M-43 (Michigan highway)

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M-43

Length:

136.13 mi^[1] (219.08 km)

Formed:

1924^[1]

West end:

BL I-196 in South Haven

Major
junctions:

M-40 near Gobles

US 131 near Kalamazoo
M-37 in Hastings
M-50/M-66 near Woodland
I-69/I-96 near Lansing
US 127 in East Lansing

East end:

I-96 near Webberville

Michigan highways
< M-42		M-44 >

M-43 is a highway in southwestern and central Michigan from South Haven to Webberville.

Although it goes through Kalamazoo and Lansing, it is little used as a through route between those two large cities because it is less direct and fast than I-94 and I-69.

Effectively, M-43 is several different highways, generally from west to east:

Starting from downtown South Haven it takes a southeastward course and crosses over I-196-US 31, passing through Bangor. After Bangor it becomes a largely east-west route. As it approaches Kalamazoo it becomes divided surface road, has an interchange with the US 131 freeway, and leads to downtown Kalamazoo.
Between Kalamazoo and Hastings, a route that angles slightly north of east toward Richland, meets M-89, and turns sharply northward toward Hastings, where it meets M-37.
Between Hastings and downtown Lansing, a largely east-west route through Woodbury (junctions with M-50 and M-66) and Grand Ledge, where it meets M-100. On the west side of greater Lansing it has an intersection with I-69 and I-96 and becomes BL I-69 to downtown Lansing, where it ended at its intersection with the old US 16 before the 1960s, when US 16 was diverted to the new I-96 freeway before being decommissioned throughout Michigan.
Finally, the section of old US 16, the Grand River Road, through East Lansing, intersecting the US 127 freeway and Michigan State University east-south-eastward through Okemos and Williamston to its eastern terminus near Webberville.

The sections of M-43 through greater Lansing and especially near Michigan State University are often extremely slow due to congestion resulting from commercial and commuter traffic. None of M-43 is expressway, although it has numerous interchanges with freeways which offer more direct routes for many motorists who have destinations along its route. Much of M-43 used to be part of US-16.