U.S. Route 31 in Michigan

US Highway 31

US 31 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length: 357.234 mi[1] (574.91 km)
Existed: 1926 – present
Tourist
routes:
Lake Michigan Circle Tour
Major junctions
South end: US 31 near Niles
 

US 12 near Niles
I-94 near Benton Harbor
I-94 / I-196 near Benton Harbor
I-196 at Holland
I-96 at Norton Shores
US 10 at Ludington

US 131 at Petoskey
North end: I-75 near Mackinaw City
Highway system

United States Numbered Highways
List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced

Michigan State Trunkline Highway System
Interstate • US • State

M-30 M-31

US Highway 31 (US 31) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Alabama, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that runs from the Indiana–Michigan state line at Bertrand Township to its terminus at Interstate 75 (I-75) south of Mackinaw City. The highway runs for 357.234 miles (574.912 km) in the state.

The route crossed the Straits of Mackinac for a time before the Mackinac Bridge was built by ferry only.

Contents

Route description

Much of US 31 from the Indiana-Michigan state line to Ludington is built to freeway standards. Two notable exceptions are a short segment along Napier Avenue between the St. Joseph Valley Parkway and I-94 near Benton Harbor, and between Holland and Ferrysburg. The portion of I-75 north of US 31's northern terminus toward the Mackinac Bridge was designated US 31 prior to the 1990s and was US 31's most northern portion to be built to freeway status. Since its truncation at the I-75 junction, however, the most northern segment of US 31 freeway ends near Ludington.

Lane configurations

The southernmost 24 miles (39 km) of US 31 in Michigan runs along the four-lane freeway St. Joseph Valley Parkway. The portion of US 31 concurrent with I-94 near Benton Harbor travels along a six-lane freeway, while the next 47 miles (44 of which are concurrent with I-196) from north of Benton Harbor to Holland a four-lane freeway. The 24 miles (39 km) from Holland to Grand Haven runs along a mixture of four-lane divided highway and four-lane divided expressway. At Grand Haven, US 31 crosses the Grand River via a six-lane bascule bridge. The next 67 miles (108 km) from Ferrysburg to Ludington travels along a four-lane freeway. From Ludington to its northern terminus south of Mackinaw City, US 31 consists largely of two-lane rural highway and four- to five-lane urban street segments. Two segments, however, have been constructed to two-lane limited-access standards: from Elk Rapids northerly and from Carp Lake to I-75.

History

At the introduction of the US Highway System in the 1920s the route of US 31 largely replaced the existing M-58 and M-11 route designations.

In the 1920s and 30s, US 31 crossed the Straits of Mackinac via auto ferry and terminated at US 2 in Rogers Park north of St. Ignace. The former US 31/US 33, now M-51, enters the state of Michigan from Indiana in Niles Charter Township.

The Michigan Memorial Highway Act (Act 142 of 2001) designates all of US 31 from the Indiana border to the Straits of Mackinac as the Blue Star Memorial Highway.[2][3] "Act 71 of 1952" had previously designated all of US 31 in the Lower Peninsula and the portion of US 2 from St. Ignace to Sault Ste. Marie, although this was not included in the Act of 2001. Various portions of former routings of US 31 throughout southwest and west Michigan, notably County A-2, are still called "Blue Star Highway".

Future

According to the recently passed Federal Transportation Bill an earmark was provided to begin planning and right of way purchases for a new route of the highway along the 120th ave corridor in Ottawa County, between Holland and Nunica. Due to tight transportation budgets at the state level, the Michigan Department of Transportation will begin construction on this project using a staged approach. The first phase in Ottawa County, designated Future M-231, will consist of a two-lane highway constructed on four-lane right-of-way for future conversion to freeway standards from M-45 (Lake Michigan Dr) to I-96 at Nunica. This segment will include a new crossing over the Grand River. MDOT is currently working on environmental clearances for this project with right-of-way acquisition to begin thereafter. Any work on the proposed US 31 freeway corridor south of M-45 (Lake Michigan Dr) has not yet been scheduled.

Plans also call for the completion of the St. Joseph Valley Parkway, to carry US 31, between Napier Avenue and I-94 sometime in the 2010s.

Major intersections

County Location Mile Exit Destinations Notes
Berrien
Bertrand Township 0.000 US 31 south (St. Joseph Valley Parkway) – South Bend, Indianapolis Indiana state line
3.8 3 US 12 – Niles, Sturgis, New Buffalo
5.1 5 Niles–Buchanan Road – Buchanan
7 7 Walton Road – Buchanan Former BUS US 31
Oronoko Charter Township 13.2 13 Snow Road – Berrien Springs
15.7 15 M-139 / Old 31 – Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Berrien Springs Signed as exits 15A (Old 31) and 15B (M-139) northbound
Berrien Township 18.9 18 Tabor Road — Eau Claire
Sodus Township 22.9 22 Pipestone Road — Eau Claire
Benton Charter Township 24.9 24 Napier Avenue Temporary north end of freeway, mandatory exit onto Napier Avenue
Benton Harbor 27.2 30 I-94 west – Chicago Southern end of I-94 concurrency; signed as Napier Avenue southbound
29.4 33 BL I-94 – St. Joseph No exit northbound
31 34 I-94 east – Detroit
I-196 north – Grand Rapids, Holland
Northern end of I-94 concurrency; southern end of I-196 concurrency
Hagar Township 32 1 Red Arrow Highway
34.7 4 Coloma Road — Coloma
37.8 7 M-63 south / LMCT south Northern terminus of M-63; southern end of LMCT concurrency
Van Buren
Covert Township 43.8 13 A-2 (Blue Star Highway) / 32nd Avenue
South Haven Charter Township 48.5 18 BL I-196 / M-140 – South Haven, Watervliet Signed as M-140 only (southbound)
South Haven 51.6 20 BL I-196 / Phoenix Street – South Haven Signed as Phoenix Street only (northbound)
Allegan
53.1 22 North Shore Drive – South Haven
  57.2 26 109th Avenue
  60.7 30 A-2 (Blue Star Highway)
  65.1 34 M-89 east – Allegan
  67.1 36 A-2 (Blue Star Highway)
  72.2 41 A-2 (Blue Star Highway)
  75.7 44 I-196 north (G.R. Ford Freeway) – Grand Rapids
BL I-196 east – Holland
Northern end of I-196 concurrency; southern end of BL I-196 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance
  77.8 47A A-2 south (Blue Star Highway)
  78.1 47B Washington Avenue – Holland Former BUS US 31
Holland 79 M-40 south – Allegan
Ottawa
Zeeland 82 BL I-196 east (Chicago Drive) Northern end of BL I-196 concurrency
Agnew 95.9 M-45 east
  Freeway Begins
Ferrysburg 103.8 104 M-104 east – Spring Lake, Ferrysburg Signed as 104A (Spring Lake) and 104B (Ferrysburg)
105.1 105 Van Wagoner Street – Ferrysburg
Muskegon
Fruitport 107.7 107 Pontaluna Road – Fruitport
109.1 109 Sternberg Road — Fruitport Signed as exits 109A (eastbound) and 109B (westbound)
Norton Shores 110.7 110 I-96 east – Grand Rapids

BUS US 31 north / LMCT – Muskegon
Signed as exits 110A (I-96 east) southbound and (Hile Road to I-96 east) northbound, 110B (BUS US 31 north) northbound and (Airline Road to BUS US 31 north) southbound; Northern end of LMCT concurrency
112.6 112 B-72 east (Sherman Boulevard) – Muskegon
Muskegon Township 113.6 113 Laketon Avenue – Muskegon
Muskegon 114.6 114 M-46 – Muskegon, Cedar Springs
Muskegon Township 116 116
BUS US 31 south / LMCT – Muskegon
Northbound signed as North Muskegon; southern end of LMCT concurrency
North Muskegon 118.5 118 M-120 – Muskegon, Twin Lake
Dalton Township 121 121 B-23 north (Russell Road) – Lakewood Club Access to Michigan's Adventure, Owasippe Scout Reservation, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
126.3 126 White Lake Drive – Lakewood Club
Whitehall 128.9 128
BUS US 31 north / LMCT – Whitehall
Southern terminus of BUS US 31; northern end of LMCT concurrency
Montague 131.6 131
BUS US 31 south / LMCT – Montague

B-86 east

B-15 north
Northern terminus of BUS US 31; southern end of LMCT concurrency
Oceana
Rothbury 136.4 136 Winston Road – Rothbury
New Era 140.3 140 M-20 east – White Cloud Western terminus of M-20
Shelby Township 144 144 Shelby Road – Shelby
Hart 148.7 149
BUS US 31 – Hart
Southern terminus of BUS US 31
Pentwater 153.8 154
BUS US 31 north / LMCT – Pentwater
Southern terminus of BUS US 31; signed as Monroe Road southbound; northern end of LMCT concurrency
158.7 158
BUS US 31 south / LMCT – Pentwater
Northern terminus of BUS US 31; signed as Oceana Drive northbound; southern end of LMCT concurrency
Mason
Ludington 167.8 166
BUS US 31 north (Pere Marquette Highway) / LMCT – Ludington
Northern end of LMCT concurrency
170 170 US 10 west / LMCT – Ludington, Clare, Traverse City Signed as exits 170A (eastbound) and 170B (westbound); northern end of freeway; western end of US 10 concurrency; southern end of LMCT concurrency
Scottville 172.9 US 10 east – Reed City Eastern end of US 10 concurrency
Manistee
Manistee 196.2 M-55 east – Cadillac
Manistee Township 199.2 M-22 north / LMCT – Frankfort Northern end of LMCT concurrency
Benzie
Benzonia Township 223 M-115 east – Cadillac Southern end of M-115 concurrency
Benzonia 225.3 M-115 west – Frankfort Northern end of M-115 concurrency
Grand Traverse
Interlochen 244.1 M-137 south Northern terminus of M-137
Chums Corners 249.8 M-37 south Southern end of M-37 concurrency
Traverse City 256.7 M-22 north / M-72 west (Grandview Parkway) / LMCT Western end of M-72 concurrency; southern end of LMCT concurrency
258.7 M-37 north Northern end of M-37 concurrency
Acme 264.7 M-72 east Eastern end of M-72 concurrency
Antrim
Torch Lake Township 290 M-88 east Western terminus of M-88
Banks Township 295.5 C-48 east
Charlevoix
Charlevoix 306.2 M-66 south Northern terminus of M-66
Hayes Township 317.9 C-56 east
Emmet
Petoskey 323.2 US 131 south Northern terminus of US 131
323.9 C-58 east (Mitchell Road/Wolverine Road)
325.9 C-81 south
Bay View 326.6 M-119 north (Harbor-Petoskey Road) – Cross Village, Levering
Alanson 334.8 M-68 east – Indian River
Pellston 342.2 C-64 east (Robinson Road) – Cheboygan
McKinley Township 347.9 C-66 (Levering Road) – Cheboygan
Cheboygan
Mackinaw City 356.4 I-75 north / LMCT Northern terminus of US 31; northern end of LMCT concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
     Concurrency terminus     Closed/Former     Incomplete access     Unopened

See also


References

  1. ^ Bessert, Christopher J. (March 2, 2006). "Michigan Highways: Highways 30 through 39". Michigan Highways. http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/MichHwys30-39.html#US-31. Retrieved March 2, 2006. 
  2. ^ Section 250.1011, Act 142 of 2001, Michigan Compiled Laws
  3. ^ All Memorial Highways, Michigan Department of Transportation

External links

US Highway 31
Previous state:
Indiana
Michigan Next state:
Terminus