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M-63 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
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
(I-196/US 31) at exit 7 just outside Hagar Shores. The trunkline runs through residential areas south of St. Joseph and through the central business districts of the twin cities. Further north, M-63 runs along the Lake Michigan
shoreline.
All of M-63's routing was part of US 33
before that highway's truncation south of Niles
in 1986. A previous designation of M-63 was used farther north in Lake
and Osceola
counties from 1919 until 1961. Since the current designation was created, the Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) has worked on reconfiguring parts of the roadway in the early part of the 21st century. The bridge M-63 uses to cross the St. Joseph River
has been identified as an historic structure using a rare design. The bridge itself dates back to the late 1940s.
. M-139 runs on Niles Road northwest from Berrien Springs
to this point and on Scottdale Road north of the intersection. M-63 follows Miners Road west and then Niles Road northwest of the junction, parallel to the St. Joseph River
through residential areas on the outskirts of the twin cities. The highway meets Interstate 94
(I-94) at the latter's exit 27 and continues through St. Joseph Township to the city of St. Joseph. In the city, after Washington Avenue, Niles Road becomes Niles Avenue and turns north. As part of its maintenance duties, the MDOT tracks traffic volumes on the state highways in a metric called average annual daily traffic (AADT), which is a calculation of the average traffic level for any day of a year. The roadway segment along Niles Avenue north of the Napier Avenue intersection in 2009 had the highest traffic levels along all of M-63 at 22,263 vehicles.
At Main Street, Niles Avenue ends, and M-63 joins Business Loop I-94 (BL I-94) on Main Street into and through the downtown business district. The two highways continue together running concurrently
to Ship and Port streets. These two streets form a one-way pair
running east to carry BL I-94 to and from a separate bridge over the St. Joseph River. M-63 continues along Main Street across the river into Benton Harbor, Michigan
where it follows the Lake Michigan
shoreline along a short expressway
segment. The trunkline exits Benton Harbor near the headquarters of the Whirlpool Corporation. North of town, the highway provides access to many lakeshore properties north of Benton Harbor at it continues northeasterly along the shoreline to the community of Lake Michigan Beach
. When the highway meets Hagar Shore Road, M-63 turns east along that roadway to an interchange with I-196
/US 31. The shoreline roadway continues northeast as A-2 (Blue Star Highway) while M-63 terminates at an interchange with I-196/US 31. This northernmost segment of the highway had the lowest AADT measurement in 2009 when calculated by MDOT at 2,855 vehicles.
Various highways in the United States are listed as a part of the National Highway System
(NHS), a system of roads important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. M-63 has been listed as a part of the NHS from its southern terminus to the northern junction with BL I-94 in St. Joseph. As the closest state highway to Lake Michigan in the area, M-63 from the southern junction with BL I-94 to its northern terminus has been used as a part of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, a tourist route that circles Lake Michigan.
west through Luther
to M-13
(later US 131
) in Osceola County
on July 1, 1919. This highway was extended in 1930 along US 131 to Tustin
and then to a terminus with M-66
in Marion
. At the same time, M-37
was extended north from Baldwin
to meet M-63 east of Peacock. This eastern extension was truncated in 1932 when it was redesignated as part of M-61. A short connector roadway, M-179
, was designated in 1935 between M-63 and US 131, forming a small triangle of highways. The western end was shortened in 1939 so that M-63 ended at M-37 instead of continuing west to Peacock. The M-179 designation was decommissioned in 1959 or 1960, removing that short highway from the state trunkline highway system. M-63 was decommissioned in 1961 when the roadway was transferred back to local control.
. From there it followed US 31 north to Scottville
and ran alone to St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. When US 33 was truncated back to Niles, M-63 was commissioned in its place along the route it now follows.
The expressway portion of M-63 is a relic of a now revised plan of a freeway corridor through the St. Joseph – Benton Harbor area. The highway was significantly reconfigured in 2000–2002, with the overpass over the industrial access road to Whirlpool's warehouse in Benton Harbor and a rail line removed and rebuilt in late 2000 through early 2001, and the only grade-separated interchange at Klock Road demolished and downgraded to an at-grade intersection
in 2002. Today, there are only two overpasses over smaller roads existing on this stretch of expressway.
. The span is a Scherzer rolling-lift bascule
, a type of moveable bridge. The bridge was built as part of a 1940s plan to relocate US 31 through St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. Those plans were delayed by World War II
. The bridge was completed in late 1948 using the rare design prepared by a firm from Chicago that specialized in bascule bridges. The state paid a total of $1.3 million for what was called "the largest bridge ever built under the auspices of the State Highway Department".
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 from M-139
M-139 (Michigan highway)
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...
at Scottdale through the cities 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...
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...
to Interstate 196
Interstate 196
Interstate 196 is a long freeway spur route in the US state of Michigan linking Grand Rapids, Holland, South Haven, and Benton Harbor. I-196 is known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, or simply the Ford Freeway, in Kent, Ottawa, and Allegan Counties, after the 38th President of the United States,...
/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...
(I-196/US 31) at exit 7 just outside Hagar Shores. The trunkline runs through residential areas south of St. Joseph and through the central business districts of the twin cities. Further north, M-63 runs along the 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...
shoreline.
All of M-63's routing was part of US 33
U.S. Route 33
U.S. Route 33 is a United States federal highway that runs northwest-southeast for 709 miles from northern Indiana to Richmond, Virginia, passing through Ohio and West Virginia en route. Although most odd-numbered U.S...
before that highway's truncation south 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 1986. A previous designation of M-63 was used farther north in Lake
Lake County, Michigan
-Highways:* US 10* M-37-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,333 people, 4,704 households, and 3,052 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 13,498 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
and Osceola
Osceola 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...
counties from 1919 until 1961. Since the current designation was created, 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) has worked on reconfiguring parts of the roadway in the early part of the 21st century. The bridge M-63 uses to cross the St. Joseph River
St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)
The St. Joseph River is a river, approximately long, in southern Michigan and northern Indiana in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming area in the watershed of Lake Michigan...
has been identified as an historic structure using a rare design. The bridge itself dates back to the late 1940s.
Route description
M-63 begins at the intersection of Niles, Scottdale and Miners roads southwest of St. Joseph in Royalton TownshipRoyalton 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...
. M-139 runs on Niles Road northwest from 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...
to this point and on Scottdale Road north of the intersection. M-63 follows Miners Road west and then Niles Road northwest of the junction, parallel to the St. Joseph River
St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)
The St. Joseph River is a river, approximately long, in southern Michigan and northern Indiana in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming area in the watershed of Lake Michigan...
through residential areas on the outskirts of the twin cities. The highway meets 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) at the latter's exit 27 and continues through St. Joseph Township to the city of St. Joseph. In the city, after Washington Avenue, Niles Road becomes Niles Avenue and turns north. As part of its maintenance duties, the MDOT tracks traffic volumes on the state highways in a metric called average annual daily traffic (AADT), which is a calculation of the average traffic level for any day of a year. The roadway segment along Niles Avenue north of the Napier Avenue intersection in 2009 had the highest traffic levels along all of M-63 at 22,263 vehicles.
At Main Street, Niles Avenue ends, and M-63 joins Business Loop I-94 (BL I-94) on Main Street into and through the downtown business district. The two highways continue together running 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...
to Ship and Port streets. These two streets form 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....
running east to carry BL I-94 to and from a separate bridge over the St. Joseph River. M-63 continues along Main Street across the river into Benton Harbor, Michigan
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...
where it follows the 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...
shoreline along a short expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
segment. The trunkline exits Benton Harbor near the headquarters of the Whirlpool Corporation. North of town, the highway provides access to many lakeshore properties north of Benton Harbor at it continues northeasterly along the shoreline to the community of Lake Michigan Beach
Lake Michigan Beach, Michigan
Lake Michigan Beach is an unincorporated community in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes, without any legal status as a municipality. The population was 1,509 at the 2000 census....
. When the highway meets Hagar Shore Road, M-63 turns east along that roadway to an interchange with I-196
Interstate 196
Interstate 196 is a long freeway spur route in the US state of Michigan linking Grand Rapids, Holland, South Haven, and Benton Harbor. I-196 is known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, or simply the Ford Freeway, in Kent, Ottawa, and Allegan Counties, after the 38th President of the United States,...
/US 31. The shoreline roadway continues northeast as A-2 (Blue Star Highway) while M-63 terminates at an interchange with I-196/US 31. This northernmost segment of the highway had the lowest AADT measurement in 2009 when calculated by MDOT at 2,855 vehicles.
Various highways in the United States are listed as a part of 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...
(NHS), a system of roads important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. M-63 has been listed as a part of the NHS from its southern terminus to the northern junction with BL I-94 in St. Joseph. As the closest state highway to Lake Michigan in the area, M-63 from the southern junction with BL I-94 to its northern terminus has been used as a part of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, a tourist route that circles Lake Michigan.
Previous designation
M-63 originally ran from Peacock in Lake CountyLake County, Michigan
-Highways:* US 10* M-37-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,333 people, 4,704 households, and 3,052 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 13,498 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
west through Luther
Luther, Michigan
Luther is a village in Lake County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 339. The village is on the boundary between Newkirk Township on the west and Ellsworth Township on the east, with about half of the village in each. It is the site of Hillsdale...
to M-13
M-13 (Michigan highway)
M-13 is a north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Saginaw Bay region of the US state of Michigan. It runs from Interstate 69 south of Lennon to US Highway 23 near Standish. The southern section of the trunkline runs long a pair of county lines in a rural area dominated by farm...
(later 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...
) in Osceola County
Osceola 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...
on July 1, 1919. This highway was extended in 1930 along US 131 to 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 then to a terminus with 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...
in 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:...
. At the same time, M-37
M-37 (Michigan highway)
M-37 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The southern terminus is near the border between Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties at exit 92 of Interstate 94 southwest of Battle Creek. The northern terminus is at the Mission Point Light on Old Mission Point in Grand...
was extended north from Baldwin
Baldwin, Michigan
Baldwin is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,107. It is the county seat of Lake County...
to meet M-63 east of Peacock. This eastern extension was truncated in 1932 when it was redesignated as part of M-61. A short connector roadway, M-179
M-179 (Michigan highway)
M-179 is a state trunkline highway in the western potion of the US state of Michigan. It runs from US Highway 131 at exit 61 outside of Bradley to M-43 just west of Hastings in the Lower Peninsula. The highway crosses through forest land and provides access to state recreational areas...
, was designated in 1935 between M-63 and US 131, forming a small triangle of highways. The western end was shortened in 1939 so that M-63 ended at M-37 instead of continuing west to Peacock. The M-179 designation was decommissioned in 1959 or 1960, removing that short highway from the state trunkline highway system. M-63 was decommissioned in 1961 when the roadway was transferred back to local control.
Current designation
The current designation of M-63 was created in 1986. Before the designation, US 33 ran north into Michigan south of NilesNiles, 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...
. From there it followed US 31 north to Scottville
Scottville, Michigan
Scottville is a city located in the north west of the U.S. state of Michigan in rural Mason County.On July 23, 2007 Governor Jennifer Granholm announced Scottville as the community chosen by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority to take part in the Cool Cities Michigan Main Street program...
and ran alone to St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. When US 33 was truncated back to Niles, M-63 was commissioned in its place along the route it now follows.
The expressway portion of M-63 is a relic of a now revised plan of a freeway corridor through the St. Joseph – Benton Harbor area. The highway was significantly reconfigured in 2000–2002, with the overpass over the industrial access road to Whirlpool's warehouse in Benton Harbor and a rail line removed and rebuilt in late 2000 through early 2001, and the only grade-separated interchange at Klock Road demolished and downgraded to an at-grade intersection
At-grade intersection
An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting...
in 2002. Today, there are only two overpasses over smaller roads existing on this stretch of expressway.
Historic bridge
The St. Joseph River Bridge is eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The span is a Scherzer rolling-lift bascule
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
, a type of moveable bridge. The bridge was built as part of a 1940s plan to relocate US 31 through St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. Those plans were delayed by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The bridge was completed in late 1948 using the rare design prepared by a firm from Chicago that specialized in bascule bridges. The state paid a total of $1.3 million for what was called "the largest bridge ever built under the auspices of the State Highway Department".