M-15 (Michigan highway)
Route information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Maintained by MDOT | ||||
Length | 73.664 mi[1] (118.551 km) | |||
Existed | c. 1927[2]–present | |||
Tourist routes | Pathway to Family Fun Recreational Heritage Route | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | US 24 near Clarkston | |||
North end | M-25 in Bay City | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Michigan | |||
Counties | Oakland, Genesee, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay | |||
Highway system | ||||
|
M-15 is a north–south
The original M-15 designation was used in the northern half of the state in 1919. This designation was wholly replaced by the US 41 on November 11, 1926. This previous designation contained the section of highway in Marquette County that is home to the first painted highway centerline in the nation. Another section in western Marquette County included the first bridge built by the state of Michigan. Within the next year after M-15 was replaced by US 41, the designation was reused for a new highway routing along the current highway. This current highway was extended northerly to eventually end at Interstate 75 (I-75) in Bay City, before it was scaled back slightly to end in southeast Bay City. A proposed, but unbuilt, extension around the west side of Metro Detroit later became part of the I-275 corridor.
This highway is now a part of the Pure Michigan Byway System, but none of it is located on the National Highway System. A section of the two-lane highway has the local moniker, "Death Alley", where the local sheriff says the highway is poorly designed. The stretch of highway in Genesee County has been the location of 14 traffic fatalities between 2004 and 2009 as reported by The Flint Journal, including that of a 14-year-old local girl.
Route description
M-15 runs through mostly rural agricultural communities of The Thumb connecting the northern edge of Metro Detroit with the Tri-Cities area. It starts at a junction south of the village of Clarkston in northern Oakland County. The highway runs north along Ortonville Road from the intersection with US 24 (Dixie Highway) near Deer and Middle lakes through Clarkston. Continuing through town on Main Street near Parke Lake, it comes to an interchange with I-75 north of the village next to Little Walters Lake. South of Ortonville near Lake Louise and Bald Eagle Lake, M-15 turns northwest between the two lakes. The trunkline becomes State Road at the county line and turns north again near Shinanguag Lake near the Ortonville State Recreation Area outside Goodrich in southeastern Genesee County. South of Davison, M-15 intersects I-69 near the Davison Country Club before running through town. In Otisville, State Road curves around to the west of some small lakes and through town.[3][4]
State Road turns northwesterly again in
In
History
Original designation
On July 1, 1919, the original routing of M-15 was located in the
The
The 1925 draft plan for the establishment of the
Current designation
The current routing of M-15 was designated after 1926. The southern end was located at
The state highway map in 1933 showed a proposed southern extension from Clarkston through southern Oakland County, Wayne County into Monroe County.[23] This proposed highway would have bypassed Metro Detroit to the west through Farmington, Northville, Plymouth and Belleville. The full highway was never built, and M-15 was never extended south of Clarkston, but part of this proposal was completed. Much of it later became Haggerty Highway, and part of the I-275 and M-5 corridors.[3][23]
"Death Alley"
M-15 between the Oakland County line and I-69 has been nicknamed by locals as "Death Alley". On April 17, 2009, The Flint Journal reported that between 2004 and April 2009, 14 people died on the stretch of road in car accidents. When Genesee County Sheriff Robert J. Pickell was asked about the stretch, he said the road suffers from a bad design, including a lack of turn lanes. He was quoted as saying, "It's a death trap".[24] The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) looks at roadways after every fatal crash to determine what improvements could be made. Other local government officials have called for solutions to safety issues on the roadway.[24]
Major intersections
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independence Charter Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 24 (Dixie Highway) – Pontiac | ||
1.781 | 2.866 | Detroit | Exit 91 on I-75 | ||
Genesee | Davison Township | 25.586 | 41.177 | I-69 – Port Huron, Flint | Exit 145 on I-69 |
Forest Township | 37.532 | 60.402 | M-57 west – Clio, Montrose, Chesaning | Eastern terminus of M-57 | |
Tuscola | Denmark Township | 56.645 | 91.161 | M-46 – Saginaw, Sandusky | |
Saginaw | Blumfield Township | 60.365 | 97.148 | M-83 south – Frankenmuth | Northern terminus of M-83 |
62.034 | 99.834 | M-81 – Saginaw, Caro | |||
Bay | Merritt Township | 67.665 | 108.896 | M-138 east – Fairgrove, Akron | Western terminus of M-138 |
LHCT (Center Avenue) | Roadway continues north as Trumbull Street | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
See also
- Michigan Highways portal
References
- ^ a b Michigan Department of Transportation (2021). Next Generation PR Finder (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ .
- ^ OCLC 42778335.
- ^ a b c Google (February 1, 2010). "Overview Map of M-15" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
- ^ OCLC 15607244. Retrieved December 18, 2016 – via Michigan State University Libraries.
- ^ .
- ^ Google (February 1, 2010). "Negaunee, Michigan" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
- ^ Staff (April 23, 2002). "US 41 (Abandoned) / Peshekee River Bridge". Michigan's Historic Bridges. Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 18, 2008.
- .
- ^ Weingroff, Richard F. (January 9, 2009). "From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
- .
- . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
- OCLC 12701143. Archived from the originalon April 22, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017 – via Archives of Michigan.
- OCLC 12701143.
- . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1960)
- . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1961)
- OCLC 12701120.
- .
- ^ Staff (January 29, 2010). "Drive Home Our Heritage". Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 14, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
- ^ Staff (November 5, 2009). "Interactive Heritage Route Listing". Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
- ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006). National Highway System, Michigan (PDF) (Map). Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2008.
- ^ 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.
- ^ OCLC 12701053. Archived from the originalon May 10, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2016 – via Archives of Michigan.
- ^ a b Morrison, Julie (April 17, 2009). "Teen Dies after Crash on 'Death Alley'". The Flint Journal. Retrieved April 18, 2009.
External links
- M-15 at Michigan Highways