M-140 (Michigan highway)

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M-140 marker

M-140

Map
M-140 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length37.205 mi[1] (59.876 km)
Existedc. 1931[2][3]–present
Major junctions
South end M-139 in Niles
Major intersections
North end
BL I-196 at South Haven
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountiesBerrien, Van Buren
Highway system
← M-139→ US 141

M-140 is a north–south state trunkline highway in Berrien and Van Buren counties of the US state of Michigan. The highway starts in the Niles area at M-139 and runs north through Watervliet to South Haven, ending at Interstate 196/US Highway 31 (I-196/US 31). In between, it runs through farm fields and past lakes in the southwestern part of the Lower Peninsula. The trunkline is used, on average, by between 1,500 and 10,200 vehicles.

The state designated M-140 in the early 1930s over a previous alignment of US 31 when that highway rerouted through the area. M-140 was extended from Watervliet to Niles a few years later. Changes were made to the routing of the trunkline in the 1950s and 1960s. The last change was made in 1972, resulting in the modern course for the highway.

Route description

M-140 starts at an intersection with M-139 near the

Berrien Center. Near Eau Claire, the highway turns bends along Maple Grove Road for about 1,000 feet (300 m) before going north on Watervliet Road. East of town, the trunkline follows Main Street eastward toward the Berrien–Cass county line. M-140 intersects the northern terminus of M-62 and curves north.[4][5]

In northern Berrien County, M-140 follows Watervliet Road to an interchange with

Business Loop I-196.[4][5]

M-140 is maintained by the

divided highway, except sections in cities like Watervliet which may have up to four lanes.[4][5] No section of the trunkline has not been listed on the National Highway System,[7] a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.[8]

History

The

Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD)[a] signposted the highway system for the first time,[11] and the future M-140 corridor was assigned to part of the original M-11.[12] On November 11, 1926, M-11 was redesignated as part of US 31 in the state.[13]

In 1931, the state transferred US 31 to a new routing between the St. Joseph and South Haven areas; in the process, the former route of US 31 between Watervliet and South Haven was redesignated as M-140.[14][2][3] The highway was extended southward from Watervliet to the Niles area in late 1934 due to heavy traffic on that section.[15][16][17] The concurrency between M-62 and M-140 was eliminated around the end of 1957 when the former highway was truncated to terminate east of Eau Claire instead of continuing west into town.[18][19] In 1958, the route north of Watervliet to the county line was realigned, smoothing several sharp curves.[20]

The construction of the I-196/US 31 freeway around the South Haven area impacted the northern terminus of M-140 in the 1960s. When it opened in 1963, BL I-196 was shown on maps as continuing north along M-140 into town to a junction with M-43.[21][22] In 1972, the business loop was rerouted, and M-140 was truncated to end at the freeway interchange south of town.[23][24]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Niles Township
0.0000.000 M-139 (Old US 31/Front Street)
Berrien–Pipestone township line10.32016.608
 M-62 east – Dowagiac
Detroit, Chicago
Exit 41 on I-94
LMCT
north		Exit 18 on I-196/US 31; roadway continues as BL I-196
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

  •  
    Michigan Highways portal

Notes

  1. ^ The Michigan State Highway Department was reorganized into the Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation on August 23, 1973. The name was shortened to its current form in 1978.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b Michigan Department of Transportation (2021). Next Generation PR Finder (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  2. ^
    OCLC 12701053
    .
  3. ^
    OCLC 12701053
    .
  4. ^
    OCLC 42778335, 900162490
    .
  5. ^ a b c Google (April 14, 2015). "Overview Map of M-140" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  6. ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (2008). "Traffic Monitoring Information System". Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  7. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006). National Highway System, Michigan (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  8. ^ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  9. OCLC 44724558 – via Google Books
    .
  10. OCLC 8169232. Retrieved January 18, 2021 – via Wikisource
    .
  11. OCLC 9975013
    .
  12. OCLC 15607244
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  13. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved November 7, 2013 – via Wikimedia Commons
    .
  14. Newspapers.com
    .
  15. OCLC 10117334
    . Retrieved November 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. OCLC 12701143
    .
  17. OCLC 12701143
    .
  18. OCLC 12701120, 367386492
    .
  19. OCLC 12701120, 51856742
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1958)
  20. OCLC 10117334
    . Retrieved November 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. OCLC 12701120
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  22. OCLC 12701120, 81213707
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  23. OCLC 12701120
    .
  24. OCLC 12701120, 81679137
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.

External links

KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/M-140 (Michigan highway)
KML is from Wikidata
  • M-140 at Michigan Highways

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