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M-59 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-59 is an east–west state trunkline highway
that crosses the northern part of Metropolitan Detroit in the US state of Michigan
. It runs between Howell
at Interstate 96
(I-96) and I-94
on the Chesterfield Township
– Harrison Township
line near the Selfridge Air National Guard Base. While primarily a multi-lane surface highway, it is a full freeway from just east of the Pontiac
downtown near Opdyke Road to just east of the Mound Road/Merrill Road exit in Utica
. The various surface highway segments are named either Highland Road, Huron Street or Hall Road, with the latter known as an area for shopping and dining. The rural sections west of Pontiac pass through Oakland County
lake country crossing through two state recreational areas.
M-59 was first designated with the rest of the original state trunkline highway system by July 1, 1919 between Pontiac and Mt. Clemens. Extensions on both ends brought the termini as far as Howell and New Baltimore
before the current termini were established in the 1960s. M-59 was expanded into a freeway in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with additional expansions in the 1980s and 1990s to create the divided highway sections.
as Highland Road near a large outlet mall. Highland Road carries M-59 concurrently with the westernmost section of Business Loop I-96 (BL I-96). Highland Road widens out into a boulevard south of the county airport
before the roadway reaches Grand River Avenue
. At this intersection, BL I-96 departs to the southwest. This section of Howell is mostly residential with tree-lined streets. The boulevard section ends near Thompson Lake and M-59 continues east through rural Livingston County
as a two-lane highway crossing forested and residential areas. Halfway across Hartland Township
, M-59 meets the US Highway 23
(US 23) freeway near the Hartland Plaza Shopping Center, and Highland Road widens out to a boulevard divided highway again. The route passes several small lakes and continues east into Oakland County
. Running through the Highland State Recreational Area, M-59 swings to the north through rural Oakland County's lake country which comprises several lakes in dense forest lands and residential subdivisions that form the northern edge of the Metropolitan Detroit area. There is a brief gap in the Highland SRA where M-59 narrows back to two-lane road. Near Brendel Lake and the Alpine Valley Ski Area, Highland Road narrows back to two lanes for the final time. The narrowed roadway continues east, crossing the southern edge of Pontiac Lake in the state recreational area of the same name.
The next major landmark along M-59 is the Oakland County International Airport
in Waterford Township
. Highland Road begins to curve back to the south through denser suburbs as it approaches the outskirts of Pontiac
. The Highland Road name gives way to Huron Street near Sylvan Lake, and M-59 crosses Telegraph Road, which carries US 24 and marks the boundary with Pontiac. Huron Street continues east into downtown Pontiac where it crosses the northern end of Woodward Avenue, which is part of the two business loops that encircle the central business district. East of downtown Pontiac, M-59 widens out into a full freeway. This freeway provides access to the south side of the Pontiac Silverdome
, former home of the Detroit Lions
. To the east of the stadium in Auburn Hills
is the cloverleaf interchange
with I-75
and the North American corporate headquarters of car maker Chrysler
. Continuing east through the northern Detroit suburbs, the M-59 freeway curves back to the south and crosses into Macomb County
at the Dequindre Road interchange.
The M-59 freeway crosses the border between Sterling Heights
and Shelby Township
and ends at Van Dyke Avenue in Utica
, where M-59 becomes a boulevard called Hall Road. The highway crosses the Clinton River and the southern end of the M-53
freeway. This section of the highway is somewhat of a "main street" in Macomb County, as it is home to a wide variety of shopping and dining including Lakeside Mall
in Sterling Heights
and The Mall at Partridge Creek
in Clinton Township
. Although it is neither officially designated nor commonly referred to as such, the Hall Road portion of M-59 is coextensive with "20 Mile Road" in the Detroit Mile Road system. Near its eastern terminus, M-59 crosses both M-97
(Groesbeck Highway) and M-3
(Gratiot Avenue). East of Gratiot, Hall Road is called the William P. Rosso Highway. M-59 ends at the freeway interchange with I-94
while Rosso Highway continues along the northern edge of Selfridge Air National Guard Base to Lake St. Clair
.
(now BUS US 24) in Pontiac and M-19
(later US 25 and now M-3
) in Mt. Clemens. It would be moved to follow Hall Road exclusively on the east end in 1932. The west end was extended in 1936 to end at the Livingston
–Oakland
county line. The extension to US 23 in Hartland was finished by 1938. The east end was extended again in 1939 along US 25 and over to M-29
in New Baltimore
. The east end was rerouted again between Mt. Clemens and New Baltimore over another former alignment of M-29 in late 1947 or early 1948. The eastern terminus was truncated to M-29 east of US 25/Gratiot Avenue in 1961.
Another extension on the west end moved M-59 to end at US 16 in Howell
by 1960. The west end was extended with the new BL I-96 in Howell to end at the newly opened I-96 freeway in 1963. The east end was rerouted to end at I-94 in 1964.
M-59 was converted into a freeway starting in 1966 with the first segment between Pontiac and Rochester
. A second segment opened in 1972 east to Utica
. Segments were converted to divided highway in Oakland County
in 1984 through 1986. The east end was reconstructed in 1995–97 and converted to a six- to eight-lane divided highway. The freeway was extended east in 1998 to Van Dyke Avenue in Utica.
. With this improvement, M-59 will be at least 3 lanes each way from I-75
to I-94
.
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 crosses the northern part of Metropolitan Detroit in 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 runs between Howell
Howell, Michigan
Howell is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,489. It is the county seat of Livingston County and is located mostly within Howell Township, but is politically independent from Howell Township...
at 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) 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...
on the Chesterfield Township
Chesterfield Township, Michigan
Chesterfield Charter Township is a charter township of Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 37,405. The 2008 census estimate places the population at 44,612. The township was organized in 1842, formed out of a portion of Macomb Township...
– Harrison Township
Harrison Township, Michigan
Harrison Charter Township is a charter township of Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 24,461. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 26,004.- Places :...
line near the Selfridge Air National Guard Base. While primarily a multi-lane surface highway, it is a full freeway from just east of the Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
downtown near Opdyke Road to just east of the Mound Road/Merrill Road exit in Utica
Utica, Michigan
Utica is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,577 at the 2000 census. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 4,924.- History :...
. The various surface highway segments are named either Highland Road, Huron Street or Hall Road, with the latter known as an area for shopping and dining. The rural sections west of Pontiac pass through Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
lake country crossing through two state recreational areas.
M-59 was first designated with the rest of the original state trunkline highway system by July 1, 1919 between Pontiac and Mt. Clemens. Extensions on both ends brought the termini as far as Howell and New Baltimore
New Baltimore, Michigan
New Baltimore is a city and coastal resort community in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,405 at the 2000 census. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 11,346. New Baltimore is in Metropolitan Detroit....
before the current termini were established in the 1960s. M-59 was expanded into a freeway in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with additional expansions in the 1980s and 1990s to create the divided highway sections.
Route description
M-59 starts at I-96 in Howell TownshipHowell Township, Michigan
Howell Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,679 at the 2000 census. The City of Howell is administratively autonomous and has incorporated approximately of the southwestern portion of the township.-Communities:*Fleming is...
as Highland Road near a large outlet mall. Highland Road carries M-59 concurrently with the westernmost section of Business Loop I-96 (BL I-96). Highland Road widens out into a boulevard south of the county airport
Livingston County Spencer J. Hardy Airport
Livingston County Spencer J. Hardy Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Howell, a city in Livingston County, Michigan, United States....
before the roadway reaches Grand River Avenue
Grand River Avenue
US Highway 16 , also called Grand River Avenue for much of its length, is one of the principal pre-Interstate roads in the state of Michigan. Before the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the highway had been designated M-16...
. At this intersection, BL I-96 departs to the southwest. This section of Howell is mostly residential with tree-lined streets. The boulevard section ends near Thompson Lake and M-59 continues east through rural Livingston County
Livingston County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 156,951 people, 55,384 households, and 43,531 families residing in the county. The population density was 276 people per square mile . There were 58,919 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
as a two-lane highway crossing forested and residential areas. Halfway across Hartland Township
Hartland Township, Michigan
Hartland Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,996 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
, M-59 meets the US Highway 23
U.S. Route 23 in Michigan
US Highway 23 is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan, it is a major north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Lower Peninsula...
(US 23) freeway near the Hartland Plaza Shopping Center, and Highland Road widens out to a boulevard divided highway again. The route passes several small lakes and continues east into Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
. Running through the Highland State Recreational Area, M-59 swings to the north through rural Oakland County's lake country which comprises several lakes in dense forest lands and residential subdivisions that form the northern edge of the Metropolitan Detroit area. There is a brief gap in the Highland SRA where M-59 narrows back to two-lane road. Near Brendel Lake and the Alpine Valley Ski Area, Highland Road narrows back to two lanes for the final time. The narrowed roadway continues east, crossing the southern edge of Pontiac Lake in the state recreational area of the same name.
The next major landmark along M-59 is the Oakland County International Airport
Oakland County International Airport
Oakland County International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located in Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan, United States. The airport is five nautical miles west of the central business district of Pontiac....
in Waterford Township
Waterford Township, Michigan
Waterford Charter Township is a charter township in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the township had a population of 71,707.-History:...
. Highland Road begins to curve back to the south through denser suburbs as it approaches the outskirts of Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
. The Highland Road name gives way to Huron Street near Sylvan Lake, and M-59 crosses Telegraph Road, which carries US 24 and marks the boundary with Pontiac. Huron Street continues east into downtown Pontiac where it crosses the northern end of Woodward Avenue, which is part of the two business loops that encircle the central business district. East of downtown Pontiac, M-59 widens out into a full freeway. This freeway provides access to the south side of the Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac Silverdome
The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
, former home of the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. To the east of the stadium in Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:...
is the cloverleaf interchange
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
with I-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...
and the North American corporate headquarters of car maker Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
. Continuing east through the northern Detroit suburbs, the M-59 freeway curves back to the south and crosses into Macomb County
Macomb County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 788,149 people, 309,203 households, and 210,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,640 people per square mile . There were 320,276 housing units at an average density of 667 per square mile...
at the Dequindre Road interchange.
The M-59 freeway crosses the border between Sterling Heights
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Sterling Heights is a city in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan, and one of Detroit's core suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 129,699...
and Shelby Township
Shelby Township, Michigan
Shelby Township is a civil township of Oceana County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,951 at the 2000 census. The village of Shelby is located within the township.-Geography:...
and ends at Van Dyke Avenue in Utica
Utica, Michigan
Utica is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,577 at the 2000 census. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 4,924.- History :...
, where M-59 becomes a boulevard called Hall Road. The highway crosses the Clinton River and the southern end of the M-53
M-53 (Michigan highway)
M-53 is a gateway route to The Thumb region of the US state of Michigan, carrying vacationers to the many cottages and resorts located on Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron in the vicinity of Caseville and Port Austin. This highway is also used to transport agricultural and manufactured products from the...
freeway. This section of the highway is somewhat of a "main street" in Macomb County, as it is home to a wide variety of shopping and dining including Lakeside Mall
Lakeside Mall
Lakeside Mall is a Taubman-built super-regional full-line shopping mall located in the northeastern Metro Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights, Michigan. The mall is located on M-59 between Hayes and Schoennherr Roads. Lakeside Mall features five anchor stores: J.C. Penney, Lord & Taylor, two...
in Sterling Heights
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Sterling Heights is a city in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan, and one of Detroit's core suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 129,699...
and The Mall at Partridge Creek
The Mall at Partridge Creek
The Mall at Partridge Creek is an open-air shopping mall in Clinton Township, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Under construction since 2005, the mall opened to the public on October 18, 2007. The Mall at Partridge Creek has amenities unique to malls in Michigan, including: Bocce...
in Clinton Township
Clinton Charter Township, Michigan
The Charter Township of Clinton, usually referred to as Clinton Township, is a charter township of Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a part of Metro Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the township had a total population of 96,796, and is Michigan's most populous township...
. Although it is neither officially designated nor commonly referred to as such, the Hall Road portion of M-59 is coextensive with "20 Mile Road" in the Detroit Mile Road system. Near its eastern terminus, M-59 crosses both M-97
M-97 (Michigan highway)
M-97 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs from Detroit to north of Mt. Clemens following Groesbeck Highway. The highway starts south of 7 Mile Road and runs northeasterly through Macomb County suburbs to Hall Road, which takes the place of 20 Mile Road in the Mile...
(Groesbeck Highway) and M-3
M-3 (Michigan highway)
M-3 is a north–south state highway in the US state of Michigan in the Detroit metropolitan area. For most of its length, M-3 is known as Gratiot Avenue...
(Gratiot Avenue). East of Gratiot, Hall Road is called the William P. Rosso Highway. M-59 ends at the freeway interchange with 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...
while Rosso Highway continues along the northern edge of Selfridge Air National Guard Base to Lake St. Clair
Lake Saint Clair (North America)
Lake St. Clair is a fresh-water lake named after Clare of Assisi that lies between the Province of Ontario and the State of Michigan, and its midline also forms the boundary between Canada and the United States of America. Lake St. Clair includes the Anchor Bay along the Metro Detroit coastline...
.
History
M-59 was first designated by July 1, 1919 between M-10M-10 (Michigan highway)
M-10, is a state trunkline route in the US state of Michigan. The southernmost portion follows Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit, and the southern terminus is at the intersection of Jefferson and Randolph Street leading to the entrance to the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel...
(now BUS US 24) in Pontiac and M-19
M-19 (Michigan highway)
M-19 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. It begins northeast of Detroit at a junction with I-94 and runs northward to a junction with M-142 just east of Bad Axe in the thumb.-Route description:...
(later US 25 and now M-3
M-3 (Michigan highway)
M-3 is a north–south state highway in the US state of Michigan in the Detroit metropolitan area. For most of its length, M-3 is known as Gratiot Avenue...
) in Mt. Clemens. It would be moved to follow Hall Road exclusively on the east end in 1932. The west end was extended in 1936 to end at the Livingston
Livingston County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 156,951 people, 55,384 households, and 43,531 families residing in the county. The population density was 276 people per square mile . There were 58,919 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
–Oakland
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
county line. The extension to US 23 in Hartland was finished by 1938. The east end was extended again in 1939 along US 25 and over to M-29
M-29 (Michigan highway)
M-29 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs in a south–north direction from Chesterfield Township to Marysville. It generally runs along the shore of Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River....
in New Baltimore
New Baltimore, Michigan
New Baltimore is a city and coastal resort community in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,405 at the 2000 census. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 11,346. New Baltimore is in Metropolitan Detroit....
. The east end was rerouted again between Mt. Clemens and New Baltimore over another former alignment of M-29 in late 1947 or early 1948. The eastern terminus was truncated to M-29 east of US 25/Gratiot Avenue in 1961.
Another extension on the west end moved M-59 to end at US 16 in Howell
Howell, Michigan
Howell is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,489. It is the county seat of Livingston County and is located mostly within Howell Township, but is politically independent from Howell Township...
by 1960. The west end was extended with the new BL I-96 in Howell to end at the newly opened I-96 freeway in 1963. The east end was rerouted to end at I-94 in 1964.
M-59 was converted into a freeway starting in 1966 with the first segment between Pontiac and Rochester
Rochester, Michigan
Rochester is an affluent city in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan on the northern outskirts of metro Detroit. The population was 12,711 at the 2010 census...
. A second segment opened in 1972 east to Utica
Utica, Michigan
Utica is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,577 at the 2000 census. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 4,924.- History :...
. Segments were converted to divided highway in Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
in 1984 through 1986. The east end was reconstructed in 1995–97 and converted to a six- to eight-lane divided highway. The freeway was extended east in 1998 to Van Dyke Avenue in Utica.
Future
MDOT is currently in the process of expanding M-59 from two lanes to three in each direction between Crooks Road and Ryan Road, using funding from the Federal stimulus bill of 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
. With this improvement, M-59 will be at least 3 lanes each way from I-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...
to 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...
.