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 31,252 people, 12,686 households, and 8,753 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile . There were 22,229 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...
. The highway runs along the boundary between the regions of Northern and Central Michigan through forest land and crosses the Muskegon River
Muskegon River
The Muskegon River is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The river has its headwaters in Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, flowing out of the North Bay into neighboring Missaukee County. From there it flows mostly southwest to Muskegon, Michigan,...
en route to Harrison
Harrison, Michigan
Harrison is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,108. It is the county seat of Clare County.The city is named after U.S. President William Henry Harrison....
. There it follows Main Street into town to an intersection with 1st Street near Budd Lake
Budd Lake (Michigan)
Budd Lake is a lake in Clare County, in the central region of Michigan's lower peninsula. Wilson State Park borders the lake to the northwest.A popular lake for anglers seeking muskies, it offers two boat ramps....
. M-61 turns south at the intersection and joins the business loop of US 127 (BUS US 127) through town. BUS US 127/M-61 follows Clare Avenue south of the city to exit 170 on the US 127 freeway. The business loop ends, and M-61 turns east along Gladwin Road.
The highway passes south of Wiggins Lake as it approaches the junction with M-18
M-18 (Michigan highway)
M-18 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs for through the central region of the state connecting US Highway 10 near North Bradley with M-72 in rural Crawford County near the community of Luzerne...
in Gladwin
Gladwin, Michigan
Gladwin is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,001. It is the county seat of Gladwin County.The city is at the southwest corner of Gladwin Township, but is politically independent....
. The two highways run concurrently
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
on Cedar Avenue for approximately ten blocks through downtown. M-61 leaves town on the east side near the airport
Gladwin Zettel Memorial Airport
Gladwin Zettel Memorial Airport is a public airport located 1 mile southeast of Gladwin in Gladwin County, Michigan, USA.-Runways:* Runway 9/27: 4,700 x 75 ft. , Surface: Asphalt* Runway 15/33: 2,600 x 150 ft...
. The highway continues eastward to a junction with M-30
M-30 (Michigan highway)
M-30 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan that runs in a north–south direction from the Midland area to West Branch. The highway runs through rural parts of three counties in the Lower Peninsula. The southern end runs along the Michigan Meridian and parallel to the...
(Meridian Road
Michigan Meridian
The Michigan Meridian is the meridian used as a reference in the Michigan Survey, the survey of the U.S. state of Michigan in the early 19th century. It is located at 84 degrees, 22 minutes and 24 seconds west longitude at its northern terminus at Sault Ste...
) in White Star on the west banks of the Smallwood Lake section of the Tittabawassee River
Tittabawassee River
The Tittabawassee River is a stream which flows in a generally southeasterly direction through the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The river begins at Secord Lake in Clement Township, at the confluence of the East Branch and the Middle Branch...
. The highway crosses the river and runs through Wooden Shoe Village as it continues through the Au Sable State Forest
Au Sable State Forest
The Au Sable State Forest is a state forest in the north-central Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources....
, crossing extreme northern 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...
. The trunkline crosses into Arenac County
Arenac County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 17,269 people, 6,710 households, and 4,717 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 9,563 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
before meeting I-75 and US 23 in Arenac County
Arenac County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 17,269 people, 6,710 households, and 4,717 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 9,563 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
near Standish
Standish, Michigan
Standish is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,581. It is the county seat of Arenac County.The town was platted by John D. Standish in 1871...
.
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) maintains M-61 like all other state trunkline highways in the state. As a part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic along its roadways using a metric called average annual daily traffic (AADT). This is a measurement of the traffic along a segment of roadway for any average day of the year. The highest traffic level for M-61 in MDOT's 2009 surveys was 9,257 vehicles per day along the Harrison business loop. The lowest AADT was 981 vehicles daily between the Osceola–Clare
Clare County, Michigan
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 31,252 people, 12,686 households, and 8,753 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile . There were 22,229 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...
county line and the Muskegon River crossing. No section of M-61 has been added to 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 network of roads important to the country's defense, economy and mobility.
History
On July 1, 1919, when the rest of the state highway system was first signed, M-61 ran between M-18 at Gladwin to M-30 at White Star. A decade later in 1929, M-61 was extended south to Winegars along M-30 and then northeasterly zig-zagging through Highwood and Bentley to Standish. This eastern extension was straightened in 1932, bypassing the route south through Winegars and Bentley to use a direct course between White Star and Standish. At the same time, a second, discontinuous section of M-61 was created when a section of the contemporary M-63M-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...
was redesignated M-61 between US 131
U.S. Route 131
US Highway 131 is a north–south United States Highway, of which all but 0.67 miles of its 266.82 miles are within the state of Michigan. The highway starts in rural Indiana south of the state line as a state road connection to the Indiana Toll Road...
at Tustin
Tustin, Michigan
Tustin is a village in Osceola County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 237. The village is within Burdell Township.-Geography:...
and M-115 near Marion. At the same time, additional county roads were upgraded to state highways, extending the western M-61 to US 127 in Harrison. The gap between Harrison and Gladwin was eliminated in 1940 when the roadway was built between the two towns. At the end of the 1950s, M-61's designation was removed between M-115 and US 131. The western end was realigned in 1974 to bypass Marion, shortening the route of M-61.