U.S. Route 31 in Michigan
Encyclopedia
US Highway 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 (574.9 km) in the state.
The route crossed the Straits of Mackinac
for a time before the Mackinac Bridge
was built by ferry only.
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.
) from north of Benton Harbor to Holland a four-lane freeway. The 24 miles (38.6 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 (107.8 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.
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
. "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".
, 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.
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, to the Upper Peninsula
Lower Peninsula of Michigan
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Ohio and Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people...
of the US 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"....
. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway
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...
that runs from the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
–Michigan state line at Bertrand Township
Bertrand Township, Michigan
Bertrand Township is a civil township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 2,380.- Communities :...
to its terminus at 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) south of Mackinaw City
Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village...
. The highway runs for 357.234 miles (574.9 km) in the state.
The route crossed the Straits of Mackinac
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
for a time before the Mackinac Bridge
Mackinac Bridge
The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge is the third longest in total suspension in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages...
was built by ferry only.
Route description
Much of US 31 from the Indiana-Michigan state line to LudingtonLudington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
is built to freeway standards. Two notable exceptions are a short segment along Napier Avenue between the St. Joseph Valley Parkway
St. Joseph Valley Parkway
The St. Joseph Valley Parkway is a freeway in the U.S. states of Indiana and Michigan, serving as a bypass route around Elkhart, Mishawaka, and South Bend in Indiana and Niles in Michigan. The freeway runs to the south and west of Elkhart and South Bend and Niles and consists of segments of U.S...
and I-94
Interstate 94 in Michigan
Interstate 94 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of New Buffalo...
near Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
, and between Holland
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
and Ferrysburg
Ferrysburg, Michigan
Ferrysburg is a city in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,040 at the 2000 census.Spring Lake Township borders the city on the north and east, though it is administratively autonomous. The village of Spring Lake is located to the southeast, on the opposite side of...
. The portion of I-75 north of US 31's northern terminus toward the Mackinac Bridge
Mackinac Bridge
The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge is the third longest in total suspension in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages...
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 (38.6 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-196Interstate 196
Interstate 196 is a long freeway spur route in the US state of Michigan linking Grand Rapids, Holland, South Haven, and Benton Harbor. I-196 is known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, or simply the Ford Freeway, in Kent, Ottawa, and Allegan Counties, after the 38th President of the United States,...
) from north of Benton Harbor to Holland a four-lane freeway. The 24 miles (38.6 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 (107.8 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-58M-58 (Michigan highway)
M-58 is a east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from M-47 in Saginaw Township east to exit 3 of I-675 near the north part of downtown Saginaw. The trunkline follows State Street through the Saginaw area, and east of Lathrop Avenue, M-58 is split along two...
and M-11
M-11 (Michigan highway)
M-11 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. The highway runs through the western and southern sides of the metro area, starting over the border in Ottawa County at an interchange with Interstate 96...
route designations.
In the 1920s and 30s, US 31 crossed the Straits of Mackinac via auto ferry and terminated at US 2
U.S. Route 2 in Michigan
US Highway 2 is a component of the United States Numbered Highway System that connects Everett, Washington, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan, with a separate segment that runs from Rouses Point, New York, to Houlton, Maine...
in Rogers Park north of St. Ignace. The former US 31/US 33
U.S. Route 33
U.S. Route 33 is a United States federal highway that runs northwest-southeast for 709 miles from northern Indiana to Richmond, Virginia, passing through Ohio and West Virginia en route. Although most odd-numbered U.S...
, now M-51
M-51 (Michigan highway)
M-51, is a north–south state trunkline highway in the southwestern portion of the US state of Michigan. The northern terminus is on I-94 west of Paw Paw, where it continues north for less than a mile to W Red Arrow Highway as Van Buren CR 671, and the southern terminus is at the Indiana state...
, enters the state of Michigan from Indiana in Niles Charter Township
Niles Charter Township, Michigan
Niles Charter Township is a charter township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,325 at the 2000 census.On June 5, 2006, the township board voted unanimously to approve a resolution for Niles Township to become Niles Charter Township.- Communities :The City of...
.
The Michigan Memorial Highway Act (Act 142 of 2001) designates all of US 31 from the Indiana border to the Straits of Mackinac
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
as the Blue Star Memorial Highway
Blue Star Memorial Highway
Blue Star Memorial Highways are highways in the United States that are marked to pay tribute to the U.S. armed forces. The National Council of State Garden Clubs, now known as National Garden Clubs, Inc., started the program in 1945 after World War II. The blue star was used on service flags to...
. "Act 71 of 1952" had previously designated all of US 31 in the Lower Peninsula and the portion of US 2 from St. Ignace
St. Ignace, Michigan
Saint Ignace, usually written as St. Ignace, is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,678. It is the county seat of Mackinac County. From the Lower Peninsula, St. Ignace is the gateway to the Upper Peninsula.St...
to Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
, 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 CountyOttawa County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 238,314 people, 81,662 households, and 61,328 families residing in the county. The population density was 421 people per square mile . There were 86,856 housing units at an average density of 154 per square mile...
, 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
M-231 (Michigan highway)
-External links:*...
, will consist of a two-lane highway constructed on four-lane right-of-way for future conversion to freeway standards from M-45
M-45 (Michigan highway)
M-45 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that is also called Lake Michigan Drive. The highway runs from Agnew near Lake Michigan to the west side of Grand Rapids in the western Lower Peninsula. Lake Michigan Drive continues in each direction from M-45's termini, extending west...
(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.