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M-89 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-89 is an east–west state highway
in the US state of Michigan
. It runs from near Ganges Township
to Battle Creek
. M-89 passes through Allegan County
, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
, and Calhoun County
. It also briefly crosses the southwest corner of Barry County
.
near Ganges, just a half-mile from Lake Michigan
. The route travels east from there through small communities like Fennville
and passes just north of Swan Creek Marsh and crosses the Kalamazoo River
about two miles (3 km) west of its intersection with M-40
. From US 31 to M-40, M-89 is also known as 124th St. M-89 and M-40 run concurrently to the southeast for 6.5 miles (10.5 km) across Lake Allegan on the Kalamazoo River into Allegan
. Just two blocks before M-89 splits from M-40, the concurrent route has a junction with M-222
. After M-89 splits from M-40, the route continues out of Allegan to the southeast, again crossing over the Kalamazoo River.
After leaving Allegan, M-89 runs roughly parallel with the Kalamazoo River for approximately 12 miles (19.3 km), passing through mostly rural areas spotted with residences and agricultural fields. The route curves to the east and crosses the Kalamazoo River again just west of the city of Otsego
. The route curves to the south in the city then again runs east to junction with US 131
at exit 49 on the west side of Plainwell
. East of US 131, the route passes through the city of Plainwell and crosses the Kalamazoo River again before continuing into rural areas again. The route then heads the southeast on towards the village of Richland
.
Just north of Richland, M-89 meets up with M-43
, and the two share a brief routing together for a mile as M-43 heads southwest out of Richland while M-89 heads east, passing to the south of Gull Lake
. After passing the lake, the route turns southeast towards Battle Creek
.
As M-89 begins to enter the outskirts of Battle Creek it becomes known, locally, as Michigan Avenue
. It passes through the neighborhoods of Level Park-Oak Park
and Urbandale the first residential areas of the city. As M-89 continues towards Battle Creek it has a junction with M-37
. M-89 continues on Michigan Avenue until an intersection with Washington Avenue where the route turns to the southwest where it crosses the Kalamazoo River one last time and terminates a few blocks later at Dickman Road, otherwise known as the I-94 Business Loop.
, present day US 31 near Ganges. It traveled east to Fennville then turned south to Pearl before turning back to the east towards Allegan on an alignment that is a few miles south of the present day configuration. The route then left Allegan on present day M-222 and terminated at M-13 (Michigan highway)
, which is now the US 131 freeway.
In 1926, when M-40 was extended, M-89 was rerouted out of Allegan to the southeast along its present day alignment to terminate at US 131 in Plainwell. Just a few years later, the road was extended further to the southeast to Richland then east along its present day routing to end at M-96
in Augusta
. In 1931, the route was realigned to run east, rather than south into Augusta, where it then met up with M-96 just inside the Calhoun County
line. The road remained in this fashion for the next 20 years.
In 1952, M-89 was realigned to run east from Fennville, rather than south to Pearl, to junction with M-40 then run concurrently into Allegan. In 1963, when the I-196/US 131 freeway opens, the western terminus of M-89 is extended to meet the new freeway. A few years later, when M-96 was realigned onto a route that took it into Battle Creek, M-89 was extended southeasterly along Michigan Avenue (the old M-96) and terminated at M-37
.
During the Rationalization process, in 1998, M-89 is extended to the south in Battle Creek to replace the old routing of M-37 along Michigan Avenue, it then turned south on Washington to the I-94 Business Loop where it terminated, thus bringing the route to its current alignment.
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 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 from near Ganges Township
Ganges Township, Michigan
Ganges Township is a civil township of Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,524 at the 2000 census.- Communities :...
to Battle Creek
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
. M-89 passes through Allegan County
Allegan County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-196* I-196 Business Loop serves the city of Holland.-US highways:* US-31* US-131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-40* M-89* M-179* M-222-Allegan County Intercounty Highways:* A-2* A-37* A-42* A-45-Demographics:...
, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
-Air Service:*The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.-Interstates:* I-94* I-94 Business Loop-US highways:* US-131* BUS US 131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-43* M-89* M-96...
, and Calhoun County
Calhoun County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-94* I-194* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Albion.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Battle Creek.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Marshall.-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-37* M-60* M-66* M-78* M-89* M-96* M-99...
. It also briefly crosses the southwest corner of Barry County
Barry County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-37* M-43* M-50* M-66* M-78* M-79* M-89* M-179-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 56,755 people, 21,035 households, and 15,986 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 23,876 housing units at an average density of...
.
Route description
M-89 begins at an interchange with I-196 and US 131U.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...
near Ganges, just a half-mile from 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...
. The route travels east from there through small communities like Fennville
Fennville, Michigan
Fennville is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,459 at the 2000 census.The city is situated on M-89 on the boundary between Manlius Township on the north and Clyde Township on the south...
and passes just north of Swan Creek Marsh and crosses the Kalamazoo River
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...
about two miles (3 km) west of its intersection with M-40
M-40 (Michigan highway)
M-40 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway runs from US Highway 12 near the Indiana state line in Porter Township north through Paw Paw and Allegan to end in the outskirts of Holland...
. From US 31 to M-40, M-89 is also known as 124th St. M-89 and M-40 run concurrently to the southeast for 6.5 miles (10.5 km) across Lake Allegan on the Kalamazoo River into Allegan
Allegan, Michigan
Allegan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,838. It is the county seat of Allegan County. The city lies within Allegan Township, but is administratively autonomous....
. Just two blocks before M-89 splits from M-40, the concurrent route has a junction with M-222
M-222 (Michigan highway)
M-222 is the current designation of a state trunkline route in the US state of Michigan. The route was formerly signed as M-118 and connects the city of Allegan with the US 131 freeway near Martin.-Route description:...
. After M-89 splits from M-40, the route continues out of Allegan to the southeast, again crossing over the Kalamazoo River.
After leaving Allegan, M-89 runs roughly parallel with the Kalamazoo River for approximately 12 miles (19.3 km), passing through mostly rural areas spotted with residences and agricultural fields. The route curves to the east and crosses the Kalamazoo River again just west of the city of Otsego
Otsego, Michigan
Otsego is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,934 at the 2000 census. The city is within Otsego Township, but is administratively autonomous....
. The route curves to the south in the city then again runs east to junction with US 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...
at exit 49 on the west side of Plainwell
Plainwell, Michigan
Plainwell is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census.Plainwell is located on M-89 just east of its junction with U.S. 131. The city of Otsego is about three miles to the west. Kalamazoo is about ten miles to the south and Grand Rapids...
. East of US 131, the route passes through the city of Plainwell and crosses the Kalamazoo River again before continuing into rural areas again. The route then heads the southeast on towards the village of Richland
Richland, Michigan
Richland is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 791 at the 2010 census.The village is within Richland Township about nine miles northeast of Kalamazoo.-Geography:...
.
Just north of Richland, M-89 meets up with M-43
M-43 (Michigan highway)
M-43 is a state trunkline highway in southwestern and central parts of the US state of Michigan. The highway runs from South Haven to Webberville along an indirect path through both rural areas and larger cities...
, and the two share a brief routing together for a mile as M-43 heads southwest out of Richland while M-89 heads east, passing to the south of Gull Lake
Gull Lake (Michigan)
Gull Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Michigan, located mostly in Kalamazoo County with the northern tip extending into Barry County. The nearest major cities are Kalamazoo, to the southwest, and Battle Creek, to the southeast. The name was probably derived from the seagulls which at times...
. After passing the lake, the route turns southeast towards Battle Creek
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
.
As M-89 begins to enter the outskirts of Battle Creek it becomes known, locally, as Michigan Avenue
Michigan Avenue
Michigan Avenue may refer to:* Michigan Avenue * Michigan Avenue , a designation for much of both current and former U.S. Route 12 in Michigan...
. It passes through the neighborhoods of Level Park-Oak Park
Level Park-Oak Park, Michigan
Level Park-Oak Park is a census-designated place for statistical purposes in Calhoun County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The CDP population was 3,605 at the 2000 census...
and Urbandale the first residential areas of the city. As M-89 continues towards Battle Creek it has a junction with 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...
. M-89 continues on Michigan Avenue until an intersection with Washington Avenue where the route turns to the southwest where it crosses the Kalamazoo River one last time and terminates a few blocks later at Dickman Road, otherwise known as the I-94 Business Loop.
History
The 1920 incarnation of M-89 was a much shorter relative of today's road. Its western terminus was at a junction with M-11M-11 (Michigan highway)
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...
, present day US 31 near Ganges. It traveled east to Fennville then turned south to Pearl before turning back to the east towards Allegan on an alignment that is a few miles south of the present day configuration. The route then left Allegan on present day M-222 and terminated at M-13 (Michigan highway)
M-13 (Michigan highway)
M-13 is a north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Saginaw Bay region of the US state of Michigan. It runs from Interstate 69 south of Lennon to US Highway 23 near Standish. The southern section of the trunkline runs long a pair of county lines in a rural area dominated by farm...
, which is now the US 131 freeway.
In 1926, when M-40 was extended, M-89 was rerouted out of Allegan to the southeast along its present day alignment to terminate at US 131 in Plainwell. Just a few years later, the road was extended further to the southeast to Richland then east along its present day routing to end at M-96
M-96 (Michigan highway)
M-96 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs between Kalamazoo and Marshall. Its termini are both on business loops of Interstate 94 ; the eastern one coincides with an intersection with I-69...
in Augusta
Augusta, Michigan
Augusta is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 899 at the 2000 census. The village is mostly within Ross Township, though a small portion extends south into Charleston Township....
. In 1931, the route was realigned to run east, rather than south into Augusta, where it then met up with M-96 just inside the Calhoun County
Calhoun County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-94* I-194* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Albion.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Battle Creek.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Marshall.-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-37* M-60* M-66* M-78* M-89* M-96* M-99...
line. The road remained in this fashion for the next 20 years.
In 1952, M-89 was realigned to run east from Fennville, rather than south to Pearl, to junction with M-40 then run concurrently into Allegan. In 1963, when the I-196/US 131 freeway opens, the western terminus of M-89 is extended to meet the new freeway. A few years later, when M-96 was realigned onto a route that took it into Battle Creek, M-89 was extended southeasterly along Michigan Avenue (the old M-96) and terminated at 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...
.
During the Rationalization process, in 1998, M-89 is extended to the south in Battle Creek to replace the old routing of M-37 along Michigan Avenue, it then turned south on Washington to the I-94 Business Loop where it terminated, thus bringing the route to its current alignment.