M-24 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-24 is a state trunkline highway
in the U.S. state of Michigan
that extends 74.3 miles (119.574 km) through Southeast Michigan
, from northeast Auburn Hills
to Unionville
. It starts at an interchange with Interstate 75
(I-75) and ends where it merges with M-25
. While the M-24 designation is similar to that of US Highway 24 (US 24) which has a northern terminus located only a few miles from the southern terminus of M-24, M-24 was never part of US 24.
The first M-24 in Michigan was replaced by M-20
when US 10
replaced the original M-20 in 1926. A 1936 bypass of downtown Pontiac
resulted in the creation of M-24A which later became BUS M-24 in 1940. An extension in 1997 moved the northern end of M-24 northward from Caro
to Unionville, replacing a section of M-138
in the process.
, home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons
, and a variety of electronic signs are contained in the area to indicate the status of access to the entrance. The roadway is a continuation of Business Loop I-75 (BL I-75) that travels through Pontiac
. This section of the highway dedicated to William Davidson
, former owner of the Pistons, in legislation signed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder in May 2011.
The section of M-24 from its southern terminus in Auburn Hills
north to the village of Oxford
is one of the busiest stretches of road in the state in terms of annual average daily traffic
(AADT). Near The Palace of Auburn Hills, 50,600 vehicles used the roadway on average in 2007. The road is a standard Michigan expressway
design, with at-grade intersections, traffic signals, and Michigan Left
s. M-24 continues north through the Bald Mountain Recreation Area
and along the eastern shore of Lake Orion in the village of Lake Orion
. This expressway continues a few miles north of the Lapeer County
line, where the highway becomes a two-lane highway for a few miles, before returning to expressway from Metamora
to I-69
. South of Metamora, M-24 runs parallel to the former right-of-way
for the Michigan Central Railroad
north into the city of Lapeer
.
M-24 continues north from Lapeer running west of Barnes Lake and east of the community of Columbiaville
just south of the M-90
junction. South of the Tuscola County
line, the trunkline passes the Greenbriar Golf Club and crosses the Pere Marquette Railroad before turning west along Saginaw Road into the community of Mayville
and turning north along Mertz Road. South of Caro
, M-24 meets M-46
. Once past Frank Street in Caro, M-24 becomes Ellington Street. M-24 then comes to meet M-81
in Caro, where the highway becomes Cleaver Road. M-24 then jogs west along Biebel Road and then north along Unionville Road past a junction with M-138
to end in Unionville
at M-25
.
M-24 is also known locally as Lapeer Road in several areas, including Orion Township
, Oxford Township
, and Metamora
. In the Village of Oxford
, it is also known as Washington Street. In downtown Lapeer
, it is known as Main Street, and north of Mayville
as Mertz Rd. In the Unionville
area, it is also known as Unionville Road.
. From Midland
east, M-24 continued along today's M-47
. When the U.S. Highway System was created, US 10
replaced M-20 and M-20 in turn replaced the first M-24. The M-24 designation was then applied to the current routing.
to Bay City
. The two sections would be joined in 1927 by a concurrency
along M-21
and M-15
. This arrangement lasted until a permanent solo routing was created in 1930. The Pontiac area saw a rerouting of M-24 to an eastern bypass of town in 1936. The former routing in town became M-24A. It would be redesignated as BUS M-24 in 1940 when the State Highway Department debuted business routes in Michigan. The northern terminus was moved to M-81 in Caro in 1942, and the southern terminus was shifted to the present location in 1963. Prior to a 1997 extension, M-24 ended at M-81
in Caro
; now it continues up to M-25 in Unionville
.
From 2006 to 2008, M-24 was expanded to a boulevard between Metamora and Lapeer
. There is still a two lane section between the Lapeer/Oakland County Line and Metamora that is planned to be upgraded in the near future. The construction has been delayed because of development close to the highway near Metamora.
Michigan Highway System
The Michigan State Trunkline Highway System is made up of all the highways designated as Interstates, U.S. Highways and State Highways in the US state of Michigan. The system is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation and comprises of trunklines in all 83 counties of Michigan on...
in the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
that extends 74.3 miles (119.574 km) through Southeast Michigan
Southeast Michigan
Southeast Michigan, also called Southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries as well as slightly over half of the state's population, most of whom are concentrated in Metro...
, from northeast Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:...
to Unionville
Unionville, Michigan
Unionville is a village in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 605 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the northwestern corner of Columbia Township.-Geography:...
. It starts at an interchange with Interstate 75
Interstate 75 in Michigan
Interstate 75 is a part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-75 enters the state from Ohio in the south, just to the north of Toledo. It runs generally north through Detroit, Pontiac and Bay City, crossing the...
(I-75) and ends where it merges with M-25
M-25 (Michigan highway)
M-25 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron shore of the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula between Port Huron and Bay City. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay and generally lies...
. While the M-24 designation is similar to that of US Highway 24 (US 24) which has a northern terminus located only a few miles from the southern terminus of M-24, M-24 was never part of US 24.
The first M-24 in Michigan was replaced by M-20
M-20 (Michigan highway)
M-20 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from New Era to Midland. It crosses through rural Lower Peninsula forest land between the two ends. The highway serves the college towns of Big Rapids and Mt...
when US 10
U.S. Route 10 in Michigan
US Highway 10 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from West Fargo, North Dakota, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway enters the state on the SS Badger crossing Lake Michigan at Ludington and ends at Bay City.US 10 was created as part of...
replaced the original M-20 in 1926. A 1936 bypass of downtown Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
resulted in the creation of M-24A which later became BUS M-24 in 1940. An extension in 1997 moved the northern end of M-24 northward from Caro
Caro, Michigan
Caro is a city in and the county seat of Tuscola County, Michigan, United States. The population was 4,229 at the 2010 census and 4,145 at the 2000 census ....
to Unionville, replacing a section of M-138
M-138 (Michigan highway)
M-138 is a long state trunkline highway in the Thumb region of the US state of Michigan.-Route description:M-138 begins at a junction with M-15 just west of the hamlet of Munger, in Bay County's Merritt Township. Known to locals as Munger Road, the route then heads due east through agricultural...
in the process.
Route description
M-24 begins a hundred feet south of an overpass that is part of a double trumpet interchange with I-75 in Auburn Hills. The interchange also connects with an entrance into The Palace of Auburn HillsThe Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
, home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, and a variety of electronic signs are contained in the area to indicate the status of access to the entrance. The roadway is a continuation of Business Loop I-75 (BL I-75) that travels through Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
. This section of the highway dedicated to William Davidson
William Davidson
William Morse "Bill" Davidson, J. D. was an American businessman who was President, Chairman and CEO of Guardian Industries, one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass...
, former owner of the Pistons, in legislation signed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder in May 2011.
The section of M-24 from its southern terminus in Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:...
north to the village of Oxford
Oxford, Michigan
Oxford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,436 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Oxford Charter Township. The village occupies one square mile and is both politically and geographically a part of the township. The village calls itself...
is one of the busiest stretches of road in the state in terms of annual average daily traffic
Annual average daily traffic
Average Annual daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning and transportation engineering. It is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a year divided by 365 days. AADT is a useful and simple measurement of how busy the road is...
(AADT). Near The Palace of Auburn Hills, 50,600 vehicles used the roadway on average in 2007. The road is a standard Michigan expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
design, with at-grade intersections, traffic signals, and Michigan Left
Michigan left
A Michigan left is an at-grade intersection design which replaces each left turn with a permutation of a U-turn and a right turn. The design was given the name due to its frequent use along Michigan roads and highways since the late 1960s. In other contexts, the intersection is called a median...
s. M-24 continues north through the Bald Mountain Recreation Area
Bald Mountain Recreation Area
Bald Mountain Recreation Area is a state park located near Lake Orion, Michigan off M-24. It consists of some of most the rugged terrain in southeastern Michigan....
and along the eastern shore of Lake Orion in the village of Lake Orion
Lake Orion, Michigan
Lake Orion is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,973 at the 2010 census. "Lake Orion" is often used to describe both the village and the much larger Orion Township, of which the village is a part....
. This expressway continues a few miles north of the Lapeer County
Lapeer County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 87,904 people, 30,729 households, and 23,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 134 people per square mile . There were 32,732 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile...
line, where the highway becomes a two-lane highway for a few miles, before returning to expressway from Metamora
Metamora, Michigan
Metamora is a village in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 507 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Metamora Township.-Geography:...
to I-69
Interstate 69 in Michigan
Interstate 69 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that currently runs from Indianapolis, Indiana, to the US–Canadian border at Port Huron, Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of Coldwater and passes through the cities of Lansing and Flint...
. South of Metamora, M-24 runs parallel to the former right-of-way
Right-of-way
Right-of-way or right of way may refer to:*Right of way , legally granted access*Right-of-way , a strip of land granted for a transportation facility...
for the Michigan Central Railroad
Michigan Central Railroad
The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...
north into the city of Lapeer
Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...
.
M-24 continues north from Lapeer running west of Barnes Lake and east of the community of Columbiaville
Columbiaville, Michigan
Columbiaville is a village in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 815 at the 2000 census. The village is within Marathon Township on the Flint River.-History:...
just south of the M-90
M-90 (Michigan highway)
M-90 is a state trunkline highway in The Thumb region of the US state of Michigan. It runs from near North Branch eastward to Lexington situated on Lake Huron. The highway is a lightly traveled roadway that runs through rural farmlands. The trunkline runs mostly east–west with two short north–south...
junction. South of the Tuscola County
Tuscola County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-15* M-24* M-25* M-46* M-81* M-138-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 58,266 people, 21,454 households, and 15,983 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile . There were 23,378 housing units at an average density of 29 per...
line, the trunkline passes the Greenbriar Golf Club and crosses the Pere Marquette Railroad before turning west along Saginaw Road into the community of Mayville
Mayville, Michigan
Mayville is a village in Tuscola County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,055 at the 2000 census. The village is within Fremont Township along the boundary with Dayton Township.-Geography:...
and turning north along Mertz Road. South of Caro
Caro, Michigan
Caro is a city in and the county seat of Tuscola County, Michigan, United States. The population was 4,229 at the 2010 census and 4,145 at the 2000 census ....
, M-24 meets M-46
M-46 (Michigan highway)
M-46 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan between Muskegon and Port Sanilac, terminating near Lake Michigan and Lake Huron on each end. Except for the north–south segment that corresponds with the US Highway 131 freeway between Cedar Springs and Howard City, M-46 is...
. Once past Frank Street in Caro, M-24 becomes Ellington Street. M-24 then comes to meet M-81
M-81 (Michigan highway)
M-81 is a state trunkline in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan that travels from the city of Saginaw at the junction with M-13 and ends at the junction with M-53 east of Cass City over the county line in Greenleaf Township in northwestern Sanilac County.-Route description:M-81 starts...
in Caro, where the highway becomes Cleaver Road. M-24 then jogs west along Biebel Road and then north along Unionville Road past a junction with M-138
M-138 (Michigan highway)
M-138 is a long state trunkline highway in the Thumb region of the US state of Michigan.-Route description:M-138 begins at a junction with M-15 just west of the hamlet of Munger, in Bay County's Merritt Township. Known to locals as Munger Road, the route then heads due east through agricultural...
to end in Unionville
Unionville, Michigan
Unionville is a village in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 605 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the northwestern corner of Columbia Township.-Geography:...
at M-25
M-25 (Michigan highway)
M-25 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron shore of the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula between Port Huron and Bay City. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay and generally lies...
.
M-24 is also known locally as Lapeer Road in several areas, including Orion Township
Orion Township, Michigan
Orion Charter Township is a charter township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 35,394 at the 2010 census. The official motto of the township and village is "Where living is a vacation". Orion Township contains the much smaller village of Lake Orion...
, Oxford Township
Oxford Charter Township, Michigan
Oxford Charter Township is a charter township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,526 at the 2010 census. The village of Oxford is located within the township and is geographically and politically a part of the township....
, and Metamora
Metamora, Michigan
Metamora is a village in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 507 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Metamora Township.-Geography:...
. In the Village of Oxford
Oxford, Michigan
Oxford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,436 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Oxford Charter Township. The village occupies one square mile and is both politically and geographically a part of the township. The village calls itself...
, it is also known as Washington Street. In downtown Lapeer
Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...
, it is known as Main Street, and north of Mayville
Mayville, Michigan
Mayville is a village in Tuscola County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,055 at the 2000 census. The village is within Fremont Township along the boundary with Dayton Township.-Geography:...
as Mertz Rd. In the Unionville
Unionville, Michigan
Unionville is a village in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 605 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the northwestern corner of Columbia Township.-Geography:...
area, it is also known as Unionville Road.
Original designation
In 1919, the first M-24 was designated along today's M-20M-20 (Michigan highway)
M-20 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from New Era to Midland. It crosses through rural Lower Peninsula forest land between the two ends. The highway serves the college towns of Big Rapids and Mt...
. From Midland
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....
east, M-24 continued along today's M-47
M-47 (Michigan highway)
M-47 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. It runs near Saginaw and Midland in the Tri-Cities area of the Lower Peninsula. The highway runs through suburban and agricultural areas to connect the two cities with the airport in the area. The northernmost section of...
. When the U.S. Highway System was created, US 10
U.S. Route 10
U.S. Route 10 is an east–west United States highway formed in 1926. Though it never became the cross-country highway suggested by the "0" as the last digit of its route number, U.S...
replaced M-20 and M-20 in turn replaced the first M-24. The M-24 designation was then applied to the current routing.
Current designation
The current designation was assigned in two pieces, Pontiac to Lapeer and VassarVassar, Michigan
Vassar is a city in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The small town was founded March 1, 1849. The population was 2,697 at the 2010 census and 2,823 at the 2000 census...
to Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
. The two sections would be joined in 1927 by a concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
along M-21
M-21 (Michigan highway)
M-21 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan connecting the cities of Grand Rapids and Flint. The highway passes through rural farming country and several small towns along its course through the Lower Peninsula...
and M-15
M-15 (Michigan highway)
M-15 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The southern terminus is a junction with US Highway 24 just south of Clarkston on the northwestern edge of the Detroit metropolitan area. The trunkline is a recreational route running north and northwest to the...
. This arrangement lasted until a permanent solo routing was created in 1930. The Pontiac area saw a rerouting of M-24 to an eastern bypass of town in 1936. The former routing in town became M-24A. It would be redesignated as BUS M-24 in 1940 when the State Highway Department debuted business routes in Michigan. The northern terminus was moved to M-81 in Caro in 1942, and the southern terminus was shifted to the present location in 1963. Prior to a 1997 extension, M-24 ended at M-81
M-81 (Michigan highway)
M-81 is a state trunkline in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan that travels from the city of Saginaw at the junction with M-13 and ends at the junction with M-53 east of Cass City over the county line in Greenleaf Township in northwestern Sanilac County.-Route description:M-81 starts...
in Caro
Caro, Michigan
Caro is a city in and the county seat of Tuscola County, Michigan, United States. The population was 4,229 at the 2010 census and 4,145 at the 2000 census ....
; now it continues up to M-25 in Unionville
Unionville, Michigan
Unionville is a village in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 605 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the northwestern corner of Columbia Township.-Geography:...
.
From 2006 to 2008, M-24 was expanded to a boulevard between Metamora and Lapeer
Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...
. There is still a two lane section between the Lapeer/Oakland County Line and Metamora that is planned to be upgraded in the near future. The construction has been delayed because of development close to the highway near Metamora.