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M-11 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
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
(I-96). It runs through both rural woodlands and busy commercial areas before it terminates at another interchange with I-96 in Cascade Township
. Locally known as Wilson Avenue and 28th Street, the trunkline is listed on the National Highway System
, M-11 carries between 8,000 and 42,000 vehicles on average each day.
When the original state trunklines were designated, an M-11 ran the length of the Lake Michigan
shoreline from the Indiana state line to Mackinaw City
. That highway was replaced in 1926 by two of the then-newly created US Highways
. A second highway was given the M-11 designation at that time in the Saline
area. This highway was removed from the highway system and the designation decommissioned in 1954. The current M-11 was designated in 1961 along a set of roads in the Grand Rapids area that includes portions of a former route of US Highway 16 (US 16) in Michigan.
. In Ottawa County, the road is called Ironwood Drive. Beginning at the Kent County
border, the street is called Remembrance Road (in honor of those who died in battle). From its western terminus, the road angles southeast–northwest for about a mile and a half (2.4 km). Then M-11 turns south on Wilson Avenue to run north–south through Walker. Wilson Avenue intersects M-45
(Lake Michigan Drive) in the Standale Business District. South of Lake Michigan Drive, the trunkline continues on Wilson Avenue through the edge of a rural area. The highway runs through forest land near Millennium Park until it crosses the Grand River
at I-196
.
Past I-196, M-11 curves to run east–west and becomes 28th Street. Wilson continues southwards as a local road and 28th Street is the route through Grandville
and Wyoming
. Chicago Drive runs under 28th Street in Grandville; there is a ramp from eastbound Chicago Drive to eastbound 28th Street, but all other connections are through the "28th Street Cutoff" to the east of the grade-separated junction. Continuing eastward through Wyoming, M-11 passes through that city's central business district. The highway intersects US Highway 131
and crosses into Grand Rapids
at Division Avenue. Near Kalamazoo Avenue, 28th Street passes the Indian Hills Golf Course. From Breton Avenue eastward, 28th Street is dominated by retail establishments as it continues into Kentwood
. M-11 meets an intersection with East Beltline Avenue near the Woodland Mall
. East Beltline carries M-37
through the eastern side of the Grand Rapids metro area, and M-44
north of 28th Street. M-11 continues eastward to its terminus at exit 44 on I-96 while 28th Street continues farther east to Cascade Road.
M-11 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation
(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. These volumes are expressed using a metric called annual average daily traffic
, which is a statistical calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway. MDOT's surveys in 2010 showed that the highest traffic levels along M-11 were the 41,214 vehicles daily between Kalamazoo and Breton avenues in Grand Rapids; the lowest counts were the 8,153 vehicles per day in Ottawa County. All of M-11 has been listed on the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.
and Mackinaw City on July 1, 1919. On November 11, 1926, the New Buffalo–Benton Harbor
segment was used for US 12
and the Watervliet–Mackinaw City section was used for US 31
; between Benton Harbor and Watervliet, M-11 was used for a concurrent
US 12/US 31. Streets are still designated as Old M-11 in places such as Chikaming Township.
Immediately after the debut of the U.S. Highway System
in 1926, M-11 was designated from M-50
at Napoleon
to US 112
in Saline. The last section of this highway was fully paved between Bridgewater and Saline in late 1948 or early 1949. In the middle of 1954, M-92
was extended southward from Chelsea
to Manchester
. From there, that highway replaced M-11 west to Bridgewater before turning south to Clinton
; at the same time, the remainder of M-11 was removed from the state highway system and the designation was decommissioned.
. By 1942, the trunkline was completed and reassigned a Bypass US 16 designation, until the mainline US 16 was rerouted over the bypass in 1953. In the latter half of 1961, the M-11 designation was first assigned in the Grand Rapids area along the current routing when US 16 was moved to the newly opened I-96 freeway. The routing has remained unchanged since.
. They planted 231 elm
s in a double row on each side of the highway and erected a boulder bearing a bronze plaque dedicated to the veterans of Kent County. Wilson Avenue was named for Samuel H. Wilson, a local realtor. He had developed a series of local residential subdivisions in the area up until his 1931 death, In 1942, the county road commission named Wilson Avenue in his honor to comply with a state law requiring roads that benefitted from state funds to have proper names.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
metropolitan area. The highway runs through the western and southern sides of the metro area, starting over the border in Ottawa County
Ottawa 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...
at an interchange with Interstate 96
Interstate 96
Interstate 96 is an intrastate Interstate Highway that is entirely within the US state of Michigan. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 and Business US Highway 31 , on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the...
(I-96). It runs through both rural woodlands and busy commercial areas before it terminates at another interchange with I-96 in Cascade Township
Cascade Township, Michigan
Cascade Charter Township is a charter township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,107 at the 2000 census.The township is situated in the southeastern section of Kent County, approximately 10 miles southeast of Grand Rapids. A defining feature of the township is the...
. Locally known as Wilson Avenue and 28th Street, the trunkline is listed on the National Highway System
National Highway System (United States)
The National Highway System is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities.Individual states...
, M-11 carries between 8,000 and 42,000 vehicles on average each day.
When the original state trunklines were designated, an M-11 ran the length of the Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
shoreline from the Indiana state line to 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...
. That highway was replaced in 1926 by two of the then-newly created US Highways
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
. A second highway was given the M-11 designation at that time in the Saline
Saline, Michigan
Saline is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,810.The city is popular for its annual Celtic Festival, which attracts people from all over the United States and its sister cities Brecon, Wales and Lindenberg, Germany...
area. This highway was removed from the highway system and the designation decommissioned in 1954. The current M-11 was designated in 1961 along a set of roads in the Grand Rapids area that includes portions of a former route of US Highway 16 (US 16) in Michigan.
Route description
The western terminus is at exit 24 on I-96, one mile (1.6 km) east of MarneMarne, Michigan
Marne is an unincorporated community in Wright Township of Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Township offices are located in the community...
. In Ottawa County, the road is called Ironwood Drive. Beginning at the Kent County
Kent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...
border, the street is called Remembrance Road (in honor of those who died in battle). From its western terminus, the road angles southeast–northwest for about a mile and a half (2.4 km). Then M-11 turns south on Wilson Avenue to run north–south through Walker. Wilson Avenue intersects 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 Drive) in the Standale Business District. South of Lake Michigan Drive, the trunkline continues on Wilson Avenue through the edge of a rural area. The highway runs through forest land near Millennium Park until it crosses the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
at I-196
Interstate 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,...
.
Past I-196, M-11 curves to run east–west and becomes 28th Street. Wilson continues southwards as a local road and 28th Street is the route through Grandville
Grandville, Michigan
Grandville is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 16,263 at the 2000 census. Grandville is one of the oldest suburbs of Grand Rapids, and was incorporated as a city in 1933....
and Wyoming
Wyoming, Michigan
Wyoming is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 72,125. That makes it the 2nd largest community or city in West Michigan, the 14th largest city in the state of Michigan, and the 18th largest community in the state as well...
. Chicago Drive runs under 28th Street in Grandville; there is a ramp from eastbound Chicago Drive to eastbound 28th Street, but all other connections are through the "28th Street Cutoff" to the east of the grade-separated junction. Continuing eastward through Wyoming, M-11 passes through that city's central business district. The highway intersects US Highway 131
U.S. Route 131
US Highway 131 is a north–south United States Highway, of which all but 0.67 miles of its 266.82 miles are within the state of Michigan. The highway starts in rural Indiana south of the state line as a state road connection to the Indiana Toll Road...
and crosses into Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
at Division Avenue. Near Kalamazoo Avenue, 28th Street passes the Indian Hills Golf Course. From Breton Avenue eastward, 28th Street is dominated by retail establishments as it continues into Kentwood
Kentwood, Michigan
Kentwood is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 48,707 at the 2010 census, making it the second most populous suburb of Grand Rapids and the 25th most populous city in Michigan.-History:...
. M-11 meets an intersection with East Beltline Avenue near the Woodland Mall
Woodland Mall
Woodland Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located just outside the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It comprises over 100 tenants in of retail space, with four anchor stores and a movie theater...
. East Beltline carries M-37
M-37 (Michigan highway)
M-37 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The southern terminus is near the border between Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties at exit 92 of Interstate 94 southwest of Battle Creek. The northern terminus is at the Mission Point Light on Old Mission Point in Grand...
through the eastern side of the Grand Rapids metro area, and M-44
M-44 (Michigan highway)
M-44 is a state trunkline highway in the western region of the US state of Michigan. It runs northward from the intersection of M-11 and M-37 toward the Rockford area. The highway then turns eastward to Belding, and it ends six miles north of Ionia at M-66...
north of 28th Street. M-11 continues eastward to its terminus at exit 44 on I-96 while 28th Street continues farther east to Cascade Road.
M-11 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation
Michigan Department of Transportation
The Michigan Department of Transportation is a constitutional government agency in the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interstate, US and state highways in Michigan with the exception of the Mackinac...
(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. These volumes are expressed using a metric called 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...
, which is a statistical calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway. MDOT's surveys in 2010 showed that the highest traffic levels along M-11 were the 41,214 vehicles daily between Kalamazoo and Breton avenues in Grand Rapids; the lowest counts were the 8,153 vehicles per day in Ottawa County. All of M-11 has been listed on the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.
Previous designations
The first M-11 originally ran along Lake Michigan between the Indiana state line near New BuffaloNew Buffalo, Michigan
New Buffalo is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,200 at the 2000 census. This city is within New Buffalo Township, but is politically autonomous.-Geography:...
and Mackinaw City on July 1, 1919. On November 11, 1926, the New Buffalo–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...
segment was used for US 12
U.S. Route 12 in Michigan
US Highway 12 is a US Highway that runs from Aberdeen, Washington to Detroit, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan it runs for . Previous to the creation of Interstate Highways in Michigan, US 12 ran along Michigan Avenue between Kalamazoo and Detroit, a highway corridor now served by I-94...
and the Watervliet–Mackinaw City section was used for US 31
U.S. Route 31 in Michigan
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 south...
; between Benton Harbor and Watervliet, M-11 was used for a concurrent
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...
US 12/US 31. Streets are still designated as Old M-11 in places such as Chikaming Township.
Immediately after the debut of the U.S. Highway System
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
in 1926, M-11 was designated from M-50
M-50 (Michigan highway)
M-50 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. Although designated as an east–west highway, it is nearly a diagonal northwest-southeast route...
at Napoleon
Napoleon, Michigan
Napoleon is an unincorporated community in Napoleon Township of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also a Census-designated place for statistical purposes and without any legal status as an incorporated municipality...
to US 112
U.S. Route 112
U.S. Route 112 was a largely east–west state trunkline highway across the southern portion of the US state of Michigan between New Buffalo and Detroit...
in Saline. The last section of this highway was fully paved between Bridgewater and Saline in late 1948 or early 1949. In the middle of 1954, M-92
M-92 (Michigan highway)
M-92 was the designation of a former state trunkline in the southern part of the US state of Michigan.-Route description:M-92 started at a junction with US 112 west of Clinton. From there it ran northward through Manchester. South of Chelsea, it intersected I-94/US 12 before passing through Chelsea...
was extended southward from Chelsea
Chelsea, Michigan
Chelsea is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,398 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a village....
to Manchester
Manchester, Michigan
Manchester is a village in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,160 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Manchester Township.-Chicago Road:...
. From there, that highway replaced M-11 west to Bridgewater before turning south to Clinton
Clinton, Michigan
Clinton is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Michigan:* Charter Township of Clinton, Michigan in Macomb County* Clinton, Lenawee County, Michigan, village* Clinton County, Michigan* Clinton Charter Township, Lenawee County, Michigan...
; at the same time, the remainder of M-11 was removed from the state highway system and the designation was decommissioned.
Current designation
The modern M-11 was added to the state highway system as a component of M-114M-114 (Michigan highway)
M-114 was the designation of a former state trunkline route and planned beltline in the US state of Michigan around the city of Grand Rapids.-Route description:...
. By 1942, the trunkline was completed and reassigned a Bypass US 16 designation, until the mainline US 16 was rerouted over the bypass in 1953. In the latter half of 1961, the M-11 designation was first assigned in the Grand Rapids area along the current routing when US 16 was moved to the newly opened I-96 freeway. The routing has remained unchanged since.
Memorial designations
The current M-11 follows Remembrance Road, Wilson Avenue and 28th Street. The first two of these names were chosen to memorialize the roadway in honor of local people. Remembrance Road was dedicated in 1923 on the initiative of the local chapter of the Daughters of the American RevolutionDaughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
. They planted 231 elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
s in a double row on each side of the highway and erected a boulder bearing a bronze plaque dedicated to the veterans of Kent County. Wilson Avenue was named for Samuel H. Wilson, a local realtor. He had developed a series of local residential subdivisions in the area up until his 1931 death, In 1942, the county road commission named Wilson Avenue in his honor to comply with a state law requiring roads that benefitted from state funds to have proper names.
Major intersections
See also
- M-6M-6 (Michigan highway)M-6, or the Paul B. Henry Freeway, is a freeway and state trunkline highway in the United States that serves portions of southern Kent and eastern Ottawa counties south of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although the freeway is named for Paul B. Henry, local residents and the press continue to use the...
, the current South Beltline around Grand Rapids