M-68 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-68 is an east–west state trunkline highway
located in the northern part
of the Lower Peninsula
of the US state of Michigan
. The western terminus of the highway begins four miles (6 km) east of the Little Traverse Bay
of Lake Michigan
and ends a few blocks from Lake Huron
in Rogers City
. M-68 skirts just south of Indian River
and Burt Lake
.
The first incarnation of M-68 existed in the Upper Peninsula
before being absorbed into M-35
. The current designation was created in 1936. A segment of highway once used by US Highway 23
(US 23) was incorporated into the trunkline as a discontinuous section in the early 1940s until it was later connected in 1946.
. US 31 runs along Burr Avenue parallel to the former Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
line and depot in town. M-68 starts at an intersection between Chicago Street and Burr Avenue. The trunkline runs southeasterly from this intersection and on a bridge over the Crooked River
. After leaving town, the highway curves to run due east through hilly terrain. After crossing the Cheboygan County
line, the roadway meets the community of Burt Lake. It curves southeasterly along the shoreline of the lake
of the same name. The roadway rounds the south end of Burt Lake and approaches the community of Indian River
. South of Burt Lake State Park
, the trunkline meets Straits Highway, the former routing of US 27 through Indian River. M-68 turns north along Straits Highway through downtown and then turns east toward Interstate 75
(I-75). It is along this section of M-68 that the roadway crosses the Sturgeon River
. The Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) measured the highest annual average daily traffic
(AADT) figures for M-68 along the section of highway west of Indian River. AADT is a measure of the average number of vehicles using a segment of roadway on any given day of the year, and for 2007, MDOT measured it at 9,200 vehicles daily.
After crossing I-75 at exit 310, M-68 heads southeasterly, parallel to the Crumley Creek, out of town. The roadway continues through hilly terrain and crosses the Pigeon River on the route to Afton. M-68 merges with M-33
east of Afton. M-33 curves from the north toward the east. There is a small connector in this intersection to allow southbound M-33 traffic to turn west along M-68 instead of merging into the combined eastbound M-33/M-68 traffic. The two highways continue together in a concurrency
through the wooded, hilly terrain to the unincorporated community of Tower, where they cross the Black River
. It is east of this river crossing where the highway meets the southern end of F-05, a County-Designated Highway that runs along Black River Road.
M-33/M-68 cross into Presque Isle County
just west of Onaway
. M-68 turns northwest along Washington Avenue, and M-33 turns south along Michigan Street. M-68 turns east on State Street through downtown and runs out of town to cross the Rainy River
in rural Presque Isle County. East of the Ocqueoc River
crossing, M-68 turns north along Millersburg Road. The highway later curves back to the east near Ocqueoc Falls Highway, home of a bridge that carried the highway before 1954. M-68 continues to follow Hutchinson Road eastward over the Little Ocqueoc River and on to the Rogers City area. This section of highway had the lowest AADT levels in 2007 at 1,400 vehicles daily. The highway turns northeasterly after intersecting Airport Highway on the outskirts of town. Renamed as Erie Street, M-68 meets US 23
southwest of downtown. The highway continues along Erie Street until meeting BUS US 23, which runs along Third Street. This intersection marks the end of M-68, four blocks from Lake Huron
, 53.39 miles (85.923 km) from its start in Alanson.
. It ran north from Rockland to Ontonagon
and then westerly toward Silver City in 1919. This roadway was redesignated by 1927 as a segment of M-35
.
in 1940, M-33 was extended westerly from Onaway to Afton and north to Cheboygan over the former US 23 roadway. The Afton–Onaway segment of M-33 and the remainder of the former US 23 east of Onaway was designated as a second segment of M-68 as well. The gap between these two segments was eliminated by July 1946.
Two realignments were made to the highways routing. The first bypassed a bridge over the Ocqueoc River
in Presque Isle County in 1954. This 50 feet (15.2 m) bridge was built in 1920 at a cost of $8,849 (equivalent to $ today) in the filled spandrel arch style. A second change in the routing between 1961 and 1962 moved the trunkline to a more direct connection between Indian River and Afton. This change also bypassed the last remaining gravel section of the highway.
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...
located in the northern part
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
of 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...
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"....
. The western terminus of the highway begins four miles (6 km) east of the Little Traverse Bay
Little Traverse Bay
Little Traverse Bay is a small bay, 170 feet deep, off Lake Michigan in the northern area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Harbor Springs and Petoskey are on this bay.The Little Traverse Light marks its entrance....
of 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...
and ends a few blocks from Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
in Rogers City
Rogers City, Michigan
-Commercial airports:The nearest commercial airports are Alpena County Regional Airport an Cherry Capital Airport -US Highway Business Loops:* BUS US 23-Intercounty Highways:* F-21-Demographics:...
. M-68 skirts just south of Indian River
Indian River, Michigan
Indian River is an unincorporated community in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and is not legally recognized as a municipality. The population was 2,008 at the 2000 census....
and Burt Lake
Burt Lake
Burt Lake is a 17,120 acre lake in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The western shore of the lake is on the boundary with Emmet County...
.
The first incarnation of M-68 existed 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...
before being absorbed into M-35
M-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...
. The current designation was created in 1936. A segment of highway once used by US Highway 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...
(US 23) was incorporated into the trunkline as a discontinuous section in the early 1940s until it was later connected in 1946.
Route description
M-68 starts in the community of Alanson 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Little Traverse Bay in Emmet CountyEmmet County, Michigan
Emmet County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 31,437. The county seat is Petoskey.The county was formed April 1, 1840, from Mackinac County. It was first named Tonedagana County and renamed Emmet County on March 8, 1843...
. US 31 runs along Burr Avenue parallel to the former Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA...
line and depot in town. M-68 starts at an intersection between Chicago Street and Burr Avenue. The trunkline runs southeasterly from this intersection and on a bridge over the Crooked River
Crooked River (Michigan)
The Crooked River is a river in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is short stream, less than long, flowing northeast from Crooked Lake at near Alanson into Burt Lake at . It forms part of the Inland Waterway of Michigan....
. After leaving town, the highway curves to run due east through hilly terrain. After crossing the Cheboygan County
Cheboygan County, Michigan
-Commercial Airline:There are no commercial airline airports in Cheboygan County but the nearest ones are Alpena County Regional Airport, Chippewa County International Airport , and Cherry Capital Airport...
line, the roadway meets the community of Burt Lake. It curves southeasterly along the shoreline of the lake
Burt Lake
Burt Lake is a 17,120 acre lake in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The western shore of the lake is on the boundary with Emmet County...
of the same name. The roadway rounds the south end of Burt Lake and approaches the community of Indian River
Indian River, Michigan
Indian River is an unincorporated community in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and is not legally recognized as a municipality. The population was 2,008 at the 2000 census....
. South of Burt Lake State Park
Burt Lake State Park
Burt Lake State Park is a state park in Cheboygan County, Michigan on the southeast corner of Burt Lake. The park has approximately a 2000 feet of sandy shoreline.Visitors enjoy camping, boating, fishing, wildlife viewing and other activities...
, the trunkline meets Straits Highway, the former routing of US 27 through Indian River. M-68 turns north along Straits Highway through downtown and then turns east toward 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). It is along this section of M-68 that the roadway crosses the Sturgeon River
Sturgeon River (Michigan)
Sturgeon River may refer to any of the following streams in the U.S. state of Michigan:* Sturgeon River — The Sturgeon River rises as outflow of Sixteenmile Lake in Alger County at and flows primarily southward into the Big Bay de Noc at .** The West Branch Sturgeon River rises at and flows...
. 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) measured the highest 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) figures for M-68 along the section of highway west of Indian River. AADT is a measure of the average number of vehicles using a segment of roadway on any given day of the year, and for 2007, MDOT measured it at 9,200 vehicles daily.
After crossing I-75 at exit 310, M-68 heads southeasterly, parallel to the Crumley Creek, out of town. The roadway continues through hilly terrain and crosses the Pigeon River on the route to Afton. M-68 merges with M-33
M-33 (Michigan highway)
M-33 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from Interstate 75 at Alger in Arenac County north to M-27 near Cheboygan. In between, the trunkline runs through rural sections of the northeastern Lower Peninsula including state and national forest areas...
east of Afton. M-33 curves from the north toward the east. There is a small connector in this intersection to allow southbound M-33 traffic to turn west along M-68 instead of merging into the combined eastbound M-33/M-68 traffic. The two highways continue together in a concurrency
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...
through the wooded, hilly terrain to the unincorporated community of Tower, where they cross the Black River
Black River (Cheboygan County)
Black River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan, flowing mostly northward through four Northern Michigan counties: Otsego, Montmorency, Presque Isle, and Cheboygan. The Black River flows into the Cheboygan River at , just south of the city of Cheboygan...
. It is east of this river crossing where the highway meets the southern end of F-05, a County-Designated Highway that runs along Black River Road.
M-33/M-68 cross into Presque Isle County
Presque Isle County, Michigan
Presque Isle County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 14,411. The county seat is Rogers City....
just west of Onaway
Onaway, Michigan
Onaway is a city in Presque Isle County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 933 at the 2000 census. Onaway is the Sturgeon Capital of Michigan.-Commercial airports:...
. M-68 turns northwest along Washington Avenue, and M-33 turns south along Michigan Street. M-68 turns east on State Street through downtown and runs out of town to cross the Rainy River
Rainy River (Michigan)
The Rainy River is a river in Presque Isle County, Michigan, in the United States. It is located in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, flowing northwest from Rainy Lake to Black Lake. Its waters, after passing through Black Lake, flow via the Black River and the Cheboygan...
in rural Presque Isle County. East of the Ocqueoc River
Ocqueoc River
The Ocqueoc River is stream in Presque Isle County in the northeastern part of the lower peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is long and encompasses a watershed of approximately ....
crossing, M-68 turns north along Millersburg Road. The highway later curves back to the east near Ocqueoc Falls Highway, home of a bridge that carried the highway before 1954. M-68 continues to follow Hutchinson Road eastward over the Little Ocqueoc River and on to the Rogers City area. This section of highway had the lowest AADT levels in 2007 at 1,400 vehicles daily. The highway turns northeasterly after intersecting Airport Highway on the outskirts of town. Renamed as Erie Street, M-68 meets 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...
southwest of downtown. The highway continues along Erie Street until meeting BUS US 23, which runs along Third Street. This intersection marks the end of M-68, four blocks from Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, 53.39 miles (85.923 km) from its start in Alanson.
Previous incarnation
The first highway to bear the M-68 designation was located in the western 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...
. It ran north from Rockland to 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....
and then westerly toward Silver City in 1919. This roadway was redesignated by 1927 as a segment of M-35
M-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...
.
Current incarnation
M-68 was designated along a segment of its current roadway in 1936. The roadway connecting Alanson and Indian River was given the M-68 designation, while US 23 was routed between Rogers City and Afton. When US 23 was moved to its current lakeshore routing between Rogers City and CheboyganCheboygan, Michigan
Cheboygan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,295. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County....
in 1940, M-33 was extended westerly from Onaway to Afton and north to Cheboygan over the former US 23 roadway. The Afton–Onaway segment of M-33 and the remainder of the former US 23 east of Onaway was designated as a second segment of M-68 as well. The gap between these two segments was eliminated by July 1946.
Two realignments were made to the highways routing. The first bypassed a bridge over the Ocqueoc River
Ocqueoc River
The Ocqueoc River is stream in Presque Isle County in the northeastern part of the lower peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is long and encompasses a watershed of approximately ....
in Presque Isle County in 1954. This 50 feet (15.2 m) bridge was built in 1920 at a cost of $8,849 (equivalent to $ today) in the filled spandrel arch style. A second change in the routing between 1961 and 1962 moved the trunkline to a more direct connection between Indian River and Afton. This change also bypassed the last remaining gravel section of the highway.