M-49 (Michigan highway)

This article is about the state highway in Michigan; for other uses, see M49 (disambiguation)

M-49

M-49 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length: 25.480 mi[3] (41.006 km)
Existed: 1930[1][2] – present
Major junctions
South end: SR 49 at the Ohio state line
  US 12 in Allen
North end: M-99 in Litchfield
Location
Counties: Hillsdale
Highway system

Michigan State Trunkline Highway System
Interstate • US • State

← M-48 M-50 →

M-49 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the south-central portion of the US state of Michigan. It runs from the Ohio state line north to Litchfield through rural Hillsdale County. M-49 is the only Michigan highway in which the road crossing into another state has the same state highway number. M-49 continues as State Route 49 (SR 49), near the Indiana–Michigan–Ohio tripoint south of Camden. The highway dates back to 1930 and was only altered once in the 1940s. M-49 runs through Southern Michigan farmlands connecting several small towns along its path.

Contents

Route description

M-49 starts as the continuation of SR 49 into Michigan from Ohio. The highway crosses the state line south of Camden east of the tripoint with Indiana and Ohio. Running north through rural Hillsdale County, the roadway follows Edon Road through farm land. The highway follows two sweeping curves to cross Territorial Road and continue into the village of Camden. M-49 follows Main Street through town and turns northeasterly on the north side of the village on the way to Reading. Returning to a due-north course,[4][5] the highway crosses a branch of the Indiana Northeastern Railroad on the south side of Reading.[6] The Edon Road name gives way to Main Street through the city. M-49 runs north out of Reading, once again called Edon Road, through farm lands dotted with occasional trees. At Weston Road on the southeast side of Allen, the highway turns to the northeast to a junction with US 12 (Chicago Road). M-49 turns west along US 12, running concurrently into the village. M-49 resumes its northerly course at Railroad Street, separating from US 12 in the process. Outside of town, the roadway changes names to Allen Road, and through more Southern Michigan farmland, M-49 runs north to Genesee Road. The highway turns east on Genesee to Anderson Road, and then north to Litchfield. Crossing into that city, M-49 follows Chicago Street to the intersection with M-99 downtown. At that junction, M-49 terminates nearly 25.5 miles (41.0 km) north of the state line.[4][5] No part of the highway has been listed on the National Highway System,[7] a system of highways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.[8]

History

M-49 was added to the state highway system in 1930, running along its current routing between M-9 (now M-99) in Litchfield and the Ohio state line south of Camden. Near the state line, the highway jogged along Territorial Road for a short distance to make the connection with the continuation of SR 49.[1][2] The second version of M-120 ran concurrently with M-49 on this section of Territorial Road starting in 1939.[9][10] This concurrency was removed in late 1946 or early 1947 when M-49 was realigned to smooth out the corners in the roadway a M-120.[11][12] The routing of M-49 has remained the same since. It is currently the only state highway that connects with a like-numbered state highway from another state. The only other highways in Michigan to share a number with a cross-border connection are components of the Interstate Highway System or the United States Numbered Highways.[4]

Major intersections

The entire highway is in Hillsdale County.

Location Mile[3] Destinations Notes
Camden Township 0.000 SR 49 south – Edgerton Ohio state line
Allen Township 18.560 US 12 east – Detroit Eastern end of US 12 concurrency
Allen 19.085 US 12 west – Coldwater Western end of US 12 concurrency
Litchfield 25.480 M-99 – Albion, Hillsdale
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
     Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Michigan State Highway Department (July 1, 1930). Official Highway Service Map (Map). Cartography by H.M. Gousha. 
  2. ^ a b Michigan State Highway Department (November 1, 1930). Official Highway Service Map (Map). Cartography by H.M. Gousha. 
  3. ^ a b "MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application". Michigan Department of Transportation. 2009. http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/prfinder/. Retrieved February 3, 2011. 
  4. ^ a b c Michigan Department of Transportation (2010). Official Department of Transportation Map (Map). 1 in:15 mi/1 cm:9 km. Section M10–N10. 
  5. ^ a b Google, Inc. Google Maps – Overview Map of M-49 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=M-49+N%2FS+Edon+Rd&daddr=N+Chicago+St&hl=en&geocode=FXhDfAId9try-g%3BFYyLgQIdWLDy-g&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=15&sll=41.697782,-84.74493&sspn=0.030185,0.029097&ie=UTF8&ll=41.876208,-84.745102&spn=0.481615,0.465546&t=h&z=11. Retrieved February 3, 2011. 
  6. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 2009) (PDF). Michigan's Railroad System (Map). http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_Official_Rail_130897_7.pdf. Retrieved September 14, 2010. 
  7. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006) (PDF). National Highway System, Michigan (Map). http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_NHS_Statewide_150626_7.pdf. Retrieved October 7, 2008. 
  8. ^ "The National Highway System". Federal Highway Administration. August 26, 2010. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/nhs/. Retrieved January 1, 2011. 
  9. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (April 15, 1939). 1939 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Summer ed.). Section N10. 
  10. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (December 1, 1939). 1939 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Winter ed.). Section N10. 
  11. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (July 1, 1946). Michigan Official Highway Map (Map). Section N10. 
  12. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (May 1, 1947). 1947 Official Highway Map (Map). Section N10. 

External links