M-94 (Michigan highway)

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This article describes a Michigan state trunkline highway numbered M-94. For the Interstate Highway with the same number, see Interstate 94 in Michigan.

M-94

Maintained by MDOT

Length:

87.31 mi^[1] (140.51 km)

Formed:

1922^[1]

West end:

M-553 at K. I. Sawyer

Major
junctions:

Sawyer International Airport

US 41 near Skandia
M-67 at Chatham
M-28/M-94 merge in Munising
M-28/M-94 separate in Shingleton

South end:

US 2 in Manistique

Counties:

Marquette, Alger, Schoolcraft

Michigan highways
< I-94		M-95 >

M-94 is a medium-length state trunkline in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan from K. I. Sawyer to Manistique. All of M-94 is surface road. M-94 is part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour during a concurrency with M-28.

1 Route description
- 1.1 Siphon Bridge
2 History
3 Major intersections
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Route description

Hiawatha National Forest road sign on M-28/M-94 in Alger County west of Shingleton.

M-94 begins at an intersection with M-553 and crosses the former K. I. Sawyer AFB. The it overlaps US 41 for a little over a mile near Skandia, and has a concurrency with M-28 from Munising to Shingleton. Until the turn at Shingleton, the route is more decidedly east-west than north-south. Between Shingleton and Manistique, M-94 is more north-south.

[edit] Siphon Bridge

In Manistique, M-94 crosses the Manistique River on the "Siphon Bridge". Built as a part of a raceway flume on the river, the water level is actually higher than the road surface. This produces a siphon effect, giving the bridge its nickname. The Michigan Works Progress Administration summarized the bridge with the following explanation:

“

In 1916, when the Manistique Pulp and Paper Company was organized, engineers realized that a dam at the mouth of the river large enough to supply the needs of the mill would flood a large section of the city. If the shallow river banks were diked to hold the water, bridging the river would be expensive. The problem was solved by constructing a huge concrete tank lengthwise in the river bed; the sides of the tank provide artificial banks, higher than the natural ones. Concrete bulkheads, formed by the side spans of the bridge, allow the mill to maintain the water level several feet above the roadbed.^[2]

”

The Manistique Tourism Council stated: "At one time, the bridge itself was partially supported by the water that was atmospherically forced under it," and that the Bridge has been featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not! ^[3]

[edit] History

From its inception until 1925, M-94 connected the city of Munising with M-28. In 1925, it was rerouted to run out of Munising west to Au Train instead of east to Van Meer. It was later extended westward to Harvey by 1939. M-94 was extended eastward on M-28 to Shingleton, and then southerly to Manistique in 1926. In 1928, M-94 was returned to run along Munising-Van Meer-Shingleton Road (now H-58 and H-15) and southerly to Shingleton. This routing was abandoned on 1963-11-07.^[4]^[1]

In 1941, the portion of M-94 west from Munising to Harvey was made a part of M-28, and M-94 was extended along its current routing from Munising to US 41. M-94 was extended for the last time in 1998 over US 41 and through the old K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base to end at a newly designated M-553.^[1]

[edit] Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Roads	Notes
Marquette	K. I. Sawyer	0.00	M-553	Western terminus
	Skandia		US 41	North to Marquette
	Skandia		US 41	South to Rapid River
Alger	Eben Junction		H-01	South to Traunik
	Chatham		H-01	North to Deerton
	Chatham		M-67	To Trenary
	Forest Lake		H-03	To Au Train
	Munising		M-28
	Wetmore		H-13/Federal Forest Highway 13	To Nahma
	Shingleton		M-28 H-15	M-28 to Seney H-15 to Van Meer
Schoolcraft	Manistique	87.31	US 2	Southern terminus