M-24 (Michigan highway)

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This article describes a Michigan state trunkline highway numbered M-24. For the U.S. Highway with the same number, see U.S. Route 24 in Michigan; for other uses, see M24

M-24

Maintained by MDOT

Length:

74.30 mi^[1] (119.57 km)

Formed:

1926

South end:

I-75/BL I-75 in Auburn Hills

Major
junctions:

I-69 near Lapeer

North end:

M-25 near Unionville

Counties:

Oakland, Lapeer, Tuscola

Michigan highways
< US-24		M-25 >

M-24, (also known as Lapeer Rd for a portion of the route) is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan that extends 74.30 miles (119.57 km) through Southeast Michigan, from Auburn Hills (at an interchange with I-75) to Unionville (where it merges with M-25). While the M-24 designation is similar to that of US 24 which has a northern terminus located only a few miles from the southern terminus of M-24, M-24 was never part of US 24.

1 Route description
2 History
- 2.1 Original designation
- 2.2 Current designation
3 Major intersections
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Route description

M-24 begins a hundred feet south of an overpass that is part of a double trumpet interchange with I-75 in Auburn Hills. The interchange also connects with an entrance into the Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons, and a variety of electronic signs are contained in the area to indicate the status of access to the entrance. The roadway is a continuation of BL I-75 that travels through Pontiac.

The section of M-24 from its southern terminus in Auburn Hills north to the village of Oxford is one of the busiest stretches of road in the state in terms of vehicle traffic per number of lanes. The road is a standard Michigan expressway design, with at-grade intersections, traffic signals, and Michigan Lefts. This continues a few miles north of the Lapeer County line, where the highway becomes a two-lane highway for a few miles, before returning to expressway from Metamora to I-69.

Heading north, M-24 passes through Lake Orion, Oxford, Metamora, Lapeer, Mayville, Caro, and Unionville.

M-24 also intersects I-69 on the south side of Lapeer.

[edit] History

[edit] Original designation

In 1920, the first M-24 was designated along today's M-20. From Midland east, M-24 continued along today's M-47. When the U.S. Highway System was created, US 10 replaced M-20 and M-20 in turn replaced the first M-24. The M-24 designation was immediately applied to the current routing.

[edit] Current designation

The current designation was assigned in two pieces, Pontiac to Lapeer and Vassar to Bay City. The two sections would be joined in 1927 by a concurrency along M-21 and M-15 until a permanently solo routing was created in 1930. The Pontiac area saw a rerouting of M-24 to an eastern bypass of town in 1936. The former routing in town became M-24A. It would be redesignated as BUS M-24 in 1940 when the State Highway Department debuted business routes in Michigan. The northern terminus was moved to M-81 in Caro in 1942, and the southern terminus was shifted to the present location in 1963. Prior to a 1997 extension, M-24 ended at M-81 in Caro; now it continues up to M-25 in Unionville.^[1]

From 2006 to 2007, M-24 was expanded to an expressway between Metamora and Lapeer. There is still a two lane section between the Lapeer/Oakland County Line and Metamora that is planned to be upgraded in the near future. The construction has been delayed because of development close to the highway near Metamora.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Roads	Notes
Oakland	Auburn Hills	0.00	I-75 BL I-75	Southern terminus Roadway continues south as BL I-75
Lapeer	Lapeer		I-69
Lapeer	Deerfield Township		M-90
Tuscola	Fremont Township		M-46
	Caro		M-81	Former northern terminus
	Unionville	74.30	M-25	Northern terminus