M-81 (Michigan highway)
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| M-81 |
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| Maintained by MDOT | |||||||||
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| Length: | 45.64 mi[1] (73.45 km) | ||||||||
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| Formed: | 1920 | ||||||||
| West end: |  M-13 in Saginaw |
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| Major junctions: |
 I-75 near Saginaw |
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| East end: |  M-53 near Cass City |
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| Counties: | Saginaw, Tuscola, Sanilac | ||||||||
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M-81 is a state trunkline in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that travels from Saginaw to a junction with M-53 east of Cass City over the county line in Greenleaf Township in western Sanilac County.
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[edit] Route description
M-81 starts at a junction with M-13 and runs east out of Saginaw running through an interchange with I-75. This is exit 151 along I-75. On the way, M-81 passes through the village of Reese and then makes a rather strange curve towards the village of Caro going northeast until it reaches Cass City Road, where it turns and runs directly east again into the village of Cass City. This curve through Caro creates a rather strange experience for visitors when they arrive as roads are not aligned in the proper grid-like structure of other cities.[1] All of M-81 is a two-lane highway, except for in the city of Saginaw, where it is a four-lane highway with a center turn lane.
[edit] History
When originally formed around 1920, M-81 ran from Reese to Caro. It was extended eastward through Cass City to M-53 in 1922. The initial extension to Saginaw was made in 1926. M-81 would be completely paved in 1946, completing a section between Ellington and Elmwood in Tuscola County.
Prior to 1971, M-81's western terminus formerly ended at M-47 in western Saginaw Charter Township. When I-675 was completed through the city, M-81 was scaled back to its present day terminus at M-13.[1]
[edit] Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile | Roads | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saginaw | Saginaw | 0.00 | M-13 |
Western terminus |
| I-75 |
Exit 151 | |||
| Reese | 8.40 |  M-15 |
North to Bay City South to Davison |
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| Tuscola | Caro | 27.59 |  M-24 |
North to Sebewaing South to Lapeer |
| Sanilac | Greenleaf Township | 45.64[2] | M-53 |
Eastern terminus |
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crossing, no access | Concurrency terminus | Deleted | Unconstructed | Closed | |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Bessert, Christopher, J.. Michigan Highways: Highways 80 through 89. Michigan Highways. Retrieved on 2006-10-28.
- ^ Control Section/Physical Reference Atlas. Michigan Department of Transportation (2001). Retrieved on 2008-02-02.
