M-59 (Michigan highway)

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M-59 marker

M-59

Map
M-59 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length60.514 mi[1] (97.388 km)
Existedc. July 1, 1919[2]–present
Major junctions
West end I-96 in Howell
Major intersections
East end I-94 near Mount Clemens
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountiesLivingston, Oakland, Macomb
Highway system
M-58 M-60

M-59 is an east–west

Metropolitan Detroit in the US state of Michigan. It runs between Howell at Interstate 96 (I-96) and I-94 on the ChesterfieldHarrison township line near the Selfridge Air National Guard Base. While primarily a multi-lane surface highway, it is a full freeway from just east of downtown Pontiac near Opdyke Road to just east of the Mound Road/Merrill Road exit in Utica. The various surface highway segments are named either Highland Road, Huron Street or Hall Road, with the latter known as an area for shopping and dining. The rural sections west of Pontiac pass through Oakland County
lake country, passing through two state recreational areas.

M-59 was first designated with the rest of the original state trunkline highway system by July 1, 1919 between Pontiac and

Mt. Clemens. Extensions on both ends brought the termini as far as Howell and New Baltimore
before the current termini were established in the 1960s. M-59 was expanded into a freeway in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with additional expansions in the 1980s and 1990s to create the divided highway sections.

Route description

M-59 starts at I-96 in

M-59 (Highland Road) east of Duck Lake Road in Highland

The next major landmark along M-59 is the

Woodward Avenue, which is part of the two business loops that encircle the central business district while westbound M-59 bypasses downtown Pontiac as it follows the northern loop of Woodward. East of downtown Pontiac, M-59 widens out into a full freeway. This freeway provides access to the south side of the former Pontiac Silverdome, once the home of the Detroit Lions. To the east of the former stadium in Auburn Hills is the cloverleaf interchange with I-75 and the North American corporate headquarters of car maker Chrysler. Continuing east through the northern Detroit suburbs, the M-59 freeway curves back to the south and crosses into Macomb County at the Dequindre Road interchange.[3][4] Trucks carrying explosive or flammable cargo are required to exit the M-59 freeway and use the parallel service drive through the Mound Road-Merrill Road interchange just west of Utica.[5]

The M-59 freeway crosses the border between

History

M-59 was first designated by July 1, 1919 between

US 23 in Hartland was finished by 1938.[11] The east end was extended again in 1939 along US 25 and over to M-29 in New Baltimore.[12] The east end was rerouted again between Mt. Clemens and New Baltimore over another former alignment of M-29 in late 1947 or early 1948.[13][14] The eastern terminus was truncated to M-29 east of US 25/Gratiot Avenue in 1961.[15][16]

Another extension on the west end moved M-59 to end at

I-94 in 1963.[19][20]

M-59 was converted into a freeway starting in 1966 with the first segment between Pontiac and Auburn Road near Rochester.[21][22] A second segment opened in 1972 east to Mound Road in Utica.[23][24] Segments were converted to divided highway in Oakland County in 1984 through 1986.[25][26] The east end was reconstructed in 1995–97 and converted to a six- to eight-lane divided highway.[27][28] The freeway was extended east in 1998 to Van Dyke Avenue in Utica; the same year, the eastern end was rerouted off Gratiot Avenue and 23 Mile Road to end at a different interchange with I-94, eliminating the concurrency with M-3.[29][30] The old routing of M-59 along Auburn Road in Rochester Hills is still maintained by MDOT.[31]

In 2010, MDOT started the process of expanding M-59 from two lanes to three in each direction between Crooks Road and Ryan Road, using funding from the Federal stimulus bill of 2009.[32] With this improvement, M-59 is now at least three lanes each way from I-75 to I-94.[33]

In 2017, MDOT started the reconstruction of M-59 (Hall Road) from M-53 to Romeo Plank Rd. This construction is expected to last through 2018.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
BL I-96
east
Western end of BL I-96 concurrency; exit 133 on I-96
1.0041.616
Grand River Avenue) – Downtown Howell
Eastern end of BL I-96 concurrency
Hartland Township12.71920.469 US 23 – Ann Arbor, FlintExit 67 on US 23
OaklandWaterford TownshipPontiac city line35.57757.256 US 24 (Telegraph Road) – Clarkston, Southfield
Bus. US 24 (Woodward Avenue) to M-1 – Birmingham
Eastbound M-59 routes through downtown Pontiac; westbound M-59 follows the northern loop around the downtown where it overlaps BL I-75 and Bus. US 24
37.87460.952University DriveEastbound entrance and westbound exit; western end of freeway
38.55762.05138Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
PontiacAuburn Hills city line39.58263.70139Opdyke Road
Detroit, Flint
Signed as exit 40A (south) and 40B (north); exit 77 on I-75
41.10866.15741Squirrel RoadSigned as exit 41A (south) and 41B (north) eastbound
Rochester Hills42.47268.35242Adams RoadWestbound exit via Hamlin Road
43.64070.23244Crooks Road
46.07774.15446 M-150 (Rochester Road) – Rochester Hills, Troy
OaklandMacomb county lineRochester HillsShelby Township city line48.15777.50148Dequindre RoadEastbound exit and entrance via South Boulevard/Dobry Drive
MacombShelby TownshipSterling Heights city line50.16180.726Mound Road, Merrill Road
Utica51.08082.205Eastern end of freeway
Detroit, Imlay City
Exit 17 on M-53
Clinton township line
59.16895.222
M-97 south (Groesbeck Highway) / North Avenue
Northern terminus of M-97
59.94296.467
Mt. Clemens
Known as "William P. Rosso Highway" east of M-3
Detroit, Port Huron
Exit 240 on I-94; roadway continues eastbound as William P. Rosso Highway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

  •  
    Michigan Highways portal

References

  1. ^ a b Michigan Department of Transportation (2021). Next Generation PR Finder (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  2. ^
    OCLC 15607244
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  3. ^ a b c Google (August 30, 2010). "Overview Map of M-59" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  4. ^ .
  5. ^ Staff (n.d.). "Truck Driver's Guidebook: Hazardous Materials". WasteWatcher. The Border Center. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  6. ^ Staff (2010). "Malls & Boutiques". Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  7. OCLC 12701053
    .
  8. .
  9. .
  10. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  11. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  12. .
  13. .
  14. .
  15. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1961)
  16. ^ . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  17. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1958)
  18. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1960)
  19. ^ . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  20. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  21. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  22. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  23. .
  24. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  25. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  26. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  27. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  28. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  29. .
  30. . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  31. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (2019). Truck Operator's Map (PDF) (Map). c. 1:221,760. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Detroit and Vicinity inset. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  32. Crain's Detroit Business
    .
  33. ^ "Road Work Season Wraps up in Metro Detroit". States News Service. November 17, 2010. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2012.

External links

KML is from Wikidata
  • M-59 at Michigan Highways