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M-76 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-76 is a former state trunkline highway
designation in the Lower Peninsula
of the US state of Michigan
. The highway's designation was decommissioned
when the last section of it was converted to freeway as a part of the present-day Interstate 75
(I-75). At that time, M-76 extended from US Highway 23
(US 23) near Standish
northwesterly to I-75 south of Grayling
. Two sections of the route followed freeways with a two-lane highway in between to connect them. The former routing of M-76 through West Branch
before that city was bypassed was initially redesignated Business M-76. The highway itself ran through mixed fields and forests bypassing several other towns in the region.
First designated by 1919, M-76 initially terminated at Roscommon
. It was later extended north through Grayling and west to Kalkaska
in the 1920s. A second, disconnected, segment was added to the highway in the 1930s. By the early 1940s, both the disconnected section and the Kalkaska–Grayling were added to M-72
. M-76 was converted in stages into a freeway in the late 1960s and early 1970s. When the last segment was completed, the number was removed from the highway, and the freeway was added to I-75.
. The freeway ran northward through fields to a junction with M-61
where it turned northwesterly. M-76 passed to the southwest of Sterling
and over a tributary of the Tittabawassee River
as the freeway approaches Alger through a forested area. In Ogemaw County
, the trunkline ran south and west of Greenwood and continued to the West Branch area. There, M-76 met the southeastern end of its business loop that ran north into downtown. The freeway bypassed the town to the southwest, passed over M-30
without an interchange and then met the northwestern end of the business loop. While M-76 was still an active highway designation, this second business loop junction marked the end of the freeway in the area. M-76 turned west, merging onto M-55
to run concurrently
along a two-lane highway.
M-55/M-76 ran west into Roscommon County
along West Branch Road. The two highways separated at a junction with St. Helen Road where M-76 turned due north toward St. Helen
. South of town, the highway met county road F-97 at a junction with Artesia Beach Road. The two roads ran concurrently into town along the east end of Lake St. Helen
. Near the airport in town, M-76 turned back northwesterly along Washington Street, parting from F-97 in the process. The highway ran along the northeastern shore of Lake St. Helen and near Mud Lake as it continued toward Roscommon
. As it entered that town, the trunkline passed the Roscommon Conservation Airport and followed Elm Street on a northwest track through the middle of the village. M-18
joined M-76 in the center of town, and the two turned parallel to the Roscommon–Crawford
county line on Federal Highway. Northeast of Higgins Lake
, the highway transitioned to a freeway; that freeway ran northwest into Crawford County. M-18/M-76 terminated at a junction south of Grayling with US 27. This partial interchange marked the point where I-75 resumed its course north through the state. Traffic could not directly access southbound US 27 from northbound M-76 and northbound US 27 could not access southbound M-76.
with Roscommon
via a circuitous path through Sterling, Alger, West Branch, and St. Helen. By 1927, M-76 was extended north to Grayling
and west to Kalkaska
. A short non-contiguous segment of M-76 opened near Empire
, extending eastward to County Road 669 in 1934. In late 1940 or early 1941, M-76 was truncated to Roscommon; all of M-76 from Grayling to Kalkaska and the segment near Empire was redesignated as M-72
.
Beginning in 1958, I-75
in Michigan was constructed in several discontinuous segments. M-76 was to become one of the portions incorporated into the route of I-75. Although other portions of I-75 were completed and designated in noncontiguous segments, the portion from Standish to Roscommon was first signed as M-76 and the entire stretch rebuilt as freeway before it was redesignated as I-75. This was done while a temporary connecting To I-75 designation between Bay City
and Grayling followed a different path along US 10
and US 127.
Starting in 1968 through the early 1970s, M-76 was rebuilt to Interstate standards
in stages. The first freeway segment completed was a 17 miles (27.4 km) stretch in Arenac County from US 23 just southwest of Standish to Alger. In 1970, two more segments of the M-76 freeway were completed: from Alger to just south of West Branch and about 5 miles (8 km) of freeway from the southern end of a completed segment of I-75 south of Grayling to just west of Roscommon. In 1971, both the northern and southern sections of the M-76 freeway were extended: on the south, around the west side of West Branch to M-55
, or from present-day exits 212 to 215; and on the north, on the west side of Roscommon, from present-day exits 244 to 239. In 1973, the final 25 miles (40.2 km) segment of M-76 freeway was completed. However, the entire M-76 designation was decommissioned and that segment of freeway opened as I-75. This was the final segment of I-75 to be completed in the State of Michigan.
As segments of the freeway were completed, the former portions of M-76 were turned over to local control, except for portions near Roscommon and West Branch, which became parts of Business Loop I-75 designations. There are several places where these old portions are referred to as "Old 76". The route from southeast of West Branch to the Ogemaw County line was designated as county road F-9, and a portion through the community of St. Helen is part of F-97. The segment of old M-55/M-76 is an unsigned state highway.
that is now called Business Loop I-75 (BL I-75). The highway used a portion of the former M-76 and the current M-55
. The southernmost portion from the Cook Road interchange at I-75 to OLD M-76 (Alger Road) was built as a new roadway in 1970. This section was built when the I-75/M-76 freeway was completed as far north as Cook Road. This new roadway allowed M-76 to connect to its former alignment south of West Branch in 1970. The next year, the I-75/M-76 freeway was completed to the current interchange with M-55 west of town. The former routing of M-76 along Cook Road, Alger Road and M-55 was redesignated as BUS M-76. When the last section of I-75 was completed in 1973, connecting the end of the freeway at M-55 with the other end at M-18
near Roscommon
, M-76 was completely decommissioned, and BUS M-76 became BL I-75 with these changes. The total length of the highway was 4.318 miles (6.9 km).
Major intersections
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...
designation 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...
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 highway's designation was decommissioned
Decommissioned highway
A decommissioned highway is a highway that has been removed from service, shut down or has had its authorization as a federal or state highway removed. Decommissioning can include the complete or partial demolition or abandonment of an old highway structure because the old roadway has lost its...
when the last section of it was converted to freeway as a part of the present-day 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). At that time, M-76 extended from 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) 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...
northwesterly to I-75 south of Grayling
Grayling, Michigan
Grayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams....
. Two sections of the route followed freeways with a two-lane highway in between to connect them. The former routing of M-76 through West Branch
West Branch, Michigan
West Branch is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,926. It is the county seat of Ogemaw County. The city is located within West Branch Township, but is politically independent.-History:...
before that city was bypassed was initially redesignated Business M-76. The highway itself ran through mixed fields and forests bypassing several other towns in the region.
First designated by 1919, M-76 initially terminated at Roscommon
Roscommon, Michigan
Roscommon is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,133. It is the county seat of Roscommon County....
. It was later extended north through Grayling and west to Kalkaska
Kalkaska, Michigan
Kalkaska is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,226. It is the county seat of Kalkaska County.-Geography:...
in the 1920s. A second, disconnected, segment was added to the highway in the 1930s. By the early 1940s, both the disconnected section and the Kalkaska–Grayling were added to M-72
M-72 (Michigan highway)
M-72 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan, running from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan across the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. The highway connects M-22 in Empire with US Highway 23 in Harrisville. It is one of only three Michigan state trunklines that cross the Lower...
. M-76 was converted in stages into a freeway in the late 1960s and early 1970s. When the last segment was completed, the number was removed from the highway, and the freeway was added to I-75.
Route description
At the time the M-76 designation was decommissioned in 1973, most of the overall highway had been converted to freeway. It started southwest of Standish at an interchange with US 23 in southern Arenac CountyArenac 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...
. The freeway ran northward through fields to a junction with M-61
M-61 (Michigan highway)
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...
where it turned northwesterly. M-76 passed to the southwest of Sterling
Sterling, Michigan
Sterling is a village in Arenac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 533 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
and over a tributary 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...
as the freeway approaches Alger through a forested area. In Ogemaw County
Ogemaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,645 people, 8,842 households, and 6,189 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 15,404 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...
, the trunkline ran south and west of Greenwood and continued to the West Branch area. There, M-76 met the southeastern end of its business loop that ran north into downtown. The freeway bypassed the town to the southwest, passed over 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...
without an interchange and then met the northwestern end of the business loop. While M-76 was still an active highway designation, this second business loop junction marked the end of the freeway in the area. M-76 turned west, merging onto M-55
M-55 (Michigan highway)
M-55 is a state trunkline highway in the northern part of the US state of Michigan. M-55 is one of only three state highways that extend across the Lower Peninsula from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan; the others are M-46 and M-72. The highway crosses through rural forest and farmlands to connect...
to 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...
along a two-lane highway.
M-55/M-76 ran west into Roscommon County
Roscommon County, Michigan
-Local attractions and activities:The community is centered in the area of two very large lakes, in the middle of large state forests. Wildlife are nearby, including bear, deer, eagles, Kirtland's Warblers, and turkeys. Local attractions and activities include:...
along West Branch Road. The two highways separated at a junction with St. Helen Road where M-76 turned due north toward St. Helen
St. Helen, Michigan
St. Helen is an unincorporated community in Richfield Township, Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and has no legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 2,993 at the 2000 census...
. South of town, the highway met county road F-97 at a junction with Artesia Beach Road. The two roads ran concurrently into town along the east end of Lake St. Helen
Lake St. Helen
Lake St. Helen is a public lake located in Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and borders on the community of St. Helen, Michigan...
. Near the airport in town, M-76 turned back northwesterly along Washington Street, parting from F-97 in the process. The highway ran along the northeastern shore of Lake St. Helen and near Mud Lake as it continued toward Roscommon
Roscommon, Michigan
Roscommon is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,133. It is the county seat of Roscommon County....
. As it entered that town, the trunkline passed the Roscommon Conservation Airport and followed Elm Street on a northwest track through the middle of the village. 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...
joined M-76 in the center of town, and the two turned parallel to the Roscommon–Crawford
Crawford County, Michigan
See also: List of counties bordering eight counties-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,273 people, 5,625 households, and 4,038 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 10,042 housing units at an average density of 18 per...
county line on Federal Highway. Northeast of Higgins Lake
Higgins Lake
Higgins Lake is a large recreational and fishing lake in Roscommon County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 9,900 acre lake is known for its deep, clear waters and is the 10th largest in Michigan with a shoreline of . It is named after Sylvester Higgins, Michigan's first chief of the...
, the highway transitioned to a freeway; that freeway ran northwest into Crawford County. M-18/M-76 terminated at a junction south of Grayling with US 27. This partial interchange marked the point where I-75 resumed its course north through the state. Traffic could not directly access southbound US 27 from northbound M-76 and northbound US 27 could not access southbound M-76.
History
On July 1, 1919, the initial routing of M-76 connected StandishStandish, 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...
with Roscommon
Roscommon, Michigan
Roscommon is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,133. It is the county seat of Roscommon County....
via a circuitous path through Sterling, Alger, West Branch, and St. Helen. By 1927, M-76 was extended north to Grayling
Grayling, Michigan
Grayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams....
and west to Kalkaska
Kalkaska, Michigan
Kalkaska is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,226. It is the county seat of Kalkaska County.-Geography:...
. A short non-contiguous segment of M-76 opened near Empire
Empire, Michigan
Empire is a village in Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 378 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Empire Township.-Description:...
, extending eastward to County Road 669 in 1934. In late 1940 or early 1941, M-76 was truncated to Roscommon; all of M-76 from Grayling to Kalkaska and the segment near Empire was redesignated as M-72
M-72 (Michigan highway)
M-72 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan, running from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan across the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. The highway connects M-22 in Empire with US Highway 23 in Harrisville. It is one of only three Michigan state trunklines that cross the Lower...
.
Beginning in 1958, I-75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
in Michigan was constructed in several discontinuous segments. M-76 was to become one of the portions incorporated into the route of I-75. Although other portions of I-75 were completed and designated in noncontiguous segments, the portion from Standish to Roscommon was first signed as M-76 and the entire stretch rebuilt as freeway before it was redesignated as I-75. This was done while a temporary connecting To I-75 designation between 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...
and Grayling followed a different path along US 10
U.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...
and US 127.
Starting in 1968 through the early 1970s, M-76 was rebuilt to Interstate standards
Interstate Highway standards
Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in the publication A Policy on Design Standards - Interstate System...
in stages. The first freeway segment completed was a 17 miles (27.4 km) stretch in Arenac County from US 23 just southwest of Standish to Alger. In 1970, two more segments of the M-76 freeway were completed: from Alger to just south of West Branch and about 5 miles (8 km) of freeway from the southern end of a completed segment of I-75 south of Grayling to just west of Roscommon. In 1971, both the northern and southern sections of the M-76 freeway were extended: on the south, around the west side of West Branch to M-55
M-55 (Michigan highway)
M-55 is a state trunkline highway in the northern part of the US state of Michigan. M-55 is one of only three state highways that extend across the Lower Peninsula from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan; the others are M-46 and M-72. The highway crosses through rural forest and farmlands to connect...
, or from present-day exits 212 to 215; and on the north, on the west side of Roscommon, from present-day exits 244 to 239. In 1973, the final 25 miles (40.2 km) segment of M-76 freeway was completed. However, the entire M-76 designation was decommissioned and that segment of freeway opened as I-75. This was the final segment of I-75 to be completed in the State of Michigan.
As segments of the freeway were completed, the former portions of M-76 were turned over to local control, except for portions near Roscommon and West Branch, which became parts of Business Loop I-75 designations. There are several places where these old portions are referred to as "Old 76". The route from southeast of West Branch to the Ogemaw County line was designated as county road F-9, and a portion through the community of St. Helen is part of F-97. The segment of old M-55/M-76 is an unsigned state highway.
Major intersections
Business loop
Business M-76 (BUS M-76) was a business loop running through West BranchWest Branch, Michigan
West Branch is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,926. It is the county seat of Ogemaw County. The city is located within West Branch Township, but is politically independent.-History:...
that is now called Business Loop I-75 (BL I-75). The highway used a portion of the former M-76 and the current M-55
M-55 (Michigan highway)
M-55 is a state trunkline highway in the northern part of the US state of Michigan. M-55 is one of only three state highways that extend across the Lower Peninsula from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan; the others are M-46 and M-72. The highway crosses through rural forest and farmlands to connect...
. The southernmost portion from the Cook Road interchange at I-75 to OLD M-76 (Alger Road) was built as a new roadway in 1970. This section was built when the I-75/M-76 freeway was completed as far north as Cook Road. This new roadway allowed M-76 to connect to its former alignment south of West Branch in 1970. The next year, the I-75/M-76 freeway was completed to the current interchange with M-55 west of town. The former routing of M-76 along Cook Road, Alger Road and M-55 was redesignated as BUS M-76. When the last section of I-75 was completed in 1973, connecting the end of the freeway at M-55 with the other end at 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...
near Roscommon
Roscommon, Michigan
Roscommon is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,133. It is the county seat of Roscommon County....
, M-76 was completely decommissioned, and BUS M-76 became BL I-75 with these changes. The total length of the highway was 4.318 miles (6.9 km).
Major intersections