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M-90 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-90 is a state trunkline highway
in The Thumb
region of the US state of Michigan
. It runs from near North Branch
eastward to Lexington
situated on Lake Huron
. The highway is a lightly traveled roadway that runs through rural farmlands. The trunkline runs mostly east–west with two short north–south segments where it turns to run concurrently
with other state highways. Along the routing, there are two river crossings and one major railroad crossing.
The current highway that bears the M-90 designation is the second to carry number. The first is now a section of M-69
in the Upper Peninsula
. A section of current highway gained the number by 1927. Extensions of the highway further east resulted in the current routing by 1934.
in Deerfield Township
in northern Lapeer County
. The intersection is near the Lapeer State Game Area. After a short jog northeast to cross the Flint River
, it runs due east on North Branch Road through rural farmland. The highway passed through North Branch
on its way to M-53
in Burnside Township
. There it turns south and runs concurrently
with M-53 on Van Dyke Road for about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) before turning east on Burnside Road. M-90 continues east to pass through Brown City
near the Sanilac County
line. In Brown City, M-90 follows Main Street and crosses a branch of the Huron and Eastern Railway
before it becomes Burns Line Road. South of Peck
, M-90 turns north along M-19
on Brockway Road. M-90 once again turns east as a solo route on the east side of Peck and follows Peck Road. The trunkline crosses the Black River
on the south side of Croswell
before ending at M-25
near Lake Huron
in Lexington
.
None of the highway is listed on the National Highway System
, a system of roads that are important to the nation's economy, defense and mobility. The traffic levels, as measured in terms of average annual daily traffic, a calculation of the average number of vehicles along a section of roadway for any given day, vary between 1,132 vehicles west of M-53 and 7,029 vehicles in Croswell. The Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) also computed the number of commercial vehicles in the 2009 survey and found that the highway was used by 120–163 commercial trucks each day on average. These figures mean that according to MDOT, the highway is only used at 11.0–12.0% of its designed capacity.
by July 1, 1919. This highway started at M-45
(now M-95
south of Sagola and ran east to Foster City. It was replaced by M-69
by late 1927.
designation between M-36
near North Branch and M-19 near Melvin. In 1930, when M-24 was extended north, M-90 was extended west to intersect the new highway north of Lapeer
. The eastern end was extended in 1934 to US Highway 25 in Lexington. The final gravel segment of the highway was paved in 1957 in Sanilac County.
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 Thumb
The Thumb
The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...
region 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 from near North Branch
North Branch, Michigan
North Branch is a village in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,027 at the 2000 census. The village is located within North Branch Township.-Geography:...
eastward to Lexington
Lexington, Michigan
Lexington is a village in Sanilac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,104 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Lexington Township.-Geography:...
situated on 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...
. The highway is a lightly traveled roadway that runs through rural farmlands. The trunkline runs mostly east–west with two short north–south segments where it turns 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...
with other state highways. Along the routing, there are two river crossings and one major railroad crossing.
The current highway that bears the M-90 designation is the second to carry number. The first is now a section of M-69
M-69 (Michigan highway)
M-69 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It connects with US Highway 2 on both ends in Crystal Falls and near Bark River. In between, the highway runs for in rural UP forest lands.Before the creation of the U.S. Highway System, the...
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...
. A section of current highway gained the number by 1927. Extensions of the highway further east resulted in the current routing by 1934.
Route description
M-90 starts at an intersection with M-24M-24 (Michigan highway)
M-24 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan that extends through Southeast Michigan, from northeast Auburn Hills to Unionville. It starts at an interchange with Interstate 75 and ends where it merges with M-25...
in Deerfield Township
Deerfield Township, Lapeer County, Michigan
Deerfield Township is a civil township of Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,736 at the 2000 census.There are no municipalities within the township, but Barnes Lake-Millers Lake is a census-designated place for statistical purposes. M-24 crosses the township...
in northern Lapeer County
Lapeer County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 87,904 people, 30,729 households, and 23,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 134 people per square mile . There were 32,732 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile...
. The intersection is near the Lapeer State Game Area. After a short jog northeast to cross the Flint River
Flint River (Michigan)
The Flint River is a river in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan in the United States. It flows through the city of Flint and the counties of Genesee, Lapeer and Saginaw.- Course :...
, it runs due east on North Branch Road through rural farmland. The highway passed through North Branch
North Branch, Michigan
North Branch is a village in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,027 at the 2000 census. The village is located within North Branch Township.-Geography:...
on its way to M-53
M-53 (Michigan highway)
M-53 is a gateway route to The Thumb region of the US state of Michigan, carrying vacationers to the many cottages and resorts located on Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron in the vicinity of Caseville and Port Austin. This highway is also used to transport agricultural and manufactured products from the...
in Burnside Township
Burnside Township, Michigan
Burnside Township is a civil township of Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,920 at the 2000 census.- Communities :...
. There it turns south 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 M-53 on Van Dyke Road for about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) before turning east on Burnside Road. M-90 continues east to pass through Brown City
Brown City, Michigan
Brown City is a city in Lapeer and Sanilac counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,334 at the 2000 census. The city is located almost exclusively in Sanilac County, with only a small portion of the city extending into Lapeer County....
near the Sanilac County
Sanilac County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-19* M-25* M-46* M-53* M-81* M-90-History:Sanilac County was probably named for a Wyandot chief named Sanilac. See List of Michigan county name etymologies....
line. In Brown City, M-90 follows Main Street and crosses a branch of the Huron and Eastern Railway
Huron and Eastern Railway
Huron and Eastern Railway is a short line railroad operating of track in The Thumb of the lower peninsula of Michigan. It is one of many shortlines owned by Rail America, and was the first railroad owned by the conglomerate....
before it becomes Burns Line Road. South of Peck
Peck, Michigan
Peck is a village in Sanilac County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 599. The village is in Elk Township.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land....
, M-90 turns north along M-19
M-19 (Michigan highway)
M-19 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. It begins northeast of Detroit at a junction with I-94 and runs northward to a junction with M-142 just east of Bad Axe in the thumb.-Route description:...
on Brockway Road. M-90 once again turns east as a solo route on the east side of Peck and follows Peck Road. The trunkline crosses the Black River
Black River (St. Clair County)
Black River is an river in the U.S. state of Michigan, flowing into the St. Clair River at in the city of Port Huron. The Black River Canal in northern Port Huron extends east into Lake Huron near Krafft Road....
on the south side of Croswell
Croswell, Michigan
Croswell is a city in Sanilac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,467 at the 2000 census.-Geography:*According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
before ending at M-25
M-25 (Michigan highway)
M-25 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron shore of the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula between Port Huron and Bay City. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay and generally lies...
near 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 Lexington
Lexington, Michigan
Lexington is a village in Sanilac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,104 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Lexington Township.-Geography:...
.
None of the highway is listed 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...
, a system of roads that are important to the nation's economy, defense and mobility. The traffic levels, as measured in terms of average annual daily traffic, a calculation of the average number of vehicles along a section of roadway for any given day, vary between 1,132 vehicles west of M-53 and 7,029 vehicles in Croswell. 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) also computed the number of commercial vehicles in the 2009 survey and found that the highway was used by 120–163 commercial trucks each day on average. These figures mean that according to MDOT, the highway is only used at 11.0–12.0% of its designed capacity.
Previous designation
The first designation of M-90 was in the 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...
by July 1, 1919. This highway started at M-45
M-45 (Michigan highway)
M-45 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that is also called Lake Michigan Drive. The highway runs from Agnew near Lake Michigan to the west side of Grand Rapids in the western Lower Peninsula. Lake Michigan Drive continues in each direction from M-45's termini, extending west...
(now M-95
M-95 (Michigan highway)
M-95, designated as the Leif Erickson Memorial Highway, is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. Running from Kingsford to near Champion in Humboldt Township, it is the main connection between Iron Mountain and Marquette along with US 41.M-95 was previously...
south of Sagola and ran east to Foster City. It was replaced by M-69
M-69 (Michigan highway)
M-69 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It connects with US Highway 2 on both ends in Crystal Falls and near Bark River. In between, the highway runs for in rural UP forest lands.Before the creation of the U.S. Highway System, the...
by late 1927.
Current designation
M-90 in the Lower Peninsula replaced the M-38M-38 (Michigan highway)
M-38 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Its west end starts in Ontonagon and runs east to Baraga, some apart. The highway crosses streams and rivers in forest lands and provides access to a casino...
designation between M-36
M-36 (Michigan highway)
M-36 is a state trunkline route in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan that runs in a west–east direction from Mason to Whitmore Lake. The route connects US 127 south of Lansing and US 23 north of Ann Arbor-Route description:...
near North Branch and M-19 near Melvin. In 1930, when M-24 was extended north, M-90 was extended west to intersect the new highway north of Lapeer
Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...
. The eastern end was extended in 1934 to US Highway 25 in Lexington. The final gravel segment of the highway was paved in 1957 in Sanilac County.