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M-64 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-64 is a north–south state trunkline highway
in the Upper Peninsula
of the US state of Michigan
. It runs for 63.765 miles (102.6 km) through the western part of the state in land that is part of the Ottawa National Forest
. The highway connects with County Trunk Highway B (CTH B) at the state line near Presque Isle
, Wisconsin. As it passes through dense forests, M-64 runs along lakes Gogebic
and Superior
. The northern end is at a junction with US Highway 45
(US 45) in Ontonagon
.
The M-64 designation was used on two other separate highways before it was used for the current highway. The first was at the other end of the state near the Ohio state line, and the second was on the Keweenaw Peninsula
near Eagle Harbor. The current highway has carried the M-64 moniker since 1930, when it was assigned along two disconnected highways. These two parts were joined into a single corridor soon after. M-64 was one of the last highways in the state of Michigan to be paved in 1961. In the early part of the 21st century, the state replaced the bridge over the Ontonagon River
and shifted the highway's northern terminus.
in a rural area of Gogebic County
; this region is a part of the Ottawa National Forest. As the highway enters the community of Marenisco, it follows Pine and Fair avenues through town. On the north side of Marenisco, M-64 turns easterly and runs concurrently
with US 2
for about two miles (3 km) including a crossing of the Presque Isle River. East of town, M-64 separates from US 2 and turns northeasterly toward the southern end of Lake Gogebic. The road turns north along the western shore of the lake and provides access to Lake Gogebic State Park
. About halfway along the lakeshore, the highway crosses into Ontonagon County
and from the Central
to the Eastern
time zone.
At Merriweather, M-64 turns easterly again, this time merging with M-28
and becoming a part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour. The two highways run together along the northern end of Lake Gogebic to Bergland. Turning north once again, M-64 crosses a branch line of the Canadian National Railway
. The highway runs through more dense forests parallel to the Big Iron River
on this north–south leg. The trunkline leaves the national forest as it passes into the community of White Pine
, and the road runs near a former copper mine in the area. M-64 approaches the shores of Lake Superior at Silver City. There, it meets the eastern terminus of the former M-107
, a highway designation that ran west into the Porcupine Mountains
along the current 107th Engineers Memorial Highway. M-64 turns east along Lake Superior following the shoreline to the outskirts of Ontonagon. The highway crosses the Ontonagon River
and terminates on the eastern shore. The current intersection with US 45 that marks the end of M-64 on the south side of downtown is also the western terminus of M-38.
M-64 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) like all other state trunkline highways. As a part of these responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the highway. These traffic counts are expressed using a metric called annual average daily traffic
(AADT). This number is an expression of the traffic that uses a segment of roadway for any average day of the year. In 2009, MDOT's surveys showed that the highest AADT along M-64 was 3,333 vehicles daily on the Ontonagon River Bridge; the lowest traffic was was between US 2 and the Gogebic–Ontonagon county line at 418 vehicles per day. The only segments of the trunkline that have been included on the National Highway System
(NHS) are the US 2 and M-28 concurrencies. The NHS is a network of roads important to the country's defense, economy and mobility.
. This highway ran from the Ohio state line north to Hillsdale, ending in rural southeastern Calhoun County
. This trunkline was extended northerly in 1926 through Homer
to end at the contemporary US 12
in Albion
. In the latter half of 1929, this highway was redesignated M-9 (now M-99). At the same time, the original M-9 in Keweenaw County
between US 41
and Eagle Harbor was renumbered M-64. The net effect was to swap the numbers between roads on opposing ends of the state. The next year, the M-64 number was swapped with another highway, the original M-129
that ran along the west side of Lake Gogebic and south to the Wisconsin state line.
. By the beginning of 1930, a highway called M-129 was designated south of US 2 to the Wisconsin state line and and north along Lake Gogebic. By the end of the year, this road was renumbered as the southern section of M-64; the northern section of M-64 was the highway previously designated as the westernmost segment of M-35. The gap between the two sections was filled in by 1932. Some curves in the roadway south of Marenisco were realigned, smoothing out the routing of the highway in late 1961. As this project was completed, the last segments of M-64 were fully paved, making the highway one of the last in the state to be fully hard-surfaced.
. This style of bridge was popular with the department in the first half of the 20th century, but fell out of favor as the MSHD transitioned to bascule bridge
s. Because of this change, the Ontonagon River Bridge was the last of its type built in the state when it was completed in 1940.
MDOT determined in the early part of the 21st century that the swing bridge had "operational problems". Construction in 2006 replaced the span with a new structure and realigned both M-64 and M-38 in the village. That October, the new bridge was opened upstream of the former crossing. As a result, the northern terminus of M-64 is now at a junction with US 45 and M-38.
Michigan Highway System
The Michigan State Trunkline Highway System is made up of all the highways designated as Interstates, U.S. Highways and State Highways in the US state of Michigan. The system is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation and comprises of trunklines in all 83 counties of Michigan on...
in the Upper Peninsula
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
of the US state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It runs for 63.765 miles (102.6 km) through the western part of the state in land that is part of the Ottawa National Forest
Ottawa National Forest
The Ottawa National Forest is a 1.0 million acre national forest in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It includes much of Gogebic and Ontonagon counties, as well as slices of Iron, Houghton, Baraga, and Marquette counties. The forest is under the jurisdiction of the U.S...
. The highway connects with County Trunk Highway B (CTH B) at the state line near Presque Isle
Presque Isle, Wisconsin
Presque Isle is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 513 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Katinka Village is located in the town.-Name:...
, Wisconsin. As it passes through dense forests, M-64 runs along lakes Gogebic
Lake Gogebic
Lake Gogebic is the largest lake of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is located within the 1 million acre Ottawa National Forest. Lake Gogebic State Park is located along its western shore....
and Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. The northern end is at a junction with US Highway 45
U.S. Route 45 in Michigan
US Highway 45 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Mobile, Alabama, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway forms a part of the state trunkline highway system that is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation . It enters the...
(US 45) in Ontonagon
Ontonagon, Michigan
Ontonagon is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 1,769. It is the county seat of Ontonagon County....
.
The M-64 designation was used on two other separate highways before it was used for the current highway. The first was at the other end of the state near the Ohio state line, and the second was on the Keweenaw Peninsula
Keweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northern-most part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200...
near Eagle Harbor. The current highway has carried the M-64 moniker since 1930, when it was assigned along two disconnected highways. These two parts were joined into a single corridor soon after. M-64 was one of the last highways in the state of Michigan to be paved in 1961. In the early part of the 21st century, the state replaced the bridge over the Ontonagon River
Ontonagon River
The Ontonagon River is a river flowing to Lake Superior on the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. The main stem of the river is 25 mi long and is formed by a confluence of several longer branches, portions of which have been collectively designated as a National Wild...
and shifted the highway's northern terminus.
Route description
M-64 starts at the Wisconsin state line north of Presque Isle, Wisconsin, where it runs north as the continuation of CTH B into the state of Michigan. The trunkline runs through dense forests along the Presque Isle RiverPresque Isle River
The Presque Isle River runs through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and empties into Lake Superior. Along its course, it flows through the Ottawa National Forest and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. It has 300 mi2 of drainage area in Upper Michigan and Northern Wisconsin.Several...
in a rural area of Gogebic County
Gogebic County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,370 people, 7,425 households, and 4,581 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 10,839 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
; this region is a part of the Ottawa National Forest. As the highway enters the community of Marenisco, it follows Pine and Fair avenues through town. On the north side of Marenisco, M-64 turns easterly and runs 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...
with US 2
U.S. Route 2 in Michigan
US Highway 2 is a component of the United States Numbered Highway System that connects Everett, Washington, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan, with a separate segment that runs from Rouses Point, New York, to Houlton, Maine...
for about two miles (3 km) including a crossing of the Presque Isle River. East of town, M-64 separates from US 2 and turns northeasterly toward the southern end of Lake Gogebic. The road turns north along the western shore of the lake and provides access to Lake Gogebic State Park
Lake Gogebic State Park
Lake Gogebic State Park is a state park in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the shore of Lake Gogebic. Lake Gogebic is the largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula. There is nearly a mile of beach front access. Camping is available with rustic to modern facilities...
. About halfway along the lakeshore, the highway crosses into Ontonagon County
Ontonagon County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,818 people, 3,456 households, and 2,225 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 5,404 housing units...
and from the Central
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
to the Eastern
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
time zone.
At Merriweather, M-64 turns easterly again, this time merging with M-28
M-28 (Michigan highway)
M-28 is an east–west state trunkline highway that almost completely traverses the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan, from Wakefield to near Sault Ste. Marie in Bruce Township...
and becoming a part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour. The two highways run together along the northern end of Lake Gogebic to Bergland. Turning north once again, M-64 crosses a branch line of the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
. The highway runs through more dense forests parallel to the Big Iron River
Big Iron River
-References:*...
on this north–south leg. The trunkline leaves the national forest as it passes into the community of White Pine
White Pine, Michigan
White Pine is an unincorporated census-designated place in Ontonagon County the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, its population was 474....
, and the road runs near a former copper mine in the area. M-64 approaches the shores of Lake Superior at Silver City. There, it meets the eastern terminus of the former M-107
M-107 (Michigan highway)
M-107 was an east–west state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. Running for , it connected Lake of the Clouds and the rest of the Porcupine Mountains State Park to M-64 in Silver City. The roadway parallels the Lake Superior shoreline in Ontonagon County.The...
, a highway designation that ran west into the Porcupine Mountains
Porcupine Mountains
The Porcupine Mountains, or Porkies, are a group of small mountains spanning across the northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Ontonagon and Gogebic counties, near the shore of Lake Superior. The area is part of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park...
along the current 107th Engineers Memorial Highway. M-64 turns east along Lake Superior following the shoreline to the outskirts of Ontonagon. The highway crosses the Ontonagon River
Ontonagon River
The Ontonagon River is a river flowing to Lake Superior on the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. The main stem of the river is 25 mi long and is formed by a confluence of several longer branches, portions of which have been collectively designated as a National Wild...
and terminates on the eastern shore. The current intersection with US 45 that marks the end of M-64 on the south side of downtown is also the western terminus of M-38.
M-64 is maintained by 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) like all other state trunkline highways. As a part of these responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the highway. These traffic counts are expressed using a metric called annual average daily traffic
Annual average daily traffic
Average Annual daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning and transportation engineering. It is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a year divided by 365 days. AADT is a useful and simple measurement of how busy the road is...
(AADT). This number is an expression of the traffic that uses a segment of roadway for any average day of the year. In 2009, MDOT's surveys showed that the highest AADT along M-64 was 3,333 vehicles daily on the Ontonagon River Bridge; the lowest traffic was was between US 2 and the Gogebic–Ontonagon county line at 418 vehicles per day. The only segments of the trunkline that have been included 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...
(NHS) are the US 2 and M-28 concurrencies. The NHS is a network of roads important to the country's defense, economy and mobility.
Previous designations
By July 1, 1919, the first roads to carry the M-64 designation were signed in the southern Lower PeninsulaLower 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...
. This highway ran from the Ohio state line north to Hillsdale, ending in rural southeastern Calhoun County
Calhoun County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-94* I-194* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Albion.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Battle Creek.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Marshall.-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-37* M-60* M-66* M-78* M-89* M-96* M-99...
. This trunkline was extended northerly in 1926 through Homer
Homer, Michigan
Homer is a village in Calhoun County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,851 at the 2000 census.-History:...
to end at the contemporary US 12
U.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...
in Albion
Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. In the latter half of 1929, this highway was redesignated M-9 (now M-99). At the same time, the original M-9 in Keweenaw County
Keweenaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,301 people, 998 households, and 604 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 2,327 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
between 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,...
and Eagle Harbor was renumbered M-64. The net effect was to swap the numbers between roads on opposing ends of the state. The next year, the M-64 number was swapped with another highway, the original M-129
M-129 (Michigan highway)
M-129 is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from Cedarville to Sault Ste. Marie. South of Nine Mile Road in Chippewa County , M-129 overlays the Michigan Meridian. The section of M-129 that overlays the meridian is named Meridian Road...
that ran along the west side of Lake Gogebic and south to the Wisconsin state line.
Current highway
By 1927, a few roadways that are now part of M-64 were built and open to traffic. The road south of Marenisco was a county road at the time, and the highway between Silver City and Ontonagon was a part of the western segment of M-35M-35 (Michigan highway)
M-35 is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. Running for in a general north–south direction, it connects the cities of Menominee, Escanaba and Negaunee. The southern section of M-35 in Menominee and Delta counties carries two additional designations...
. By the beginning of 1930, a highway called M-129 was designated south of US 2 to the Wisconsin state line and and north along Lake Gogebic. By the end of the year, this road was renumbered as the southern section of M-64; the northern section of M-64 was the highway previously designated as the westernmost segment of M-35. The gap between the two sections was filled in by 1932. Some curves in the roadway south of Marenisco were realigned, smoothing out the routing of the highway in late 1961. As this project was completed, the last segments of M-64 were fully paved, making the highway one of the last in the state to be fully hard-surfaced.
Ontonagon River Bridge
The first bridge across the Ontonagon River was built in 1891. It was heavily damaged after a fire in the village a few years later. This bridge was deemed inadequate for the needs of traffic in Ontonagon in the 1930s. The Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD) contracted for a replacement span in 1939. A temporary crossing was used while the original span was demolished and replaced with a swing bridgeSwing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
. This style of bridge was popular with the department in the first half of the 20th century, but fell out of favor as the MSHD transitioned to bascule bridge
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....
s. Because of this change, the Ontonagon River Bridge was the last of its type built in the state when it was completed in 1940.
MDOT determined in the early part of the 21st century that the swing bridge had "operational problems". Construction in 2006 replaced the span with a new structure and realigned both M-64 and M-38 in the village. That October, the new bridge was opened upstream of the former crossing. As a result, the northern terminus of M-64 is now at a junction with US 45 and M-38.