M-153 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-153 is a state trunkline highway
in the U.S. state of Michigan
. It is also known as Ford Road for nearly its entire length, except for its westernmost portion where it splits from Ford Road and junctions with the M-14
freeway. Named for William Ford, father of Henry Ford
, Ford Road runs from near Dixboro
to the Dearborn
–Detroit
border, where it junctions with Interstate 94
(I-94) and US Highway 12
(US 12) just east of Wyoming Avenue.
. Ford Road serves as the zero-mile line for the Detroit area's Mile Road System.
M-153 starts as an interchange with M-14 in Superior Township
east of Ann Arbor
. The highway starts as an expressway curving southeasterly to meet Ford Road where it curves to the east at Frains Lake Road. Ford Road continues west of here to end at Plymouth Road south of the M-14 freeway, and east of this location, M-153 follows Ford Road through wooded, partially developed terrain to the Washtenaw
–Wayne
county line at Napier Road. Near the county line are farms until Ford Road reaches residential subdivisions at Ridge Road in Canton Township
. At the east edge of the township, Ford Road meets I-275
at exit 25 before passing into Westland
between Lotz and Hix roads.
The interchange with I-275 is built over the western crossing of Willow Creek, a tributary of the River Rouge
; the eastern crossing is located between Hix and Newburgh roads near Central City Park. Ford Road continues east, forming a section of the Garden City
boundary near Venoy Road. The trunkline crosses into Dearborn Heights
at Inkster Road. It forms the boundary between Dearborn and Dearborn Heights between Gulley and Evergreen Roads, crossing US 24/Telegraph Road in between. East of Telegraph Road, M-153/Ford Road is built to expressway standards complete with interchanges at Evergreen Road, M-39
/Southfield Freeway and Greenfield Road. The highway crosses the River Rouge north of the Dearborn Country Club west of Evergreen Road. Ford Road ends at Wyoming Avenue. M-153 turns south along Wyoming Avenue to cross I-94 at exit 210. This interchange is also the location where I-94 and US 12/Michigan Avenue cross, marking the eastern end of M-153 at Michigan Avenue.
. The elder Ford was born in Ireland and settled in Dearborn Township in 1847. William's carpentry business lead him around to regional businesses and neighbors, traveling the area until he took up the family business of farming after marriage to Mary Litogot. They settled on a farm near the intersection of modern-day Ford Road and Greenfield Avenue; this farm was Henry's birthplace in 1863. Settling into his family life, William started serving the local community. He was a road commissioner, school board member and a justice of the peace. In honor of his accomplishments, Ford Road was named in his honor before his death in March 1905.
Ford Road remained in township jurisdiction until August 29, 1924 when it was transferred to Wayne County
control. It was transferred again to state control on December 2, 1930. The Michigan State Highway Department designated it M-153 upon transfer to their responsibility. The highway designation is determined to continue west of the county line into Washtenaw County
as a northerly bypass of Ann Arbor
, but the segment between Canton Center Road and US 12 on Plymouth Road was not built at the time. The first extension west was finished in 1933 from the county line to Napier Road. The road was widened into a major thoroughfare between Detroit and Ann Arbor in 1934, to relieve congestion on Michigan Avenue. The highway bypass of Ann Arbor was cancelled by 1935, leaving the western terminus at US 12/Plymouth Road.
Construction of a northerly freeway bypass of Ann Arbor along M-14
to M-153 was completed by 1965. A second freeway section was built between Ford Road at Frains Lake Road to the contemporary end of the M-14 freeway. This second freeway was assigned as part of M-153 and the former routing along Ford Road west to Plymouth Road was removed from the state trunkline highway system. A reconstruction project along M-153 in 1973 was completed, bringing the highway up to expressway standards. Several interchanges were built along the segment starting west of the M-39/Southfield Freeway to I-94 in Dearborn. The last extension moved the western terminus in 1980 when the M-14 freeway was completed, and M-153 was extended along a section of freeway used to connect the previous end of the M-14 freeway to Plymouth Road.
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"....
. It is also known as Ford Road for nearly its entire length, except for its westernmost portion where it splits from Ford Road and junctions with the M-14
M-14 (Michigan highway)
M-14 is a east–west state trunkline highway in the southeastern portion of the US state of Michigan. Entirely freeway, it connects Ann Arbor with Detroit by way of connecting with I-96.-Route description:...
freeway. Named for William Ford, father of Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
, Ford Road runs from near Dixboro
Dixboro, Michigan
Dixboro is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan, located east of Ann Arbor, on the western edge of Superior Charter Township in Washtenaw County. It was founded in 1824, by Captain John Dix, a retired sea captain. Dix purchased 450 acres of land in section 18 of what was then...
to the Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
–Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
border, where it junctions with Interstate 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...
(I-94) and US Highway 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...
(US 12) just east of Wyoming Avenue.
Route description
A small portion of M-153 in Dearborn is a controlled-access expresswayLimited-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...
. Ford Road serves as the zero-mile line for the Detroit area's Mile Road System.
M-153 starts as an interchange with M-14 in Superior Township
Superior Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan
Superior Charter Township is a charter township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,740 at the 2000 census....
east of Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. The highway starts as an expressway curving southeasterly to meet Ford Road where it curves to the east at Frains Lake Road. Ford Road continues west of here to end at Plymouth Road south of the M-14 freeway, and east of this location, M-153 follows Ford Road through wooded, partially developed terrain to the Washtenaw
Washtenaw County, Michigan
Washtenaw County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 344,791. Its county seat is Ann Arbor. The United States Office of Management and Budget defines the county as part of the Detroit–Warren–Flint Combined Statistical Area...
–Wayne
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
county line at Napier Road. Near the county line are farms until Ford Road reaches residential subdivisions at Ridge Road in Canton Township
Canton Township, Michigan
The Charter Township of Canton, usually referred to as Canton, is an affluent charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The commuter town is located west of Detroit and east of Ann Arbor. As of the 2010 census, the township had a population of 90,173, making it Michigan's...
. At the east edge of the township, Ford Road meets I-275
Interstate 275 (Michigan)
Interstate 275 in the US state of Michigan is an Interstate Highway that functions as a western bypass of the Detroit metropolitan area. The Michigan Department of Transportation maintains it as a component of the larger state trunkline highway system. The freeway runs through the western suburbs...
at exit 25 before passing into Westland
Westland, Michigan
Westland is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located about west of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,094.-Politics:...
between Lotz and Hix roads.
The interchange with I-275 is built over the western crossing of Willow Creek, a tributary of the River Rouge
River Rouge (Michigan)
The River Rouge, also known as the Rouge River, is a river in the Metro Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. It flows into the Detroit River at Zug Island, which is the boundary between the cities of River Rouge and Detroit....
; the eastern crossing is located between Hix and Newburgh roads near Central City Park. Ford Road continues east, forming a section of the Garden City
Garden City, Michigan
Garden City is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,692. The city is part of the Metro Detroit region.- History :...
boundary near Venoy Road. The trunkline crosses into Dearborn Heights
Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County, in the Detroit metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 57,774 at the 2010 census.-History:...
at Inkster Road. It forms the boundary between Dearborn and Dearborn Heights between Gulley and Evergreen Roads, crossing US 24/Telegraph Road in between. East of Telegraph Road, M-153/Ford Road is built to expressway standards complete with interchanges at Evergreen Road, M-39
M-39 (Michigan highway)
M-39 is a state highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from Lincoln Park to Southfield. The southern terminus of M-39 is at the corner of Southfield Road and Lafayette Boulevard in Lincoln Park, one block southeast of the junction of I-75 and two blocks northwest of M-85...
/Southfield Freeway and Greenfield Road. The highway crosses the River Rouge north of the Dearborn Country Club west of Evergreen Road. Ford Road ends at Wyoming Avenue. M-153 turns south along Wyoming Avenue to cross I-94 at exit 210. This interchange is also the location where I-94 and US 12/Michigan Avenue cross, marking the eastern end of M-153 at Michigan Avenue.
History
Ford Road was named for William Ford, father of automobile pioneer Henry FordHenry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
. The elder Ford was born in Ireland and settled in Dearborn Township in 1847. William's carpentry business lead him around to regional businesses and neighbors, traveling the area until he took up the family business of farming after marriage to Mary Litogot. They settled on a farm near the intersection of modern-day Ford Road and Greenfield Avenue; this farm was Henry's birthplace in 1863. Settling into his family life, William started serving the local community. He was a road commissioner, school board member and a justice of the peace. In honor of his accomplishments, Ford Road was named in his honor before his death in March 1905.
Ford Road remained in township jurisdiction until August 29, 1924 when it was transferred to Wayne County
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
control. It was transferred again to state control on December 2, 1930. The Michigan State Highway Department designated it M-153 upon transfer to their responsibility. The highway designation is determined to continue west of the county line into Washtenaw County
Washtenaw County, Michigan
Washtenaw County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 344,791. Its county seat is Ann Arbor. The United States Office of Management and Budget defines the county as part of the Detroit–Warren–Flint Combined Statistical Area...
as a northerly bypass of Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, but the segment between Canton Center Road and US 12 on Plymouth Road was not built at the time. The first extension west was finished in 1933 from the county line to Napier Road. The road was widened into a major thoroughfare between Detroit and Ann Arbor in 1934, to relieve congestion on Michigan Avenue. The highway bypass of Ann Arbor was cancelled by 1935, leaving the western terminus at US 12/Plymouth Road.
Construction of a northerly freeway bypass of Ann Arbor along M-14
M-14 (Michigan highway)
M-14 is a east–west state trunkline highway in the southeastern portion of the US state of Michigan. Entirely freeway, it connects Ann Arbor with Detroit by way of connecting with I-96.-Route description:...
to M-153 was completed by 1965. A second freeway section was built between Ford Road at Frains Lake Road to the contemporary end of the M-14 freeway. This second freeway was assigned as part of M-153 and the former routing along Ford Road west to Plymouth Road was removed from the state trunkline highway system. A reconstruction project along M-153 in 1973 was completed, bringing the highway up to expressway standards. Several interchanges were built along the segment starting west of the M-39/Southfield Freeway to I-94 in Dearborn. The last extension moved the western terminus in 1980 when the M-14 freeway was completed, and M-153 was extended along a section of freeway used to connect the previous end of the M-14 freeway to Plymouth Road.