M-57 (Michigan highway)

state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The 105.377-mile (169.588 km) highway connects US Highway 131 (US 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 together. Three of these highways are freeways: US 131, US 127 and Interstate 75

folded diamond interchange along the expressway portion of the latter highway.^[4][7]

average annual daily traffic (AADT). This figure is a calculation of the average traffic volume for a segment of roadway on any average day of the year. In 2009, MDOT determined that an average of 22,280 vehicles used the section of M-57 through Clio daily.^[9] East of this area, the highway once again passes through rural agricultural lands on the way to its eastern terminus at M-15, one mile (1.6 km) north of Otisville.^[4][7] This terminal section of the trunkline had the lowest traffic levels in 2009 at 3,737 vehicles AADT.^[9] No section of M-57 has been listed on the National Highway System,^[10] a system of roadways important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.^[11]

Michigan State Highway Department signposted the highway system in the state for the first time.^[12] At that time, M-57 designation was originally used in Charlevoix County from Boyne Falls at M-13 (now US 131) through Boyne City and back to then M-13.^[13] That highway's number was changed to M-75 in 1926.^[14][15] By the next year, the number was then assigned to a state trunkline that connected between Quinnesec and the Wisconsin state line in the Upper Peninsula.^[16] This second iteration was short-lived as it was replaced by an extension of US 141 into Michigan.^[17][18]

Langston to M-47 (now M-52) in St. Charles.^[2][3] By the mid 1936, the section between Ithaca and St. Charles was removed from the state highway system when the designation was shifted south to run between Ashley and Chesaning. In the process, M-57 was run concurrently along US 27 between Ithaca and Ashley.^[19] The western section was similarly shifting by May 1938. The new routing started at a junction with US 131 between Rockford and Cedar Springs and continued through Greenville and Carson City to Ashley. The eastern end was also extended from Chesaning to the Clio area.^[20] It was extended a second time by early 1941 to a junction with Belsay Road.^[21] By the middle of 1946, the eastern end was extended a third time to end in Otisville.^[22] M-57 was lengthened after a western extension in late 1948 or early 1949. The highway was routed concurrently with US 131 to Cedar Springs and then west to M-37 at Kent City.^[23][24]

Gerald R. Ford opened a section of US 131 freeway on September 21. The freeway ran between the two M-57 junctions along US 131 near Rockford and Cedar Springs.^[29] Afterwards, M-57 was truncated to the Rockford area, and the segment previously part of M-57 between Kent City and Cedar Springs was made part of M-46 afterwards.^[30][31]