M-60 (Michigan highway)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

M-60
Length: 104.5 mi[1] (168.18 km)
Formed: 1918
West end: US 12 near Niles
Major
junctions:		 M-62 in Cassopolis

M-40 in Jones
& US 131 & M-86 Three Rivers
M-66 overlaps from Mendon to near Athens
I-69 near Tekonsha
M-99 Homer
East end: I-94 near Jackson
Counties: Cass, St. Joseph, Branch, Calhoun, Jackson
Michigan highways
< M-59 M-61 >

M-60 is an east-west trunkline and state highway in the U.S. state of Michigan. Like all state roads, an easement-for-public-use exists 55ft in each direction from the centre of the road into properties. Such easements were ruled to be "untaxable" by the Michigan Supreme Court under property millages. For the most part, M-60 follows the path of an old Indian Trail known as the Washtenaw Trail.

Contents

[edit] History and characteristics

M-60 is one of the original Michigan trunklines to have continuously maintained its designated route, with subsequent re-alignments and truncations, since 1918.

Uncharacteristically for a Michigan state highway that is not a freeway or expressway, most of which go along the main street of a community's business district, M-60 was improved early with bypasses around Union City, Tekonsha, Homer, and Concord. These were not constructed with limited access to abutting property, so as the communities expanded, businesses appeared along the bypasses. This has left many of the bypassed business districts with much less traffic and fewer customers for the businesses located therin.

Before Interstate 94 was built, M-60 was one of the more heavily-traveled Michigan state highways as an alternative to the more urban and congested old US 12 (Red Arrow Highway) to its north through Kalamazoo and Battle Creek and old and in some parts hilly US 112. I-94 has relegated it to a more local highway in character.

Until the 1960s, M-60 coincided with US 112 and in turn US 12 to New Buffalo, Michigan. The M-60 designation preceded that of US 112 and US 12 and existed when the section of US 112 did not exist in westernmost lower Michigan.

A "station" of the Underground Railroad is visible and accessible in Vandalia along with the Mann House in Concord. Spring Arbor University is located along M-60 in Spring Arbor.

The section at its eastern terminus west of Jackson is full freeway, and the section at its western terminus is a dual-carriageway expressway.

[edit] Bannered routes

There have been two different bannered routes of M-60. Business M-60 in Niles is still in existence, while Alternate M-60 in Concord has been decommissioned.

[edit] BUS M-60

M-60 Business
Business spur of the Michigan highway system
Maintained by MDOT
Length: 2.60 mi[2] (4.18 km)
Formed: 1957[2]
West end:
BUS US-12/M-51 in Niles
East end: M-60 near Niles
Counties: Berrien, Cass
Major cities: Niles
Michigan highways

BUS M-60 is a Michigan state business spur running through the city of Niles. It runs along a former routing of US-112/M-60, and was a loop route along BUS US-12 from its inception in 1957 until M-60 was truncated west of Niles in 1966.

[edit] ALT M-60
ALT M-60
Homer Road
Length: 2 mi[3] (3 km)
Existed: 1933[1] – 1934[1]
West end: M-60 & Homer Rd. in Concord
Major
junctions:		 none
East end: M-60 & Main St. in Concord
Counties: Jackson
Major cities: Concord
Michigan highways

ALT M-60 was an alternate loop route running through Concord. It acted as a "business route" into downtown Concord during its short lifetime after a bypass of town along M-60 was built. Its appearance predated the development of business routes in Michigan.


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Michigan Highways: Highways 60 through 69 Christopher J. Bessert. URL accessed 6 Oct 2006.
  2. ^ a b Michigan Highways: Business Connections 32 through 94. Bessert, Christopher J. URL Accessed 04 September 2006.
  3. ^ Google Maps. Google Maps (2007-04-08). Retrieved on 2007-04-08.

[edit] External links