M-99 is a north–south
state trunkline highway in the
Lower Peninsula
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; the other being the Upper Peninsula, which is separated by the S ...
of the US state of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. It runs from the
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
state border, where it connects to
State Route 15 (SR 15), north to
Lansing
Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...
, where it terminates at a junction with
Interstate 496
Interstate 496 (I-496) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that passes through downtown Lansing in the US state of Michigan. Also a component of the State Trunkline Highway System, the freeway connects I-96 to the downtown area. It has been name ...
(I-496) and the
Capitol Loop
The Capitol Loop is a state trunkline highway running through Lansing, Michigan, in the United States that was commissioned on October 13, 1989. It forms a loop route off Interstate 496 (I-496) through downtown near the Michigan State Capitol ...
. The highway mainly serves local communities along the route as it passes through farm lands in the southern part of the state. One short segment, in
Jonesville, is
routed concurrently with
US Highway 12 (US 12). The segment within Lansing follows
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The current highway is the third to carry the M-99 designation. The others were located near
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
near
Muskegon
Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expan ...
in the Lower Peninsula and
Gulliver
Gulliver may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Arts and entertainment
*Lemuel Gulliver, the protagonist of Jonathan Swift's novel ''Gulliver's Travels''
*the title character of ''Brian Gulliver's Travels'', a satirical BBC radio series
*Gary Gulliver, the ti ...
in the
Upper Peninsula
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...
in the 1920s and 1930s. The current highway was first designated as parts of
M-34 and
M-64 in 1919. These numbers were later dropped in favor of an M-9 designation in 1929. For part of 1934, a
loop route
In road transportation in the United States, a special route is a road in a numbered highway system that diverts a specific segment of related traffic away from another road. They are featured in many highway systems; most are found in the Int ...
was designated M-158 in
Hillsdale County
Hillsdale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 45,746. The county seat is Hillsdale.
Hillsdale County is the only county in Michigan to border both Indiana and Ohio. Due to an a ...
that was used for a rerouted M-9 in the area. The M-99 designation was applied to the highway in 1940. Since then, the state has completed paving twice; one segment was returned to gravel surface for two years in the 1950s. The southern section in Hillsdale County was rerouted in the 1960s, and sections were converted into
divided highway
A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
s in the late 1970s.
Route description
SR 15 ends at the Michigan state line just north of
Pioneer, Ohio
Pioneer is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,369 at the 2010 census.
History
Pioneer was platted in 1853. A post office has been in operation at Pioneer since 1851.
From 1903, the village was the terminus ...
, where it becomes M-99. The roadway travels northward from the state line on Pioneer Road, through mostly agricultural areas of
Hillsdale County
Hillsdale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 45,746. The county seat is Hillsdale.
Hillsdale County is the only county in Michigan to border both Indiana and Ohio. Due to an a ...
before reaching a junction with
M-34 just west of
Osseo. The trunkline turns westward on Hudson Road, which curves to the north around Baw Beese Lake just southeast of Hillsdale. M-99 passes through Hillsdale on a northwest course on Broad Street and Carlton Road, passing just a few blocks to the west of
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College is a Private university, private Conservatism in the United States, conservative Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan. It was founded in 1844 by Abolitionism, abolitionists known as Free Will Baptists.
Its missio ...
. After leaving town, the road bends to the north as Olds Street as it runs parallel to the
St. Joseph River to
Jonesville. In that community, M-99 intersects US 12. The two highways
run concurrently through Jonesville for less than half a mile (0.8 km) before M-99 returns to its northwesterly course. It leaves the town toward Litchfield continuing parallel to the river.
![M-99 welcome sign](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/M-99_welcome_sign.jpg)
In Litchfield, M-99 enters the town from the southeast, passing near downtown where it meets the northern terminus of
M-49. The highway leaves Litchfield heading northwest on Homer Road for a few miles before bending to the north as it crosses into
Calhoun County Calhoun County is the name of several counties in the United States of America named after U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun:
* Calhoun County, Alabama
* Calhoun County, Arkansas
* Calhoun County, Florida
* Calhoun County, Georgia
* Calhoun Count ...
. The trunkline passes through more farmland as it runs toward
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
on Hillsdale Street. In Homer, after passing through a
roundabout
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
, M-99 meets
M-60, and the two highways run concurrently through the town to the northeast. The road briefly splits into a divided highway near the end of the concurrency; M-99 heads north, while M-60 continues eastward. From here, M-99 continues northward on 28 Mile Road toward the city of
Albion
Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...
. After crossing the
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch.U.S. Geologica ...
in downtown, M-99 merges with
Business Loop I-94 (BL I-94). M-99 continues east concurrently with the business loop on Michigan Avenue passing near
Albion College
Albion College is a private liberal arts college in Albion, Michigan. The college was founded in 1835 and its undergraduate population was approximately 1,500 students in 2014.
They participate in NCAA Division III and the Michigan Intercolle ...
before heading back north to an interchange with
I-94 at exit 124; this interchange marks the end of BL I-94 and M-99 continues northward on Eaton Rapids Road.
[
M-99 heads north through farmland to the village of Springport where it turns eastward along Main Street as it passes through the town. The highway continues easterly on Eaton Rapids Road before turning northward to cross into ]Eaton County
Eaton County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 109,175. The county seat is Charlotte. The county was organized in 1837 and was named for John Eaton, who was Secretary of War under ...
. Shortly after crossing the county line, M-50 comes in from the southeast to meet up with M-99. The two highways travel together into Eaton Rapids
Eaton Rapids is a city in Eaton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,214 at the 2010 census.
The city is located in the south of Eaton Rapids Township, on the boundary with Hamlin Township, though it is politically indep ...
. Together they form Main Street in the city before they separate on the north side of town. M-50 leaves to the northwest as Dexter Road, and M-99 continues to the northeast as Canal and Michigan streets. For the next few miles, the trunkline splits into a divided highway and runs parallel to the general course of the Grand River. M-99 crosses the river southeast of Dimondale after the opposing directions merge back together as an undivided highway. North of the river crossing, M-99 meets I-96
Interstate 96 (I-96) is an east–west Interstate Highway that runs for approximately entirely within the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 (US 31) and Bus ...
at the latter's exit 101 on the southern border of Lansing.[
From I-96, the M-99 continues north through residential neighborhoods into Lansing as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The highway travels northeasterly through the southern side of the capital city, as far as Jolly Road. There it turns northward through the Old Everett Neighborhood. The street is bordered by commercial properties in this area. M-99 widens into a ]boulevard
A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway.
Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls.
In American usage, boulevards may ...
as it passes the T-intersection
A three-way junction (or three-way intersection) is a type of road intersection with three arms. A Y junction (or Y intersection) generally has three arms of equal size coming at an acute or obtuse angle to each other; while a T junction (or T ...
with Victor Avenue, passing through the Moores Park neighborhood before crossing the Grand River. North of the river, the highway is bordered by the site of the former Lansing Car Assembly
Lansing Car Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Lansing, Michigan. It contained two elements, a 1901 automobile plant in downtown Lansing, and the 1920 Durant Motors factory on Lansing's Far Westside.
The Lansing plant was the ho ...
plant,[ which for a century produced ]Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...
s and other GM cars. M-99 ends at a junction with I-496 just north of the assembly plant area at exit 5; Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard continues north from this interchange as the Capitol Loop
The Capitol Loop is a state trunkline highway running through Lansing, Michigan, in the United States that was commissioned on October 13, 1989. It forms a loop route off Interstate 496 (I-496) through downtown near the Michigan State Capitol ...
.[
M-99 is maintained by the ]Michigan Department of Transportation
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is a constitutional government principal department of the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interstate ...
(MDOT) like other state highways in Michigan. As a part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the roadways under its jurisdiction. MDOT's surveys in 2010 showed that the highest traffic levels along M-99 were the 32,262 vehicles daily north of Mount Hope Avenue in Lansing, on average; the lowest count was 2,300 vehicles per day between the state line and the M-34 junction. No section of M-99 has been listed on the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.
History
Previous designations
When the state highway system was originally signed in 1919, M-99 was designated on a road between the Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
shoreline and M-11 (now US 31) between Muskegon
Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expan ...
and Hart
Hart often refers to:
* Hart (deer)
Hart may also refer to:
Organizations
* Hart Racing Engines, a former Formula One engine manufacturer
* Hart Skis, US ski manufacturer
* Hart Stores, a Canadian chain of department stores
* Hart's Reptile W ...
. This highway was decommissioned in 1929. In 1931, M-99 was designated on a gravel road in the Upper Peninsula
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...
from US 2 just east of Gulliver
Gulliver may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Arts and entertainment
*Lemuel Gulliver, the protagonist of Jonathan Swift's novel ''Gulliver's Travels''
*the title character of ''Brian Gulliver's Travels'', a satirical BBC radio series
*Gary Gulliver, the ti ...
) to Port Inland on Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
. This highway was decommissioned as well in 1939.
Current designation
In 1919, the highway that is now M-99 was first signed as M-64 from the Ohio state line to Hillsdale and as M-34 from Hillsdale to the Litchfield area.[ In 1924, the western terminus of M-34 was extended to Homer where it terminated at M-60.] Just a few years later, in 1926, the western terminus was truncated, to end at Hillsdale; the remainder to Jonesville became an extension of the M-64.
In 1929, this version of M-64 was renumbered M-9.[ In 1934, M-9 traveled on Pioneer Road in Hillsdale County, from the Ohio border before turning west on Burt Road, north on Clark Road, west on Montgomery Road then north onto Hillsdale Road. During this time a loop was planned to continue north from the corner of Pioneer and Burt Roads to Montgomery Road where it turned west and met with M-9 at Clark Road. This short loop was designated M-158, however later in the year the routing of M-9 was shifted onto the M-158 alignment, eliminating that route.] By the middle of 1936, the highway was extended northward to end in Lansing. The M-9 designation was replaced with M-99 in 1940.
By 1947, M-99 was completely paved. One segment between Litchfield and Homer was converted back to gravel surface in 1952; a change that was reverted two years later. By 1960, the former US 12/M-99 concurrency through Albion was redesignated Business US 12 through the city when the I-94/US 12 freeway was completed. Within a year, that business loop was redesignated BL I-94 when the US 12 designation was removed from the freeway and applied to the former US 112; at the same time, the US 112/M-99 concurrency in Jonesville became US 12/M-99 as well.
A new alignment of M-99 highway was opened from the Ransom area north to Osseo in 1966; the western terminus of M-34 was scaled back to end at the new highway near Osseo and M-99 supplanted M-34 from Osseo to Hillsdale. The divided highway section of M-99 was opened north of Eaton Rapids in 1979.
The Michigan Department of State Highways first announced plans in 1970 to expand M-99 within the Lansing city limits. The plan called for conversion of M-99 to a boulevard
A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway.
Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls.
In American usage, boulevards may ...
between Victor and Pulaski streets, on the south side of the Grand River; after crossing the Grand River, the roadway would be split into a one-way pairing northerly to Kalamazoo Avenue, with northbound traffic along the existing routing on Logan Street and southbound traffic following Birch Street. Construction of such a routing was slated to displace of residential district and some businesses along Logan Street. Construction on this realignment began in 1973, and the boulevard routing from Victor to Pulaski opened in late 1977.
In 1989, Logan Street through Lansing was given an additional name, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. This dual-naming scheme lasted until 1994 when the Logan Street name was removed, leaving only Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Major intersections
See also
*
References
External links
M-99
at Michigan Highways
at Michigan Highways
{{DEFAULTSORT:M099
099
Transportation in Hillsdale County, Michigan
Transportation in Calhoun County, Michigan
Transportation in Jackson County, Michigan
Transportation in Eaton County, Michigan
Transportation in Ingham County, Michigan