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M-203 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-203 is a north–south state trunkline highway
in the Upper Peninsula
of the US state of Michigan
. It connects McLain State Park
with US 41
on each end in Hancock
and Calumet
. The trunkline has existed since commissioning in 1933 except a period of time when it was temporarily decommissioned.
(MDOT) to provide access to McLain State Park. The trunkline is not listed on the National Highway System
, a system of strategically important highways. No section of it is located on the Lake Superior Circle Tour, although it is the closest state trunkline to Lake Superior in the area. The highway runs through forest lands and city streets most of the way, with the section along the Portage Lake Canal being residential most of the way.
(AADT) at 820 vehicles in 2007.
By Bear Lake Road, M-203 turns east to the front gate of the state park running parallel to Lake Superior.
, in the Copper Country
. It is located on M-203 halfway between Hancock and Calumet. The park is on the shore of Lake Superior
, and most of the beach areas are rocky. However, a stretch of land on the edge of the park near the Keweenaw Waterway
is sandy and good for swimming. This area is known as the Breakwaters, known to some locals as just the "Breakers".
. The northern terminus of M-203 is at the intersection of Pine Street and Calumet Avenue, 17.944 miles (28.878 km) away from the southern terminus in Hancock.
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 Upper Peninsula
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
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"....
. It connects McLain State Park
McLain State Park
McLain State Park is a state park in Houghton County, Michigan on the Keweenaw Peninsula, in Copper Country. It is located on M-203 halfway between Hancock and Calumet.-Description:...
with US 41
U.S. Route 41 in Michigan
US Highway 41 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state via the Interstate Bridge between Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee,...
on each end in Hancock
Hancock, Michigan
Hancock is a city in Houghton County; the northernmost in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, or, depending on terminology, Copper Island. The population was 4,634 at the 2010 census...
and Calumet
Calumet, Michigan
Calumet is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, listed on the National...
. The trunkline has existed since commissioning in 1933 except a period of time when it was temporarily decommissioned.
Route description
The M-203 designation is maintained by the Michigan Department of TransportationMichigan 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) to provide access to McLain State Park. The trunkline is not 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...
, a system of strategically important highways. No section of it is located on the Lake Superior Circle Tour, although it is the closest state trunkline to Lake Superior in the area. The highway runs through forest lands and city streets most of the way, with the section along the Portage Lake Canal being residential most of the way.
Southern section
The southern terminus of M-203 is at the west end of a pair of one-way streets carrying US 41 through the City of Hancock at the bottom of Quincy Hill. Northbound US 41 follows Quincy Street while southbound traffic is directed along Hancock Street. The two directions merge along Lincoln Drive, and M-203 is the two-way, western continuation of Quncy Street west of Lincoln Drive, passing north of the St. Joseph Cemetery. M-203 then runs along the north shore of the Portage Lake Canal turning northward and northwesterly along the canal. South of the canal's northern entry to Lake Superior, MDOT measured the annual average daily trafficAnnual 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) at 820 vehicles in 2007.
By Bear Lake Road, M-203 turns east to the front gate of the state park running parallel to Lake Superior.
McLain State Park
McLain State Park is a Michigan state park on the Keweenaw PeninsulaKeweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northern-most part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200...
, in the Copper Country
Copper Country
The Copper Country is an area in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States, including all of Keweenaw County, Michigan and most of Houghton, Baraga and Ontonagon counties. The area is so named as copper mining was prevalent there from 1845 until the late 1960s, with one mine ...
. It is located on M-203 halfway between Hancock and Calumet. The park is on the shore of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, and most of the beach areas are rocky. However, a stretch of land on the edge of the park near the Keweenaw Waterway
Keweenaw Waterway
The Keweenaw Waterway is a partly natural, partly artificial waterway which cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan; it separates Copper Island from the mainland. Parts of the waterway are variously known as the Keweenaw Waterway, Portage Canal, Portage Lake Canal, Portage River, Lily Pond,...
is sandy and good for swimming. This area is known as the Breakwaters, known to some locals as just the "Breakers".
Northern section
Passing the park gate, M-203 continues northeasterly. The roadway skirts the northern shore of Bear Lake on the eastern end of the state park. At Lakeshore Drive, M-203 turns inland running due east to Cloverland Road then turning north and east along Veterans Memorial Highway. Along this section of roadway, the AADT was measured at 440 vehicles in 2007. The highway follows Veterans Memorial Highway through the neighborhood of Tamarack west of Calumet. From there it continues eastward, following Pine Street north of downtown Calumet, looping back to US 41/M-26M-26 (Michigan highway)
M-26 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan, running from two miles east of Rockland to its junction with US Highway 41 in Copper Harbor. It generally runs southwest-to-northeast in the western half or Michigan's Upper Peninsula...
. The northern terminus of M-203 is at the intersection of Pine Street and Calumet Avenue, 17.944 miles (28.878 km) away from the southern terminus in Hancock.