U.S. Route 131
Encyclopedia
US Highway 131 is a north–south United States Highway, of which all but 0.67 miles of its 266.82 miles (1.08 of 429.41 km) 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
. As the road crosses into Michigan it becomes a state trunkline highway
that connects to the metropolitan areas of Kalamazoo
and Grand Rapids
before continuing north to its terminus at Petoskey
. US 131 runs as a freeway from south of Portage
through to Manton
in the north. It forms an important corridor along the western side of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan
, running through rural farm and forest lands as well as urban cityscapes. Various names have been applied to the roadway over the years. The oldest, the Mackinaw Trail, originated from an Indian
trail in the area while other names honored politicians. An attempt to dedicate the highway to poet James Whitcomb Riley
failed to gain official support in Michigan.
The first state highways along the US 131 corridor were designated as early as 1919. When the US Highway System was formed on November 11, 1926, US 131 was created along the route of M-13
in Michigan. Originally ending at Fife Lake
on the north end, the highway was extended to Petoskey in the late 1930s. Further changes were made, starting in the 1950s, to convert segments of the road to a full freeway. The state started this conversion simultaneously at two locations: heading north from Three Rivers
, and heading both north and south from a point in southern Kent County
. A third segment was built south of Cadillac
and over subsequent years Michigan filled the gaps in the freeway. Cadillac and Manton were bypassed in the early part of the 21st century, resulting in the current freeway configuration. Another large-scale construction project in 2000 rebuilt an unusual section of the freeway through Grand Rapids known as the S-Curve. Two bridges formerly used by US 131 have been labeled by the Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) as historic structures; one of them has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NHRP).
Plans to further extend the freeway have either been canceled or placed back under study. Upgrades on the north end through Kalkaska
ceased to be considered in 2000. South of Three Rivers, MDOT is studying possible upgrades to US 131. One option for these upgrades is a full freeway, an option that was initially rejected. The preferred alternative as of 2008 was a two-lane bypass of Constantine
.
, a system of roads crucial to the nation's economy, defense and mobility. As a state highway
in both states, the roadway is maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation
(INDOT) and MDOT. The Michigan section includes approximately 172 miles (276.8 km) of freeway between Kalamazoo
and Wexford
counties.
, Indiana, between the entrance to the Indiana Toll Road
, a few hundred feet north of the Toll Road overpass, and the state line to the north. State Road 13
(SR 13) runs concurrently
with US 131 in this section but is not signposted. INDOT surveys the roads under its control on a regular basis to measure the amount of traffic using the state's highways. These traffic counts are expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic
(AADT), a calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway. The 2007 survey reported average daily traffic of 7,949 cars and 2,068 trucks.
. The highway is an important link between Grand Rapids
and the tourist areas of Northern Michigan
. The trunkline enters Michigan about three miles (3 miles (4.8 km)) south of White Pigeon
, crossing a branch of the Michigan Southern Railroad
before meeting US 12
on the west side of the village. The highway passes through rural farmland north to Constantine
, where US 131 turns northeastward into a residential area of town. Traversing the downtown business district, US 131 crosses the St. Joseph River
and turns to parallel the west bank of the waterway on the way to Three Rivers
. The stretch of highway between Constantine and the start of the divided highway
south of Three Rivers averaged 7,579 cars and 1,045 trucks daily in 2009 according to MDOT, one of the lowest AADT counts for the highway in Michigan.
US 131 runs through a business corridor along the west side of Three Rivers. M-60 runs concurrently along this part of US 131 until the two highways meet the south end of the business loop through town. The main road curves to the northeast as it leaves town, and M-60 turns east to follow Business US 131 (BUS US 131) into downtown. The trunkline runs parallel to a branch of the Grand Elk Railroad
. North of the other end of the business loop, US 131 follows a four-lane highway through rural farmland in northern St. Joseph County
. The highway has at-grade
junctions with cross roads and intermittent driveways, but otherwise is designed as a freeway with limited access from adjoining property. This arrangement ends on the south side of Schoolcraft
, where the highway transitions to follow Grand Street through town. North of town US 131 returns to an expressway as the highway continues through southern Kalamazoo County farmland.
After an intersection with Shaver Road, US 131 widens into a full freeway which passes the Gourdneck State Game Area as it enters the Kalamazoo metropolitan area. US 131 meets I-94
southwest of Kalamazoo
and picks up the Business Loop I-94 (BL I-94) designation for a couple of miles. This secondary designation leaves the freeway at exit 36 and follows US 131's business loop along Stadium Drive into downtown Kalamazoo near the main campus of Western Michigan University
. As the freeway passes the west side of Kalamazoo the environs change to a more forested and semi-residential area. US 131 passes the northern end of BUS US 131, a freeway spur accessible from the southbound lanes of US 131. North of this partial interchange the freeway crosses into eastern Allegan County
.
, it curves to the northeast through a commercial area centered around the interchange with M-89
. North of this area US 131 crosses the Kalamazoo River
and runs past the US 131 Raceway Park, a dragstrip
close to the M-222
interchange near Martin
. The freeway continues north through mixed farm and forest land to the residential areas that abut it in Wayland
. Further north the highway crosses into Kent County
and the southern end of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area
.
As the freeway continues farther north, and closer to Grand Rapids, it is lined with more commercial and light industrial
properties. The unincorporated suburb of Cutlerville
lies to the east as US 131 approaches M-6
, the South Beltline Freeway, and meets in the largest freeway interchange in West Michigan. The interchange stretches over a half mile (0.8 km) in width and over a mile (1.6 km) in lengthAs measured by mainline freeway lane lengths. and encompasses 27 bridges and 18 retaining walls. US 131 continues north through the city of Wyoming
to the more suburban residential areas near the southern city limits of Grand Rapids north of M-11
(28th Street).
The freeway continues through the southern end of Grand Rapids, alongside residential areas until Burton Street. A large rail yard abuts the trunkline on the east, and the freeway turns northeasterly on its approach to downtown. At Wealthy Street, the freeway takes a sharp turn to the west to cross the Grand River
and immediately turns back north on a bridge structure known as the S-Curve. The highest traffic volumes along US 131 are located north of this river crossing. In 2009, MDOT measured an AADT of 107,200 cars and 5,992 trucks through the stretch between Market Avenue and Pearl Street. The trunkline continues past the Gerald R. Ford Museum and the Public Museum of Grand Rapids
before the northbound carriageway
crosses over, then back under, the southbound lanes, forcing traffic through this stretch to briefly drive on the left. North of I-196
, US 131 picks up a second, hidden designation
on highway inventory logs called I-296
, although the number is not signposted along the road. I-296/US 131 continues along the banks of the Grand River into Walker
where the hidden I-296 designation turns to the northwest along a series of ramps to I-96
while US 131 curves to the northeast along a bend in the river. As it continues along the river the freeway passes through the unincorporated community of Comstock Park
and near to Fifth Third Ballpark
, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps
local minor league baseball
team.
The trunkline turns north, away from the river, as it nears the stadium and passes through the remainder of the northern suburb, changing to a more rural character as the freeway passes through the northern end of Kent County. M-46
joins US 131 from the west at Cedar Springs
and the two highways pass into northwestern Montcalm County
near Sand Lake
. North of Pierson
the landscape is dominated by forests. M-46 turns east and leaves the freeway near Howard City
while US 131 continues into Mecosta County
near the Little Muskegon River
. The freeway forms the eastern boundary of the Manistee National Forest near the river and north to Big Rapids
. Further north M-20
joins the US 131 freeway near Stanwood
and the two highways cross the Muskegon River
on the way to Big Rapids. The city is served by its own business loop and M-20 turns east off the freeway along BUS US 131 toward the main campus of Ferris State University
. North of Big Rapids US 131 runs through rural Osceola County
to a junction with US 10
at Reed City
.
, US 131 approaches the south side of Cadillac
in Wexford County. At exit 176, M-55
leaves a concurrency with M-115
and joins the US 131 freeway around the east side of Cadillac. This bypass was built in the early 21st century and the old routing is now a business loop through downtown. M-55 follows the freeway to exit 180 while US 131 continues around the east side of Cadillac and north around the east side of Manton
. The lowest freeway traffic counts along US 131, 7,455 cars and 709 trucks in 2009, are on the northeast side of Manton, as the trunkline transitions back to a two-lane undivided highway before meeting the north end of Manton's business loop.
The two-lane highway runs through the Pere Marquette State Forest
and over the Manistee River
, crossing the southeast corner of Grand Traverse County
. It meets the southern end of M-113
in Walton, where it runs parallel to the Great Lakes Central Railroad. Passing through Fife Lake
, US 131 crosses into Kalkaska County
and to South Boardman. The area around South Boardman is marked by farmland as the trunkline crosses the Boardman River
in the small unincorporated community. The road once again runs parallel to the railroad as it meets M-66
/M-72
south of Kalkaska
. The three highways join and run concurrently through downtown. North of town M-72 turns west toward Traverse City
and US 131/M-66 continues north through farmland into Antrim County
. About 3–3.5 mi (4.8–5.6 ) north of town, standing on the west side of the road, is the Shoe Tree. A local icon since shortly after the turn of the 21st century, the origins of the landmark are unknown.
The trunkline follows the railroad into Antrim and Mancelona
. North of downtown Mancelona M-66 turns north toward Charlevoix
and US 131 continues along the Mackinaw Trail, through Alba
. M-32
follows US 131 for a half mile (0.8 km) near the community of Elmira. As it continues farther north US 131 enters the Mackinaw State Forest
. Here, MDOT has calculated the lowest average daily traffic counts of all on US 131: 5,114 cars and 448 trucks in 2009. The highway passes through rural Charlevoix County
where the terrain has many rolling hills and begins to descend to Lake Michigan
. As the highway enters the southern section of the city of Petoskey it runs along Spring Street passing retail establishments and the Odawa Casino, owned by the Little Traverse Bay Indian Reservation of the Odawa Indians
. At the northern terminus of US 131, US 31 turns off Charlevoix Avenue and follows Spring Street to the north.
s and 14 welcome centers
in the state, all named in honor of retired department employees. Eight of these are along US 131, providing bathroom facilities, dog runs, picnic areas and usually vending machines. The rest areas near Kalamazoo, Rockford
, Big Rapids and Tustin serve southbound traffic while those near Morley
and Cadillac serve the northbound side of the freeway. The two near Manton and Fife Lake are accessible from both directions. A ninth rest area used to exist near Cutlerville on the northbound side of US 131, but this location was demolished on January 22, 2001, to make way for the interchange with M-6. The department wanted to build a replacement near Dorr, in northern Allegan County, but the plans were canceled in late 2001.
MDOT removed the honoree's name from the Tustin rest area in early 2011. The former employee, Larry Brown, was a district engineer that retired from the department in 1997 after 30 years of service. He pleaded no contest on a sexual assault charge, which prompted MDOT to remove his name from the rest area when notified of his conviction. A new honoree will be chosen by the department's Rest Area Committee.
MDOT has also built carpool
lots for motorists along the freeway. There are 21 lots, all but one adjacent to a freeway interchange. The department touts these lots as a way to save money and benefit the environment, and has partnered with a network of local agencies offering Local Rideshare Offices.
trails. The original Mackinaw Trail ran roughly parallel to the route of the modern US 131 from east of Kalkaska to Petoskey. In the 19th century, the Michigan Legislature
chartered private companies to build and operate plank road
s or turnpikes in the state. These roads were originally made of oak planks, but later legislation permitted gravel as well. Two thoroughfares in the Grand Rapids area, Division and Plainfield avenues, were originally plank roads. The companies were funded through the collection of tolls. The infrastructure was expensive to maintain, and often the turnpikes fell into disrepair as the wood warped and rotted away. Mark Twain
once commented that "the road could not have been bad if some unconscionable scoundrel had not now and then dropped a plank across it," after a trip on the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids Plank Road. By the first decade of the 20th century, only 23 of the 202 chartered turnpikes were still in operation; many companies that received a charter never built their specified roadways. The remaining plank roads were turned over to the state or purchased by railway companies in the early part of the century.
The first state-maintained highway along the path of US 131 was M-13
, a designation applied to the road by July 1, 1919. US 131 debuted along with the rest of the initial U.S. Highway System on November 11, 1926, although at the time it was shown on maps from the Michigan–Indiana state line north to the small Northern Michigan community of Acme in Grand Traverse County
. The northernmost section of the highway between Fife Lake
and Acme was not signposted in the field and the designation ended instead at Fife Lake, about 213 miles (343 km) north of the state line. At the same time, the Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD) redesignated the remainder of M-13, between Fife Lake and Petoskey, as M-131. Public Act 131 of 1931 allowed the MSHD to take control over the city streets that carried state highways through cities in the state. Until this point, the City of Grand Rapids arbitrarily moved the route of state highways through the city on a regular basis. The department took control of a series of streets and fixed the routing of US 131 through the city after the passage of the act. The highway was shifted between Three Rivers and Constantine to the west side of the St. Joseph River in 1936. In late 1938 or early 1939, the MSHD extended US 131 northward over the southern section of M-131. After the changes US 131 turned eastward into Fife Lake and north to Kalkaska
and Mancelona
before ending in Petoskey
. This extension connected US 131 directly to its parent highway, US 31
, for the first time. By the end of the 1930s, the MSHD under the leadership of future governor Murray Van Wagoner
had shifted emphasis to a program of road improvements designed to make the state's roads "safer and smoother for burgeoning traffic volumes."
In 1940, a new roadway was opened, completing the third side of a triangle between the junction with M-113
, Walton Corners and Fife Lake. US 131 was shifted to the new highway and the former routing along the other two sides of the triangle became part of M-113 and M-186
. A second realignment opened the following year between Fife Lake and Kalkaska. US 131 no longer turned east along Boardman Road between South Boardman and Lodi
. Instead the MSHD rerouted the highway directly to the northeast, from the end of the previous new routing north of Fife Lake to Kalaska. By 1945, a Bypass US 131 was created around the south and east sides of Grand Rapids, following 28th Street and East Beltline Avenue, while the main highway continued to run through downtown unchanged. A decade later, mainline US 131 was rerouted around Grand Rapids over the former bypass route, and Business US 131 (BUS US 131) was created for the former route through downtown. A second business loop was created in Three Rivers, Michigan
, after an expressway bypass of the city's downtown was opened in early 1954. Another expressway section was opened between Mancelona and the M-32
junction west of Elmira in late 1956.
by the middle of 1958. By the middle of 1960, the freeway was extended to M-118 in Martin
, where traffic used M-118 to connect back to the old routing. The southern end of US 131 was moved to another location on the state line. Instead of running concurrently with US 112
between White Pigeon
and Mottville, US 131 ran directly south of White Pigeon to the state line. In the process, the M-103
designation was swapped with US 131. The expressway section near Mancelona was reverted back to its previous state in 1961 when one of the carriageway
s was removed. Another project, through the end of 1961, extended the freeway south to Plainwell
and north into downtown Grand Rapids. This extension was designated as part of BUS US 131 and opened in December 1961. The opening ceremony for the bridge across the Grand River
included the state highway commission and then-Miss Michigan, pulled by a team of sled dogs, to lead the first traffic over the river.
Until the early 1960s, US 131 never left the state of Michigan; the southernmost point was always at the Indiana state line. In 1961, the highway designation was extended to its current southern terminus in rural Elkhart County, Indiana at a connection with the Indiana Toll Road at the request of the state of Michigan. The MSHD asked the Indiana State Highway Department (ISHD) to extend US 131 farther to reconnect with US 31 in Indiana near Indianapolis
. Michigan State Highway Commissioner John C. Mackie
said that officials with the IHSD were "receptive to the idea" of a further addition to Indianapolis which would provide a "great benefit to Michigan's tourist industry".
On December 17, 1962, the freeway through downtown Grand Rapids was completed, including the section marked as I-296
. The business loop was removed from the freeway when US 131 took its place. East Beltline Avenue was renumbered as an extension of M-44
, while 28th Street retains the M-11
/M-21
designations it had in addition to US 131. I-296/US 131 runs along side the Grand River
between I-96
downtown and I-196
north of town. At the end of I-296, US 131 followed I-196 east to the northern portion of the business loop at Plainfield Avenue and followed Plainfield Avenue back to the remainder of its routing north of Grand Rapids. The other end of the freeway was extended south to M-43
on the west side of Kalamazoo
. Traffic there is directed along M-43 into downtown to connect with the remainder of the highway.
Freeway construction continued through the 1960s. By the end of 1963, the southern section of freeway was extended to Schoolcraft
. The following year, a business loop in Kalamazoo was created. The new loop used a freeway stub on the north and M-43 on the south to connect the main highway to the former routing of US 131 along Westnedge and Park avenues downtown. A discontinuous segment of freeway, south of Cadillac
into Osceola County
, opened in September 1966. The freeway was extended north from the Grand Rapids area through the Comstock Park
area in 1966. That year, the former Grand Rapids Speedrome, a local race car track was closed. Located on North Park Street between the North Park Bridge and West River Drive, the track was in operation from 1950 until it was closed for the freeway construction in 1966. The freeway was extended further to M-57
(14 Mile Road) near Cedar Springs
in 1969.
In 1968, the section of expressway near Mancelona was downgraded to a two-lane highway. The original roadway had been left in place when a new parallel carriageway was built in 1956. During the winter months, the original lanes built in the 1920s were closed because the grade of the roadway accumulated additional snow and made it difficult to plow. The MSHD had considered reconstructing the older road to retain the expressway set up, but that would have cost $1.5 million while removing it and permanently reconfiguring the 1956 roadway cost only $170,000.
The 1970s saw the US 131 freeway expand to north of Grand Rapids. The section between the two M-57 junctions near Rockford and in Cedar Springs opened on September 21, 1973, at a dedication ceremony featuring then-Congressman Gerald R. Ford. By the end of the year, the freeway would be open as far north as Howard City
. At the same time, M-46 was realigned to extend south down the freeway to Cedar Springs and west to replace M-57 west of Rockford.
Construction to complete these sections north of Grand Rapids had been delayed in 1967. Before the delays, the MSHD planned to have the gap in the freeway between Grand Rapids and Cadillac completed by 1974. The state even proposed adding the freeway north of Grand Rapids to Petoskey, with a further continuation to Mackinaw City
as part of the Interstate Highway System
in an effort to receive additional funding in 1968. In September 1972, the US 131 Area Development Association lobbied Congress to "expedite funding and priority for the reconstruction of US 131 in Michigan."
The 12.2 miles (19.6 km) section of US 131 freeway south of the Wexford
–Osceola county line was opened on November 9, 1976, at a cost of $7.4 million. By 1977, the state postponed any plans to complete the freeway north of Cadillac. The department cited rising construction material costs and opposition to the freeway in Petoskey. By the end of the decade, I-296 signs were removed from the section of freeway in Grand Rapids. However, the freeway remains listed as a part of the Interstate Highway System.
The next section of freeway opened between Howard City and Stanwood
in 1980. Another segment was opened farther north, bypassing Big Rapids
by 1984. The former route through town and a section of M-20
were designated as a business loop simultaneously. US 131 followed 19 Mile Road between the end of the freeway and the former routing north of town. The gap was filled in when the freeway segment between Big Rapids and Osceola County was opened in 1986. The section of highway along 19 Mile Road was transferred to the Big Rapids business loop to connect it back to the new freeway. When the expansions ended, in the mid-1980s, it was expected that the US 131 freeway would end at the south side of Cadillac, "perhaps forever". MDOT had ended all consideration of additional freeway mileage in 1981, citing decreased gas tax revenues, decreased traffic and higher construction costs. A 1979 report said that while traffic forecasts showed continued growth, upgrades to existing roads would be sufficient to handle traffic needs.
On December 27, 1999, the state awarded a $85.7 million contract for the replacement of the S-Curve on US 131. Deposits of gypsum
under the roadway were dissolving and causing it to settle. A deteriorating bridge also forced the reconstruction of the freeway through the area. Construction began on January 15, 2000, diverting the roughly 115,000 vehicles per day that used the stretch of road to detours through the downtown area. As part of the project, a $1.2 million de-icing system was installed. The system is designed to spray a de-icing fluid on the roadway that would be carried by car tires up to a mile (1.6 km) along the road surface. This fluid is expected to melt ice at temperatures below the -20 F at which salt stops working. Unlike salt, the non-corrosive de-icer does not harm the bridge, but it is more costly. The system is designed to be activated manually, or automatically via sensors along the road. However, plowing would still be required on the roadway. The idea behind the de-icing system is to keep the pavement wet and prevent the formation of ice.
Construction delays were caused by river flooding during spring rains. A design mistake meant that one of the bridges in the structure was built a foot (1 feet (30.5 cm)) too low, and Grandville Avenue was lowered to compensate for the error. Before the opening, MDOT held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the freeway to allow local residents to walk along the structure on August 12. The first northbound lanes were opened to traffic in mid-August, three weeks ahead of schedule. Lead contractor Kiewit Western, a company whose "employees have been known to work 13-hour days and 100-hour weeks", accelerated their work schedule over the course of the project to compensate for the delays and still finish the venture early. The remaining lanes opened to traffic on October 26, also ahead of schedule. Additional work started after the main roadway opened by closing various ramps for reconstruction. This work also focused on restoring parking lots located under or adjacent to the freeway and testing the de-icing system; the final ramps were opened in early December 2000 and early January 2001. The end result of the construction produced a freeway design that increased the rated traffic speed from 45 mile per hour.
. Construction started on the Cadillac bypass in 1999, and the first section was opened to traffic in November 2000. This 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southern segment ran from US 131 south of town to M-55
east of downtown. US 131 remained routed through downtown, but M-55 was rerouted to the bypass. Local residents were allowed to use the northern section of the bypass for recreational activities until it was opened to traffic. The full 9.2 miles (14.8 km) bypass around Cadillac was dedicated to Sidney Ouwinga in a ceremony on October 27, 2001, and the road was opened to traffic on October 30, 2001. The former routing through town was redesignated BUS US 131 at the same time. Ouwinga was a state lawmaker who died in 1991 while serving in the Michigan House of Representatives. He was also a member of the US 131 Area Development Association which promoted further northern extensions of the freeway. The 10.5 miles (16.9 km) freeway expansion north around the city of Manton
was opened in 2003. The former routing was redesignated as a business loop at the time. The two bypasses cost $146 million to complete.
A southerly extension of the freeway to or near the Indiana state line is still under study. Improvements to the US 131 corridor from Portage to the Indiana Toll Road have been underway for several years and although a late-2005 decision by MDOT to not pursue a new controlled-access route through St. Joseph County
seemed to terminate the discussion, public outcry and backlash from local legislators forced the department to re-evaluate its decision. State House Speaker Craig DeRoche
was critical of the original decision, citing the economic development benefit such a road would bring to the area in defense of the proposed freeway. The previous "no-build decision" was rescinded in April 2006.
MDOT has begun a project to upgrade a 16.4 miles (26.4 km) segment of US 131 in St. Joseph County, home of one of the most dangerous roadway sections in Southwest Michigan for auto crashes. The final environmental impact statement
for the project was published in mid-2008 and the preferred alternative consists of a two-lane road bypassing the village of Constantine
. The new highway would maintain access to local roads via at-grade intersections, and the department would maintain jurisdiction of the old route through town. MDOT has stated that present traffic demands do not warrant the cost of a full freeway facility on a new alignment from the Indiana Toll Road to north of Three Rivers, stating that such a project would cost over $300 million to build. Construction plans were placed on hold after an announcement in June 2009 as various proposals around the state, including the Constantine bypass, were shelved until funding issues could be resolved. In total, 137 road and bridge projects totaling $740 million were delayed to 2012 because the state could not match available federal funding to pay for the work.
Design plans for the new bridge over the St. Joseph River were announced in January 2011. The expected groundbreaking on the venture is scheduled for 2012 with completion in 2014. MDOT currently has $9 million of the projected $25 million to complete the Constantine bypass. Residents in the community are divided over the proposed five-mile (8.0 km) highway. Business owners look to the 3,000 cars and trucks that pass through downtown Constantine each day for customers, traffic that would be diverted around the village by the new roadway. On the other hand, residents that work outside of the small community are looking forward to decreased commute times to their workplaces.
trail that ran from Saginaw
to Mackinaw City and Sault Ste. Marie
. By 1915, the name was transferred to the roadway that was later numbered US 131. The Mackinaw Trail Association was formed that year to promote an all-weather highway between Grand Rapids and Mackinaw City, using a logo incorporating a trout for the road. The name was to be officially applied to the highway in 1929, but the State Senate did not agree to the proposal. The official endorsement of the name came in 1959, after the opening of the Mackinac Bridge
revitalized the idea.
During World War I
, households would display a service flag
if a family member was serving in the war. A blue star denoted a service member in action, and a gold star symbolized someone who died in the military. In St. Joseph County, the chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution
and the American Legion
wanted to honor the local fallen soldiers. Using the flags as inspiration, they planted 100 black walnut and four Norway spruce trees along the road south of Three Rivers. Dedicated on May 4, 1924, this tribute was named the Gold Star Memorial Highway and ran for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) along what is now US 131 south of Three Rivers.
In 1921, the section of highway south of Kalamazoo was named part of the Colgrove Highway. This designation included several other roads in the Lower Peninsula, all named in honor of Philip Colgrove, the first president of the Michigan Good Roads Association. Colgrove was also the Barry County
prosecutor and a state senator
in the late 19th century. No maps documents the name, although the original law remains in records. The Michigan Legislature
proposed a bill in 2000 that would have repealed the 1921 statute naming the Colgrove Highway, but the bill ultimately faded, sparing the name.
In the age of the auto trail
s, it was common for highways to be named rather than numbered. An attempt to create a trail such as the Lincoln Highway
failed in Michigan. School children in 1926 from Anderson, Indiana
, wanted to honor James Whitcomb Riley
, the poet from the Hoosier State, with a highway that connected the country's summer and winter resort areas. The Michigan segment of the road running through the state was to follow what would later be US 131. The James Whitcomb Riley Association promoted the highway by painting white bands on telephone poles with the name of the road in orange letters during that August and September. However, the road in question was already named the Mackinaw Trail, and the association did not secure permission of the state highway commissioner, as was required by a 1919 Michigan law. The law made it illegal for any "association to delineate or mark any other routes or trails through the State of Michigan... unless the same shall be approved in writing by the State Highway Commissioner." As a result, government officials refused to endorse the association's proposal, and Michigan was excluded from the highway. The efforts of the national association were stunted by the halted progress, and the highway was disbanded by December 1926.
The Michigan Trail, another auto trail from the 1920s, "followed just about every major trunk line at that time in the Lower Peninsula and covered over a thousand miles [1000 miles (1,609.3 km)] of state highways." The Michigan Trail started in Toledo, Ohio
, and ran to Detroit; its branches extended to New Buffalo
, Grand Rapids, and Port Huron
. Other segments included US 131 between Kalamazoo and Petoskey, US 31 between New Buffalo and the Straits of Mackinac
and a route between Port Huron and Big Rapids. The highway failed as a concept because it lacked focus, and many of the segments of roadway had already assigned names.
The most recent name applied to US 131 is related to the first. Enacted in 2004, Public Act 138 added an additional name to the Mackinaw Trail from the M-66 junction near Kalkaska to Petoskey, the "Green Arrow Route - Mackinaw Trail". Residents of the state have questioned the wisdom of having a "compound road name whose signboards [would] be nearly as long as the highway itself."
in 1914 by the MSHD, the span cost just over $6,000. Division Avenue carried US 131 until the construction of the freeway through Grand Rapids in the 1960s. The bridge, a filled spandrel arch design, is 50 feet (15.2 m), and was modified in 1935 to widen its deck from 28 feet (8.5 m) to the current 43 feet (13.1 m). The structure was added to the NRHP on December 17, 1999.
The second bridge listed by MDOT is the crossing of the Little Muskegon River for 190th Avenue in southern Mecosta County. Like the Plaster Creek bridge, this structure was also built by the MSHD under the Trunk Line Act of 1913. Built in 1916–17 the 45 feet (13.7 m), 18 feet (5.5 m), concrete through-girder bridge cost around $10,000 to build. It was initially named Trunk Line Bridge No. 61. The span is the oldest concrete girder bridge designed by the MSHD. US 131 followed 190th Avenue over the river until a realignment shifted the highway to another route in 1927.
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 starts in rural Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
south of the state line as a state road connection to the Indiana Toll Road
Indiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line...
. As the road crosses into Michigan it becomes a state trunkline 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...
that connects to the metropolitan areas of Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
and Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
before continuing north to its terminus at Petoskey
Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
. US 131 runs as a freeway from south of Portage
Portage, Michigan
Portage is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 46,292 at the 2010 census. It is the smaller of the two main cities included in the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 326,589 as of 2010.Portage is adjacent to the...
through to Manton
Manton, Michigan
Manton is a city in Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,221 at the 2000 census.-Geography:*According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
in the north. It forms an important corridor along the western side of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan
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...
, running through rural farm and forest lands as well as urban cityscapes. Various names have been applied to the roadway over the years. The oldest, the Mackinaw Trail, originated from an Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
trail in the area while other names honored politicians. An attempt to dedicate the highway to poet James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the Hoosier Poet and Children's Poet for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively...
failed to gain official support in Michigan.
The first state highways along the US 131 corridor were designated as early as 1919. When the US Highway System was formed on November 11, 1926, US 131 was created along the route of 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...
in Michigan. Originally ending at Fife Lake
Fife Lake, Michigan
Fife Lake is a village in Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 466.The village is situated within Fife Lake Township near the junction of U.S...
on the north end, the highway was extended to Petoskey in the late 1930s. Further changes were made, starting in the 1950s, to convert segments of the road to a full freeway. The state started this conversion simultaneously at two locations: heading north from Three Rivers
Three Rivers, Michigan
Three Rivers is a city in St. Joseph County in the US state of Michigan. The population was 7,811 at the 2010 census.Three Rivers derives its name from the confluence of the St. Joseph River with its tributaries the Rocky and Portage Rivers. It is the home of St...
, and heading both north and south from a point in southern Kent County
Kent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...
. A third segment was built south of Cadillac
Cadillac, Michigan
Cadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,000. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115...
and over subsequent years Michigan filled the gaps in the freeway. Cadillac and Manton were bypassed in the early part of the 21st century, resulting in the current freeway configuration. Another large-scale construction project in 2000 rebuilt an unusual section of the freeway through Grand Rapids known as the S-Curve. Two bridges formerly used by US 131 have been labeled 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) as historic structures; one of them has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National 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...
(NHRP).
Plans to further extend the freeway have either been canceled or placed back under study. Upgrades on the north end through 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:...
ceased to be considered in 2000. South of Three Rivers, MDOT is studying possible upgrades to US 131. One option for these upgrades is a full freeway, an option that was initially rejected. The preferred alternative as of 2008 was a two-lane bypass of Constantine
Constantine, Michigan
Constantine is a village in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,095 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Constantine Township. It is on U.S. Highway 131, leading to Kalamazoo to the north and to the Indiana Toll Road six miles to the south. The...
.
Route description
Running 266.82 miles (429.4 km) in Indiana and Michigan, US 131 in its entirety is listed as a part of the National Highway SystemNational 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 crucial to the nation's economy, defense and mobility. As a state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in both states, the roadway is maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation
Indiana Department of Transportation
The Indiana Department of Transportation is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining and regulating transportation and transportation related infrastructure such as state owned airports, state highways and state owned canals or railroads.-Districts:INDOT is...
(INDOT) and MDOT. The Michigan section includes approximately 172 miles (276.8 km) of freeway between Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
-Air Service:*The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.-Interstates:* I-94* I-94 Business Loop-US highways:* US-131* BUS US 131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-43* M-89* M-96...
and Wexford
Wexford County, Michigan
-Tourism:There are many attractions and hot spots in Wexford county to check out. The Manistee National Forest is a great recreation site. The Manistee River is great for fisherman, kayakers and canoers, and other outdoor lovers.-Demographics:...
counties.
Indiana
US 131 extends 0.67 miles (1.1 km) through Elkhart CountyElkhart County, Indiana
Elkhart County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. Much of the county is in the Elkhart-Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka Combined Statistical Area...
, Indiana, between the entrance to the Indiana Toll Road
Indiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line...
, a few hundred feet north of the Toll Road overpass, and the state line to the north. State Road 13
Indiana State Road 13
State Road 13 in the U.S. State of Indiana is a north–south highway in north-central and central Indiana that connects the area east of Indianapolis with the northern part of the state. Its northern terminus is at the Michigan state line, although starting at the interchange with the Indiana...
(SR 13) 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 131 in this section but is not signposted. INDOT surveys the roads under its control on a regular basis to measure the amount of traffic using the state's highways. These traffic counts are expressed in terms of 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), a calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway. The 2007 survey reported average daily traffic of 7,949 cars and 2,068 trucks.
Southwest Michigan
As a state trunkline highway, US 131 runs approximately 266 miles (428.1 km) in Michigan, from the Indiana state line north to PetoskeyPetoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
. The highway is an important link between Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
and the tourist areas of Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
. The trunkline enters Michigan about three miles (3 miles (4.8 km)) south of White Pigeon
White Pigeon, Michigan
White Pigeon is a village in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,627 at the 2000 census. The village is located within White Pigeon Township.-Geography:...
, crossing a branch of the Michigan Southern Railroad
Michigan Southern Railroad (1989)
The Michigan Southern Railroad , owned by Pioneer Railcorp, operates a portion of the former Michigan Southern Railroad between White Pigeon and Sturgis, Michigan, United States. At White Pigeon, it connects with the Grand Elk....
before meeting 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...
on the west side of the village. The highway passes through rural farmland north to Constantine
Constantine, Michigan
Constantine is a village in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,095 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Constantine Township. It is on U.S. Highway 131, leading to Kalamazoo to the north and to the Indiana Toll Road six miles to the south. The...
, where US 131 turns northeastward into a residential area of town. Traversing the downtown business district, US 131 crosses 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...
and turns to parallel the west bank of the waterway on the way to Three Rivers
Three Rivers, Michigan
Three Rivers is a city in St. Joseph County in the US state of Michigan. The population was 7,811 at the 2010 census.Three Rivers derives its name from the confluence of the St. Joseph River with its tributaries the Rocky and Portage Rivers. It is the home of St...
. The stretch of highway between Constantine and the start of the divided highway
Divided Highway
Divided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...
south of Three Rivers averaged 7,579 cars and 1,045 trucks daily in 2009 according to MDOT, one of the lowest AADT counts for the highway in Michigan.
US 131 runs through a business corridor along the west side of Three Rivers. M-60 runs concurrently along this part of US 131 until the two highways meet the south end of the business loop through town. The main road curves to the northeast as it leaves town, and M-60 turns east to follow Business US 131 (BUS US 131) into downtown. The trunkline runs parallel to a branch of the Grand Elk Railroad
Grand Elk Railroad
The Grand Elk Railroad is a Class III railroad which operates in the states of Indiana and Michigan. It is one of several short-line railroads owned by Watco Companies of Pittsburg, Kansas....
. North of the other end of the business loop, US 131 follows a four-lane highway through rural farmland in northern St. Joseph County
St. Joseph County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,422 people, 23,381 households, and 16,600 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 26,503 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
. The highway has at-grade
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
junctions with cross roads and intermittent driveways, but otherwise is designed as a freeway with limited access from adjoining property. This arrangement ends on the south side of Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft, Michigan
-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. Schoolcraft is located on a prairie, and much of the land outside of the village is used as farm land, with the primary crops being corn and soybeans.-Demographics:...
, where the highway transitions to follow Grand Street through town. North of town US 131 returns to an expressway as the highway continues through southern Kalamazoo County farmland.
After an intersection with Shaver Road, US 131 widens into a full freeway which passes the Gourdneck State Game Area as it enters the Kalamazoo metropolitan area. US 131 meets I-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...
southwest of Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
and picks up the Business Loop I-94 (BL I-94) designation for a couple of miles. This secondary designation leaves the freeway at exit 36 and follows US 131's business loop along Stadium Drive into downtown Kalamazoo near the main campus of Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
. As the freeway passes the west side of Kalamazoo the environs change to a more forested and semi-residential area. US 131 passes the northern end of BUS US 131, a freeway spur accessible from the southbound lanes of US 131. North of this partial interchange the freeway crosses into eastern Allegan County
Allegan County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-196* I-196 Business Loop serves the city of Holland.-US highways:* US-31* US-131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-40* M-89* M-179* M-222-Allegan County Intercounty Highways:* A-2* A-37* A-42* A-45-Demographics:...
.
West Michigan
As US 131 passes through the outskirts of PlainwellPlainwell, Michigan
Plainwell is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census.Plainwell is located on M-89 just east of its junction with U.S. 131. The city of Otsego is about three miles to the west. Kalamazoo is about ten miles to the south and Grand Rapids...
, it curves to the northeast through a commercial area centered around the interchange with M-89
M-89 (Michigan highway)
M-89 is an east–west state highway in the US state of Michigan. It runs from near Ganges Township to Battle Creek. M-89 passes through Allegan County, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, and Calhoun County. It also briefly crosses the southwest corner of Barry County.-Route description:M-89 begins...
. North of this area US 131 crosses the Kalamazoo River
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch...
and runs past the US 131 Raceway Park, a dragstrip
Dragstrip
A dragstrip is a facility for conducting automobile and motorcycle acceleration events such as drag racing. Although a quarter mile is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile tracks...
close to the M-222
M-222 (Michigan highway)
M-222 is the current designation of a state trunkline route in the US state of Michigan. The route was formerly signed as M-118 and connects the city of Allegan with the US 131 freeway near Martin.-Route description:...
interchange near Martin
Martin, Michigan
Martin is a village in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 435 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
. The freeway continues north through mixed farm and forest land to the residential areas that abut it in Wayland
Wayland, Michigan
Wayland is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,939 at the 2000 census.The city is located at the northwest corner of Wayland Township, but is politically independent. The city has also incorporated a portion of land in the south of adjacent Leighton...
. Further north the highway crosses into Kent County
Kent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...
and the southern end of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area
Grand Rapids metropolitan area
The metropolitan area surrounds the central city of Grand Rapids, Michigan.Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located in the outskirts of Grand Rapids,the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and the DeVos Place Convention Center both in downtown Grand Rapids....
.
As the freeway continues farther north, and closer to Grand Rapids, it is lined with more commercial and light industrial
Light industry
Light industry is usually less capital intensive than heavy industry, and is more consumer-oriented than business-oriented...
properties. The unincorporated suburb of Cutlerville
Cutlerville, Michigan
Cutlerville is an unincorporated community in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes...
lies to the east as US 131 approaches M-6
M-6 (Michigan highway)
M-6, or the Paul B. Henry Freeway, is a freeway and state trunkline highway in the United States that serves portions of southern Kent and eastern Ottawa counties south of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although the freeway is named for Paul B. Henry, local residents and the press continue to use the...
, the South Beltline Freeway, and meets in the largest freeway interchange in West Michigan. The interchange stretches over a half mile (0.8 km) in width and over a mile (1.6 km) in lengthAs measured by mainline freeway lane lengths. and encompasses 27 bridges and 18 retaining walls. US 131 continues north through the city of Wyoming
Wyoming, Michigan
Wyoming is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 72,125. That makes it the 2nd largest community or city in West Michigan, the 14th largest city in the state of Michigan, and the 18th largest community in the state as well...
to the more suburban residential areas near the southern city limits of Grand Rapids north of M-11
M-11 (Michigan highway)
M-11 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. The highway runs through the western and southern sides of the metro area, starting over the border in Ottawa County at an interchange with Interstate 96...
(28th Street).
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
and immediately turns back north on a bridge structure known as the S-Curve. The highest traffic volumes along US 131 are located north of this river crossing. In 2009, MDOT measured an AADT of 107,200 cars and 5,992 trucks through the stretch between Market Avenue and Pearl Street. The trunkline continues past the Gerald R. Ford Museum and the Public Museum of Grand Rapids
Public Museum of Grand Rapids
The Grand Rapids Public Museum was founded in 1854 as the "Grand Rapids Lyceum of Natural History" in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is among the oldest history museums in the United States. The museum includes a cafe, a gift shop, and a 1928 Spillman Carousel, which is situated in a pavilion over the...
before the northbound carriageway
Carriageway
A carriageway consists of a width of road on which a vehicle is not restricted by any physical barriers or separation to move laterally...
crosses over, then back under, the southbound lanes, forcing traffic through this stretch to briefly drive on the left. North of 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 131 picks up a second, hidden designation
Unsigned highway
An unsigned highway is a highway that has been assigned a route number, but does not bear conventional road markings that would normally be used to identify the route with that number...
on highway inventory logs called I-296
Interstate 296
Interstate 296 is a part of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Michigan. It is a state trunkline highway that runs for entirely within the Grand Rapids area. Its termini are I-96 on the north side of Grand Rapids in Walker and I-196 near downtown Grand Rapids. The entire length is...
, although the number is not signposted along the road. I-296/US 131 continues along the banks of the Grand River into Walker
Walker, Michigan
Walker is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Grand Rapids. The population was 23,537 at the 2010 census. Before incorporating as a city, it was known as Walker Township...
where the hidden I-296 designation turns to the northwest along a series of ramps to I-96
Interstate 96
Interstate 96 is an intrastate Interstate Highway that is entirely within the US state of Michigan. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 and Business US Highway 31 , on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the...
while US 131 curves to the northeast along a bend in the river. As it continues along the river the freeway passes through the unincorporated community of Comstock Park
Comstock Park, Michigan
Comstock Park is a prosperous suburban community in the northern part of Metropolitan Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, that comprises parts of three neighboring townships:* Plainfield Township* Alpine Township* Algoma Township...
and near to Fifth Third Ballpark
Fifth Third Ballpark
Fifth Third Ballpark is a baseball stadium located in Comstock Park, Michigan, just north of Grand Rapids. Fifth Third Ballpark is home to the West Michigan Whitecaps, a professional minor league baseball team, and class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Fifth Third Ballpark was originally built...
, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps
West Michigan Whitecaps
The West Michigan Whitecaps are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Detroit Tigers, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Comstock Park, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids.-Franchise history:...
local minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team.
The trunkline turns north, away from the river, as it nears the stadium and passes through the remainder of the northern suburb, changing to a more rural character as the freeway passes through the northern end of Kent County. M-46
M-46 (Michigan highway)
M-46 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan between Muskegon and Port Sanilac, terminating near Lake Michigan and Lake Huron on each end. Except for the north–south segment that corresponds with the US Highway 131 freeway between Cedar Springs and Howard City, M-46 is...
joins US 131 from the west at Cedar Springs
Cedar Springs, Michigan
Cedar Springs is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan, 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids. Known as "Red Flannel Town", the city is home to an annual Red Flannel Festival...
and the two highways pass into northwestern Montcalm County
Montcalm County, Michigan
-Michigan State Highways:* M-46* M-57* M-66* M-82* M-91-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 61,266 people, 22,079 households, and 16,183 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 25,900 housing units at an average density...
near Sand Lake
Sand Lake, Michigan
Sand Lake is a village in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 492 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
. North of Pierson
Pierson, Michigan
Pierson is a village in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 185. The village is within Pierson Township....
the landscape is dominated by forests. M-46 turns east and leaves the freeway near Howard City
Howard City, Michigan
Howard City is a village in Montcalm County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,585 at the 2000 census. The village is within Reynolds Township.-History:...
while US 131 continues into Mecosta County
Mecosta County, Michigan
Mecosta County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. The county is named after Chief Mecosta, the leader of the Potawatomi Native American tribe that once traveled the local waterways in search of fish and game. Chief Mecosta was one of the signers the Treaty of Washington in 1836. The easily...
near the Little Muskegon River
Little Muskegon River
-References:*...
. The freeway forms the eastern boundary of the Manistee National Forest near the river and north to Big Rapids
Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
. Further north M-20
M-20 (Michigan highway)
M-20 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from New Era to Midland. It crosses through rural Lower Peninsula forest land between the two ends. The highway serves the college towns of Big Rapids and Mt...
joins the US 131 freeway near Stanwood
Stanwood, Michigan
Stanwood is a village in Mecosta County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 204. The village is within Mecosta Township.-Geography:...
and the two highways cross the Muskegon River
Muskegon River
The Muskegon River is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The river has its headwaters in Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, flowing out of the North Bay into neighboring Missaukee County. From there it flows mostly southwest to Muskegon, Michigan,...
on the way to Big Rapids. The city is served by its own business loop and M-20 turns east off the freeway along BUS US 131 toward the main campus of Ferris State University
Ferris State University
Ferris State University is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1884 as the Big Rapids Industrial School by Woodbridge Nathan Ferris, an educator from New England who later served as governor of the State of Michigan and finally in the US Senate where...
. North of Big Rapids US 131 runs through rural 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...
to a junction with 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...
at Reed City
Reed City, Michigan
Reed City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,430. It is the county seat of Osceola County.It is the home town of author Timothy James Bazzett.-Geography:...
.
Northern Michigan
Passing through rural Osceola County and providing access to rural communities such as Leroy and TustinTustin, 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:...
, US 131 approaches the south side of Cadillac
Cadillac, Michigan
Cadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,000. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115...
in Wexford County. At exit 176, 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...
leaves a concurrency with M-115
M-115 (Michigan highway)
M-115 is a state trunkline highway in the northwestern part of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway takes a generally southeast-to-northwest direction between Clare and Frankfort on Lake Michigan...
and joins the US 131 freeway around the east side of Cadillac. This bypass was built in the early 21st century and the old routing is now a business loop through downtown. M-55 follows the freeway to exit 180 while US 131 continues around the east side of Cadillac and north around the east side of Manton
Manton, Michigan
Manton is a city in Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,221 at the 2000 census.-Geography:*According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
. The lowest freeway traffic counts along US 131, 7,455 cars and 709 trucks in 2009, are on the northeast side of Manton, as the trunkline transitions back to a two-lane undivided highway before meeting the north end of Manton's business loop.
The two-lane highway runs through the Pere Marquette State Forest
Pere Marquette State Forest
The Pere Marquette State Forest encompasses lands in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula, on the western side of the state. Counties within the Pere Marquette are: Leelanau, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Mason, Lake, Osceola, Oceana, Newaygo and Mecosta.There are...
and over the Manistee River
Manistee River
The Manistee River in the U.S. state of Michigan, runs approximately 232 miles through the northern Lower Peninsula, through the villages of Sharon, Smithville, Mesick, and enters Lake Michigan at Manistee. It is considered, like the nearby Au Sable River, to be one of the best trout fisheries east...
, crossing the southeast corner of Grand Traverse County
Grand Traverse County, Michigan
-Air service:*Grand Traverse County is served by Cherry Capital Airport, which is located near Traverse City.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 77,654 people, 30,396 households, and 20,730 families residing in the county. The population density was 167 people per square mile . ...
. It meets the southern end of M-113
M-113 (Michigan highway)
M-113 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from US Highway 131 in Walton Junction to M-37 near Kingsley. It was designated on November 21, 1927. The stretch of M-113 from Walton Junction to M-186 was originally part of US 131.-Route description:M-113 starts west...
in Walton, where it runs parallel to the Great Lakes Central Railroad. Passing through Fife Lake
Fife Lake, Michigan
Fife Lake is a village in Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 466.The village is situated within Fife Lake Township near the junction of U.S...
, US 131 crosses into Kalkaska County
Kalkaska County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,571 people, 6,428 households, and 4,634 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 10,822 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
and to South Boardman. The area around South Boardman is marked by farmland as the trunkline crosses the Boardman River
Boardman River
The Boardman River flows into the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City, Michigan. The Boardman's upper tributaries rise near Kalkaska, Michigan, and its watershed drains an area of through of river and tributaries. The Boardman River is considered one of the top ten trout streams in...
in the small unincorporated community. The road once again runs parallel to the railroad as it meets 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...
/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...
south of 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:...
. The three highways join and run concurrently through downtown. North of town M-72 turns west toward Traverse City
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
and US 131/M-66 continues north through farmland into Antrim County
Antrim County, Michigan
-History:Antrim County was formed in 1863. In 1950 its population was 10,721. The county seat was originally located in Elk Rapids, but was moved to Bellaire in 1904 after 25 years of litigation.-Demographics:...
. About 3–3.5 mi (4.8–5.6 ) north of town, standing on the west side of the road, is the Shoe Tree. A local icon since shortly after the turn of the 21st century, the origins of the landmark are unknown.
The trunkline follows the railroad into Antrim and Mancelona
Mancelona, Michigan
Mancelona is a village in Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,408 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Mancelona Township.-History:...
. North of downtown Mancelona M-66 turns north toward Charlevoix
Charlevoix, Michigan
Charlevoix is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,994. It is the county seat of Charlevoix County....
and US 131 continues along the Mackinaw Trail, through Alba
Alba, Michigan
Alba is an unincorporated community located in Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on U.S. Highway 131 just north of Mancelona. Half of the community is in Star Township and half is in Chestonia Township...
. M-32
M-32 (Michigan highway)
M-32 is a state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is an east–west route running from M-66 in East Jordan to US Highway 23 in Alpena. It runs via Gaylord and Atlanta through forested terrain...
follows US 131 for a half mile (0.8 km) near the community of Elmira. As it continues farther north US 131 enters the Mackinaw State Forest
Mackinaw State Forest
The Mackinaw State Forest is a forested area owned by the U.S. state of Michigan and operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. It is located in the northern area of the Lower Peninsula within the eight counties of Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Montmorency, Otsego,...
. Here, MDOT has calculated the lowest average daily traffic counts of all on US 131: 5,114 cars and 448 trucks in 2009. The highway passes through rural Charlevoix County
Charlevoix County, Michigan
-Airports:*Beaver Island is served by two airlines:**Welke Airport**Beaver Island Airport-Ferry service:*Beaver Island Boat Company maintains a regular auto ferry from Charlevoix:*The Ironton Ferry at Ironton, Michigan crosses the south arm of Lake Charlevoix...
where the terrain has many rolling hills and begins to descend to 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...
. As the highway enters the southern section of the city of Petoskey it runs along Spring Street passing retail establishments and the Odawa Casino, owned by the Little Traverse Bay Indian Reservation of the Odawa Indians
Odawa people
The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
. At the northern terminus of US 131, US 31 turns off Charlevoix Avenue and follows Spring Street to the north.
Services
MDOT operates 67 rest areaRest area
A rest area, travel plaza, rest stop, or service area is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, expressway, or freeway at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads...
s and 14 welcome centers
Visitor center
A visitor center or centre , visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to the visitors who tour the place or area locally...
in the state, all named in honor of retired department employees. Eight of these are along US 131, providing bathroom facilities, dog runs, picnic areas and usually vending machines. The rest areas near Kalamazoo, Rockford
Rockford, Michigan
Rockford is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,719. It is on the Rogue River and is only a few miles north of Grand Rapids.- History :...
, Big Rapids and Tustin serve southbound traffic while those near Morley
Morley, Michigan
Morley is a village in Deerfield Township, Mecosta County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 495 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
and Cadillac serve the northbound side of the freeway. The two near Manton and Fife Lake are accessible from both directions. A ninth rest area used to exist near Cutlerville on the northbound side of US 131, but this location was demolished on January 22, 2001, to make way for the interchange with M-6. The department wanted to build a replacement near Dorr, in northern Allegan County, but the plans were canceled in late 2001.
MDOT removed the honoree's name from the Tustin rest area in early 2011. The former employee, Larry Brown, was a district engineer that retired from the department in 1997 after 30 years of service. He pleaded no contest on a sexual assault charge, which prompted MDOT to remove his name from the rest area when notified of his conviction. A new honoree will be chosen by the department's Rest Area Committee.
MDOT has also built carpool
Carpool
Carpooling , is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car....
lots for motorists along the freeway. There are 21 lots, all but one adjacent to a freeway interchange. The department touts these lots as a way to save money and benefit the environment, and has partnered with a network of local agencies offering Local Rideshare Offices.
Early history
Before Michigan became a state, the first land transportation corridors were the IndianNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
trails. The original Mackinaw Trail ran roughly parallel to the route of the modern US 131 from east of Kalkaska to Petoskey. In the 19th century, the Michigan Legislature
Michigan Legislature
The Michigan Legislature is the legislative assembly of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body consisting of the Senate, the upper house, and the House of Representatives, the lower house. Article IV of the state's Constitution, adopted in 1963, defines the role of the...
chartered private companies to build and operate plank road
Plank road
A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were very popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...
s or turnpikes in the state. These roads were originally made of oak planks, but later legislation permitted gravel as well. Two thoroughfares in the Grand Rapids area, Division and Plainfield avenues, were originally plank roads. The companies were funded through the collection of tolls. The infrastructure was expensive to maintain, and often the turnpikes fell into disrepair as the wood warped and rotted away. Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
once commented that "the road could not have been bad if some unconscionable scoundrel had not now and then dropped a plank across it," after a trip on the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids Plank Road. By the first decade of the 20th century, only 23 of the 202 chartered turnpikes were still in operation; many companies that received a charter never built their specified roadways. The remaining plank roads were turned over to the state or purchased by railway companies in the early part of the century.
The first state-maintained highway along the path of US 131 was 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...
, a designation applied to the road by July 1, 1919. US 131 debuted along with the rest of the initial U.S. Highway System on November 11, 1926, although at the time it was shown on maps from the Michigan–Indiana state line north to the small Northern Michigan community of Acme in Grand Traverse County
Grand Traverse County, Michigan
-Air service:*Grand Traverse County is served by Cherry Capital Airport, which is located near Traverse City.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 77,654 people, 30,396 households, and 20,730 families residing in the county. The population density was 167 people per square mile . ...
. The northernmost section of the highway between Fife Lake
Fife Lake, Michigan
Fife Lake is a village in Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 466.The village is situated within Fife Lake Township near the junction of U.S...
and Acme was not signposted in the field and the designation ended instead at Fife Lake, about 213 miles (343 km) north of the state line. At the same time, the Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD) redesignated the remainder of M-13, between Fife Lake and Petoskey, as M-131. Public Act 131 of 1931 allowed the MSHD to take control over the city streets that carried state highways through cities in the state. Until this point, the City of Grand Rapids arbitrarily moved the route of state highways through the city on a regular basis. The department took control of a series of streets and fixed the routing of US 131 through the city after the passage of the act. The highway was shifted between Three Rivers and Constantine to the west side of the St. Joseph River in 1936. In late 1938 or early 1939, the MSHD extended US 131 northward over the southern section of M-131. After the changes US 131 turned eastward into Fife Lake and north 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:...
and Mancelona
Mancelona, Michigan
Mancelona is a village in Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,408 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Mancelona Township.-History:...
before ending in Petoskey
Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
. This extension connected US 131 directly to its parent highway, US 31
U.S. Route 31
U.S. Route 31 is a long north–south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with its northern terminus at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City, Michigan, and southern terminus at the combined U.S. Route 90 & U.S. Route 98 at Spanish Fort, Alabama...
, for the first time. By the end of the 1930s, the MSHD under the leadership of future governor Murray Van Wagoner
Murray Van Wagoner
Murray Delos Van Wagoner was an American politician. He served as the 38th Governor of Michigan from 1941 to 1942.-Early life:...
had shifted emphasis to a program of road improvements designed to make the state's roads "safer and smoother for burgeoning traffic volumes."
In 1940, a new roadway was opened, completing the third side of a triangle between the junction with M-113
M-113 (Michigan highway)
M-113 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from US Highway 131 in Walton Junction to M-37 near Kingsley. It was designated on November 21, 1927. The stretch of M-113 from Walton Junction to M-186 was originally part of US 131.-Route description:M-113 starts west...
, Walton Corners and Fife Lake. US 131 was shifted to the new highway and the former routing along the other two sides of the triangle became part of M-113 and M-186
M-186 (Michigan highway)
M-186, is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan. It functions as a connector highway wholly contained in Grand Traverse County, which is located in the northwestern Lower Peninsula. The western terminus is at M-113 east of Kingsley and the eastern terminus is at U.S. Highway 131 ...
. A second realignment opened the following year between Fife Lake and Kalkaska. US 131 no longer turned east along Boardman Road between South Boardman and Lodi
Orange Township, Kalkaska County, Michigan
Orange Township is a civil township of Kalkaska County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,176 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
. Instead the MSHD rerouted the highway directly to the northeast, from the end of the previous new routing north of Fife Lake to Kalaska. By 1945, a Bypass US 131 was created around the south and east sides of Grand Rapids, following 28th Street and East Beltline Avenue, while the main highway continued to run through downtown unchanged. A decade later, mainline US 131 was rerouted around Grand Rapids over the former bypass route, and Business US 131 (BUS US 131) was created for the former route through downtown. A second business loop was created in Three Rivers, Michigan
Three Rivers, Michigan
Three Rivers is a city in St. Joseph County in the US state of Michigan. The population was 7,811 at the 2010 census.Three Rivers derives its name from the confluence of the St. Joseph River with its tributaries the Rocky and Portage Rivers. It is the home of St...
, after an expressway bypass of the city's downtown was opened in early 1954. Another expressway section was opened between Mancelona and the M-32
M-32 (Michigan highway)
M-32 is a state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is an east–west route running from M-66 in East Jordan to US Highway 23 in Alpena. It runs via Gaylord and Atlanta through forested terrain...
junction west of Elmira in late 1956.
Freeway conversion
By the end of 1957, US 131 had been extended as a full freeway north of the Three Rivers bypass to Moorepark and the section of freeway in the Grand Rapids area opened near the southern county line north to 28th Street. This latter freeway segment was extended further south to WaylandWayland, Michigan
Wayland is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,939 at the 2000 census.The city is located at the northwest corner of Wayland Township, but is politically independent. The city has also incorporated a portion of land in the south of adjacent Leighton...
by the middle of 1958. By the middle of 1960, the freeway was extended to M-118 in Martin
Martin, Michigan
Martin is a village in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 435 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
, where traffic used M-118 to connect back to the old routing. The southern end of US 131 was moved to another location on the state line. Instead of running concurrently with US 112
U.S. Route 112
U.S. Route 112 was a largely east–west state trunkline highway across the southern portion of the US state of Michigan between New Buffalo and Detroit...
between White Pigeon
White Pigeon, Michigan
White Pigeon is a village in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,627 at the 2000 census. The village is located within White Pigeon Township.-Geography:...
and Mottville, US 131 ran directly south of White Pigeon to the state line. In the process, the M-103
M-103 (Michigan highway)
M-103 is a state trunkline highway entirely within St. Joseph County in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The trunkline runs between U.S. Highway 12 in Mottville and the Indiana state line along undivided highway near the St. Joseph River. With the connection to State Road 15...
designation was swapped with US 131. The expressway section near Mancelona was reverted back to its previous state in 1961 when one of the carriageway
Carriageway
A carriageway consists of a width of road on which a vehicle is not restricted by any physical barriers or separation to move laterally...
s was removed. Another project, through the end of 1961, extended the freeway south to Plainwell
Plainwell, Michigan
Plainwell is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census.Plainwell is located on M-89 just east of its junction with U.S. 131. The city of Otsego is about three miles to the west. Kalamazoo is about ten miles to the south and Grand Rapids...
and north into downtown Grand Rapids. This extension was designated as part of BUS US 131 and opened in December 1961. The opening ceremony for the bridge across the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
included the state highway commission and then-Miss Michigan, pulled by a team of sled dogs, to lead the first traffic over the river.
Until the early 1960s, US 131 never left the state of Michigan; the southernmost point was always at the Indiana state line. In 1961, the highway designation was extended to its current southern terminus in rural Elkhart County, Indiana at a connection with the Indiana Toll Road at the request of the state of Michigan. The MSHD asked the Indiana State Highway Department (ISHD) to extend US 131 farther to reconnect with US 31 in Indiana near Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Michigan State Highway Commissioner John C. Mackie
John C. Mackie
John C. Mackie was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Mackie was born in Toronto and immigrated to the United States from Canada in 1924 with his parents, who settled in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Southeastern High School in Detroit in 1938 and attended Lawrence Institute of...
said that officials with the IHSD were "receptive to the idea" of a further addition to Indianapolis which would provide a "great benefit to Michigan's tourist industry".
On December 17, 1962, the freeway through downtown Grand Rapids was completed, including the section marked as I-296
Interstate 296
Interstate 296 is a part of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Michigan. It is a state trunkline highway that runs for entirely within the Grand Rapids area. Its termini are I-96 on the north side of Grand Rapids in Walker and I-196 near downtown Grand Rapids. The entire length is...
. The business loop was removed from the freeway when US 131 took its place. East Beltline Avenue was renumbered as an extension of M-44
M-44 (Michigan highway)
M-44 is a state trunkline highway in the western region of the US state of Michigan. It runs northward from the intersection of M-11 and M-37 toward the Rockford area. The highway then turns eastward to Belding, and it ends six miles north of Ionia at M-66...
, while 28th Street retains the M-11
M-11 (Michigan highway)
M-11 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. The highway runs through the western and southern sides of the metro area, starting over the border in Ottawa County at an interchange with Interstate 96...
/M-21
M-21 (Michigan highway)
M-21 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan connecting the cities of Grand Rapids and Flint. The highway passes through rural farming country and several small towns along its course through the Lower Peninsula...
designations it had in addition to US 131. I-296/US 131 runs along side the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
between I-96
Interstate 96
Interstate 96 is an intrastate Interstate Highway that is entirely within the US state of Michigan. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 and Business US Highway 31 , on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the...
downtown and 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,...
north of town. At the end of I-296, US 131 followed I-196 east to the northern portion of the business loop at Plainfield Avenue and followed Plainfield Avenue back to the remainder of its routing north of Grand Rapids. The other end of the freeway was extended south to M-43
M-43 (Michigan highway)
M-43 is a state trunkline highway in southwestern and central parts of the US state of Michigan. The highway runs from South Haven to Webberville along an indirect path through both rural areas and larger cities...
on the west side of Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. Traffic there is directed along M-43 into downtown to connect with the remainder of the highway.
Freeway construction continued through the 1960s. By the end of 1963, the southern section of freeway was extended to Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft, Michigan
-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. Schoolcraft is located on a prairie, and much of the land outside of the village is used as farm land, with the primary crops being corn and soybeans.-Demographics:...
. The following year, a business loop in Kalamazoo was created. The new loop used a freeway stub on the north and M-43 on the south to connect the main highway to the former routing of US 131 along Westnedge and Park avenues downtown. A discontinuous segment of freeway, south of Cadillac
Cadillac, Michigan
Cadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,000. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115...
into 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...
, opened in September 1966. The freeway was extended north from the Grand Rapids area through the Comstock Park
Comstock Park, Michigan
Comstock Park is a prosperous suburban community in the northern part of Metropolitan Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, that comprises parts of three neighboring townships:* Plainfield Township* Alpine Township* Algoma Township...
area in 1966. That year, the former Grand Rapids Speedrome, a local race car track was closed. Located on North Park Street between the North Park Bridge and West River Drive, the track was in operation from 1950 until it was closed for the freeway construction in 1966. The freeway was extended further to M-57
M-57 (Michigan highway)
M-57 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The highway connects US Highway 131 near Rockford on the west end to M-15 near Otisville in the Lower Peninsula. In between, the mostly rural highway passes through farmland and connects several highways and smaller towns...
(14 Mile Road) near Cedar Springs
Cedar Springs, Michigan
Cedar Springs is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan, 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids. Known as "Red Flannel Town", the city is home to an annual Red Flannel Festival...
in 1969.
In 1968, the section of expressway near Mancelona was downgraded to a two-lane highway. The original roadway had been left in place when a new parallel carriageway was built in 1956. During the winter months, the original lanes built in the 1920s were closed because the grade of the roadway accumulated additional snow and made it difficult to plow. The MSHD had considered reconstructing the older road to retain the expressway set up, but that would have cost $1.5 million while removing it and permanently reconfiguring the 1956 roadway cost only $170,000.
The 1970s saw the US 131 freeway expand to north of Grand Rapids. The section between the two M-57 junctions near Rockford and in Cedar Springs opened on September 21, 1973, at a dedication ceremony featuring then-Congressman Gerald R. Ford. By the end of the year, the freeway would be open as far north as Howard City
Howard City, Michigan
Howard City is a village in Montcalm County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,585 at the 2000 census. The village is within Reynolds Township.-History:...
. At the same time, M-46 was realigned to extend south down the freeway to Cedar Springs and west to replace M-57 west of Rockford.
Construction to complete these sections north of Grand Rapids had been delayed in 1967. Before the delays, the MSHD planned to have the gap in the freeway between Grand Rapids and Cadillac completed by 1974. The state even proposed adding the freeway north of Grand Rapids to Petoskey, with a further continuation to Mackinaw City
Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village...
as part of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
in an effort to receive additional funding in 1968. In September 1972, the US 131 Area Development Association lobbied Congress to "expedite funding and priority for the reconstruction of US 131 in Michigan."
The 12.2 miles (19.6 km) section of US 131 freeway south of the Wexford
Wexford County, Michigan
-Tourism:There are many attractions and hot spots in Wexford county to check out. The Manistee National Forest is a great recreation site. The Manistee River is great for fisherman, kayakers and canoers, and other outdoor lovers.-Demographics:...
–Osceola county line was opened on November 9, 1976, at a cost of $7.4 million. By 1977, the state postponed any plans to complete the freeway north of Cadillac. The department cited rising construction material costs and opposition to the freeway in Petoskey. By the end of the decade, I-296 signs were removed from the section of freeway in Grand Rapids. However, the freeway remains listed as a part of the Interstate Highway System.
The next section of freeway opened between Howard City and Stanwood
Stanwood, Michigan
Stanwood is a village in Mecosta County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 204. The village is within Mecosta Township.-Geography:...
in 1980. Another segment was opened farther north, bypassing Big Rapids
Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
by 1984. The former route through town and a section of M-20
M-20 (Michigan highway)
M-20 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from New Era to Midland. It crosses through rural Lower Peninsula forest land between the two ends. The highway serves the college towns of Big Rapids and Mt...
were designated as a business loop simultaneously. US 131 followed 19 Mile Road between the end of the freeway and the former routing north of town. The gap was filled in when the freeway segment between Big Rapids and Osceola County was opened in 1986. The section of highway along 19 Mile Road was transferred to the Big Rapids business loop to connect it back to the new freeway. When the expansions ended, in the mid-1980s, it was expected that the US 131 freeway would end at the south side of Cadillac, "perhaps forever". MDOT had ended all consideration of additional freeway mileage in 1981, citing decreased gas tax revenues, decreased traffic and higher construction costs. A 1979 report said that while traffic forecasts showed continued growth, upgrades to existing roads would be sufficient to handle traffic needs.
S-Curve replacement
One of the more unusual sections of the US 131 freeway in the Grand Rapids area is the S-Curve. This section of freeway carries US 131 over the Grand River with two sharp turns in the road, resembling the letter S. The design for this structure was completed in 1952 and placed the freeway on the least expensive land in the area, despite the knowledge that it would someday create issues. As noted by the The Grand Rapids Press in 1981, "the speed limit on the S-Curve must be reduced as low as 25 mph [25 miles per hour (11.2 m/s)] on some bad-weather days because of the sharpness of the turns and [the] numerous accidents [that] have occurred there."On December 27, 1999, the state awarded a $85.7 million contract for the replacement of the S-Curve on US 131. Deposits of gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
under the roadway were dissolving and causing it to settle. A deteriorating bridge also forced the reconstruction of the freeway through the area. Construction began on January 15, 2000, diverting the roughly 115,000 vehicles per day that used the stretch of road to detours through the downtown area. As part of the project, a $1.2 million de-icing system was installed. The system is designed to spray a de-icing fluid on the roadway that would be carried by car tires up to a mile (1.6 km) along the road surface. This fluid is expected to melt ice at temperatures below the -20 F at which salt stops working. Unlike salt, the non-corrosive de-icer does not harm the bridge, but it is more costly. The system is designed to be activated manually, or automatically via sensors along the road. However, plowing would still be required on the roadway. The idea behind the de-icing system is to keep the pavement wet and prevent the formation of ice.
Construction delays were caused by river flooding during spring rains. A design mistake meant that one of the bridges in the structure was built a foot (1 feet (30.5 cm)) too low, and Grandville Avenue was lowered to compensate for the error. Before the opening, MDOT held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the freeway to allow local residents to walk along the structure on August 12. The first northbound lanes were opened to traffic in mid-August, three weeks ahead of schedule. Lead contractor Kiewit Western, a company whose "employees have been known to work 13-hour days and 100-hour weeks", accelerated their work schedule over the course of the project to compensate for the delays and still finish the venture early. The remaining lanes opened to traffic on October 26, also ahead of schedule. Additional work started after the main roadway opened by closing various ramps for reconstruction. This work also focused on restoring parking lots located under or adjacent to the freeway and testing the de-icing system; the final ramps were opened in early December 2000 and early January 2001. The end result of the construction produced a freeway design that increased the rated traffic speed from 45 mile per hour.
Recent freeway extensions
MDOT approved a $3.5 billion 10-year transportation plan in 1986 that included an extension of the US 131 freeway north to MantonManton, Michigan
Manton is a city in Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,221 at the 2000 census.-Geography:*According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
. Construction started on the Cadillac bypass in 1999, and the first section was opened to traffic in November 2000. This 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southern segment ran from US 131 south of town 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...
east of downtown. US 131 remained routed through downtown, but M-55 was rerouted to the bypass. Local residents were allowed to use the northern section of the bypass for recreational activities until it was opened to traffic. The full 9.2 miles (14.8 km) bypass around Cadillac was dedicated to Sidney Ouwinga in a ceremony on October 27, 2001, and the road was opened to traffic on October 30, 2001. The former routing through town was redesignated BUS US 131 at the same time. Ouwinga was a state lawmaker who died in 1991 while serving in the Michigan House of Representatives. He was also a member of the US 131 Area Development Association which promoted further northern extensions of the freeway. The 10.5 miles (16.9 km) freeway expansion north around the city of Manton
Manton, Michigan
Manton is a city in Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,221 at the 2000 census.-Geography:*According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
was opened in 2003. The former routing was redesignated as a business loop at the time. The two bypasses cost $146 million to complete.
Future
Originally, MDOT and its predecessor agencies had planned to convert US 131 into a freeway all the way to Petoskey. They suggested adding the highway to the Interstate Highway System in the late 1960s, when the federal government took proposals for additions to the network of highways. While further northward extension of the freeway from Manton to Kalkaska and beyond was postponed by the department in the 1970s, and canceled "perhaps forever" in the early 1980s, MDOT made an attempt to revive the extension to Kalkaska in 2000. The proposal was ultimately abandoned when the year's transportation plan was finalized. A bridge replacement project over the Manistee River in 2009–10 ensured the end of further consideration by MDOT of the proposal. According to the local project director, "currently, the department has no plans [to expand the freeway]. Someday it may happen, but not in the foreseeable future."A southerly extension of the freeway to or near the Indiana state line is still under study. Improvements to the US 131 corridor from Portage to the Indiana Toll Road have been underway for several years and although a late-2005 decision by MDOT to not pursue a new controlled-access route through St. Joseph County
St. Joseph County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,422 people, 23,381 households, and 16,600 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 26,503 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
seemed to terminate the discussion, public outcry and backlash from local legislators forced the department to re-evaluate its decision. State House Speaker Craig DeRoche
Craig DeRoche
Craig M. DeRoche is a Republican Party politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He was a member of the Michigan Legislature from January 1, 2003, to January 1, 2009....
was critical of the original decision, citing the economic development benefit such a road would bring to the area in defense of the proposed freeway. The previous "no-build decision" was rescinded in April 2006.
MDOT has begun a project to upgrade a 16.4 miles (26.4 km) segment of US 131 in St. Joseph County, home of one of the most dangerous roadway sections in Southwest Michigan for auto crashes. The final environmental impact statement
Environmental impact statement
An environmental impact statement , under United States environmental law, is a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act for certain actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human environment". An EIS is a tool for decision making...
for the project was published in mid-2008 and the preferred alternative consists of a two-lane road bypassing the village of Constantine
Constantine, Michigan
Constantine is a village in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,095 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Constantine Township. It is on U.S. Highway 131, leading to Kalamazoo to the north and to the Indiana Toll Road six miles to the south. The...
. The new highway would maintain access to local roads via at-grade intersections, and the department would maintain jurisdiction of the old route through town. MDOT has stated that present traffic demands do not warrant the cost of a full freeway facility on a new alignment from the Indiana Toll Road to north of Three Rivers, stating that such a project would cost over $300 million to build. Construction plans were placed on hold after an announcement in June 2009 as various proposals around the state, including the Constantine bypass, were shelved until funding issues could be resolved. In total, 137 road and bridge projects totaling $740 million were delayed to 2012 because the state could not match available federal funding to pay for the work.
Design plans for the new bridge over the St. Joseph River were announced in January 2011. The expected groundbreaking on the venture is scheduled for 2012 with completion in 2014. MDOT currently has $9 million of the projected $25 million to complete the Constantine bypass. Residents in the community are divided over the proposed five-mile (8.0 km) highway. Business owners look to the 3,000 cars and trucks that pass through downtown Constantine each day for customers, traffic that would be diverted around the village by the new roadway. On the other hand, residents that work outside of the small community are looking forward to decreased commute times to their workplaces.
Memorial designations
US 131 and its predecessors bears several memorial designations in addition to the Sidney Ouwinga Memorial Bypass near Cadillac. One of the oldest is the Mackinaw Trail, named after a former IndianNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
trail that ran from Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
to Mackinaw City and Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
. By 1915, the name was transferred to the roadway that was later numbered US 131. The Mackinaw Trail Association was formed that year to promote an all-weather highway between Grand Rapids and Mackinaw City, using a logo incorporating a trout for the road. The name was to be officially applied to the highway in 1929, but the State Senate did not agree to the proposal. The official endorsement of the name came in 1959, after the opening of the Mackinac Bridge
Mackinac Bridge
The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge is the third longest in total suspension in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages...
revitalized the idea.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, households would display a service flag
Service flag
A service flag or service banner in the United States is an official banner that family members of service members in harm's way can display. The flag or banner is defined as a white field with a red border, with a blue star for each family member on active duty. A gold star represents a family...
if a family member was serving in the war. A blue star denoted a service member in action, and a gold star symbolized someone who died in the military. In St. Joseph County, the chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
and the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
wanted to honor the local fallen soldiers. Using the flags as inspiration, they planted 100 black walnut and four Norway spruce trees along the road south of Three Rivers. Dedicated on May 4, 1924, this tribute was named the Gold Star Memorial Highway and ran for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) along what is now US 131 south of Three Rivers.
In 1921, the section of highway south of Kalamazoo was named part of the Colgrove Highway. This designation included several other roads in the Lower Peninsula, all named in honor of Philip Colgrove, the first president of the Michigan Good Roads Association. Colgrove was also the Barry County
Barry County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-37* M-43* M-50* M-66* M-78* M-79* M-89* M-179-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 56,755 people, 21,035 households, and 15,986 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 23,876 housing units at an average density of...
prosecutor and a state senator
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
in the late 19th century. No maps documents the name, although the original law remains in records. The Michigan Legislature
Michigan Legislature
The Michigan Legislature is the legislative assembly of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body consisting of the Senate, the upper house, and the House of Representatives, the lower house. Article IV of the state's Constitution, adopted in 1963, defines the role of the...
proposed a bill in 2000 that would have repealed the 1921 statute naming the Colgrove Highway, but the bill ultimately faded, sparing the name.
In the age of the auto trail
Auto trail
The system of auto trails was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on telephone poles, the trails were intended to help travellers in the early days of the automobile.Auto trails were...
s, it was common for highways to be named rather than numbered. An attempt to create a trail such as the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
failed in Michigan. School children in 1926 from Anderson, Indiana
Anderson, Indiana
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is...
, wanted to honor James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the Hoosier Poet and Children's Poet for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively...
, the poet from the Hoosier State, with a highway that connected the country's summer and winter resort areas. The Michigan segment of the road running through the state was to follow what would later be US 131. The James Whitcomb Riley Association promoted the highway by painting white bands on telephone poles with the name of the road in orange letters during that August and September. However, the road in question was already named the Mackinaw Trail, and the association did not secure permission of the state highway commissioner, as was required by a 1919 Michigan law. The law made it illegal for any "association to delineate or mark any other routes or trails through the State of Michigan... unless the same shall be approved in writing by the State Highway Commissioner." As a result, government officials refused to endorse the association's proposal, and Michigan was excluded from the highway. The efforts of the national association were stunted by the halted progress, and the highway was disbanded by December 1926.
The Michigan Trail, another auto trail from the 1920s, "followed just about every major trunk line at that time in the Lower Peninsula and covered over a thousand miles [1000 miles (1,609.3 km)] of state highways." The Michigan Trail started in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, and ran to Detroit; its branches extended to New Buffalo
New Buffalo, Michigan
New Buffalo is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,200 at the 2000 census. This city is within New Buffalo Township, but is politically autonomous.-Geography:...
, Grand Rapids, and Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
. Other segments included US 131 between Kalamazoo and Petoskey, US 31 between New Buffalo and the Straits of Mackinac
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
and a route between Port Huron and Big Rapids. The highway failed as a concept because it lacked focus, and many of the segments of roadway had already assigned names.
The most recent name applied to US 131 is related to the first. Enacted in 2004, Public Act 138 added an additional name to the Mackinaw Trail from the M-66 junction near Kalkaska to Petoskey, the "Green Arrow Route - Mackinaw Trail". Residents of the state have questioned the wisdom of having a "compound road name whose signboards [would] be nearly as long as the highway itself."
Historic bridges
MDOT maintains a listing of historic bridges that includes two which formerly carried US 131. In 1913, the State Trunk Line Act required the highway department to build and maintain bridges at the state's expense if they were included in the nascent highway system. Among the first of these state-built structures is the Division Avenue – Plaster Creek Bridge in Grand Rapids. The crossing is listed on the NHRP for its architectural and engineering significance. Built as Trunk Line Bridge No. 3 over Plaster CreekPlaster Creek
Plaster Creek is a urban stream in Kent County, Michigan in the United States. It is a tributary of the Grand River. The stream is named for the large deposit of gypsum found at its mouth...
in 1914 by the MSHD, the span cost just over $6,000. Division Avenue carried US 131 until the construction of the freeway through Grand Rapids in the 1960s. The bridge, a filled spandrel arch design, is 50 feet (15.2 m), and was modified in 1935 to widen its deck from 28 feet (8.5 m) to the current 43 feet (13.1 m). The structure was added to the NRHP on December 17, 1999.
The second bridge listed by MDOT is the crossing of the Little Muskegon River for 190th Avenue in southern Mecosta County. Like the Plaster Creek bridge, this structure was also built by the MSHD under the Trunk Line Act of 1913. Built in 1916–17 the 45 feet (13.7 m), 18 feet (5.5 m), concrete through-girder bridge cost around $10,000 to build. It was initially named Trunk Line Bridge No. 61. The span is the oldest concrete girder bridge designed by the MSHD. US 131 followed 190th Avenue over the river until a realignment shifted the highway to another route in 1927.
Exit list
See also
- Business routes of U.S. Route 131