U.S. Route 112
Encyclopedia
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
. At each end, the route terminated at the original US 12
.
As part of the shortest route between Detroit and Chicago, it was considered a likely corridor for an expressway along its route before the Indiana Toll Road
and I-94
made such a highway largely unnecessary.
Part of old US 112 was the Old Sauk Trail
, an Indian trail.
, was an undivided surface road. It passes through terrain full of lakes suitable for recreational use.
US 112 began in New Buffalo
. US 112 continued across the southern portion of Berrien County
running eastward to Niles
. There US 112 met US 31
US 112 ran parallel to the state line intersecting US 131
near White Pigeon
and M-66
in Sturgis
in St. Joseph County
. East of Sturgis, US 112 turned northeasterly to Coldwater
and a major intersection with US 27.
East of Coldwater, US 112 ran northeastward to Jonesville
northwest of Hillsdale
where it met M-99
. In Jackson County
it passed near the Michigan International Speedway
in Brooklyn
. It runs along the Lenawee
/Washtenaw
county line before turning northeast to Ann Arbor
and Ypsilanti
. Here it formed Michigan Avenue the rest of the way to Detroit
, where it ended.
to Fremont, Wisconsin
on what later became U.S. Route 110.
In 1926, between Edwardsburg and Adamsville, it made a sharp turn to the southwest along what was first US 112S and later until 2002 M-205
in Michigan, then Indiana's State Road 19 and former State Road 112 to connect to US 20
west of Elkhart, Indiana
.
In 1961, Michigan completed I-94 between New Buffalo and Ypsilanti along the corridor of the old, more northerly and urban US 12 to the north and removed signs for US 12 parallel to and along the freeway. Michigan redesignated the intrastate US 112 as US 12, which has been little altered since 1961 except to give access to new freeways.
Michigan designated this highway the Pulaski Memorial Highway in honor of the Polish Count Kazimierz Pułaski, a hero of the American War of Independence.
's southwestern most counties. When US 112 was relocated to New Buffalo
, the former US 112 going into Indiana
became US 112S. This would continue only a couple of years or so, when the Michigan portion of US 112S would become M-205
. In December 2003, the M-205 designation was removed, and today it is a county 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...
across the southern portion 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"....
between New Buffalo
New 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 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...
. At each end, the route terminated at the original 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...
.
As part of the shortest route between Detroit and Chicago, it was considered a likely corridor for an expressway along its route before the Indiana Toll Road
Indiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line...
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...
made such a highway largely unnecessary.
Part of old US 112 was the Old Sauk Trail
Sauk Trail
Sauk Trail began as a Native American trail running through Illinois, Indiana and Michigan in the United States. From west to east, the trail ran from Rock Island on the Mississippi River to the Illinois River near modern Peru then along the north bank of that river to Joliet, and on to Valparaiso,...
, an Indian trail.
Route description
All of US 112, except for a bypass of NilesNiles, Michigan
Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. The population was 11,600 at the 2010 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
, was an undivided surface road. It passes through terrain full of lakes suitable for recreational use.
US 112 began in New Buffalo
New 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:...
. US 112 continued across the southern portion of Berrien County
Berrien County, Michigan
Berrien County is a county located in the extreme southwest of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 156,813. The county seat is St. Joseph....
running eastward to Niles
Niles, Michigan
Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. The population was 11,600 at the 2010 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
. There US 112 met 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...
US 112 ran parallel to the state line intersecting 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...
near White Pigeon
White Pigeon, Michigan
White Pigeon is a village in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,627 at the 2000 census. The village is located within White Pigeon Township.-Geography:...
and M-66
M-66 (Michigan highway)
M-66 is a north–south state trunkline highway on the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from the Indiana state line in the south to Charlevoix in the north. M-66 is the only state highway to traverse almost the entire north–south distance of the LP. It starts as a...
in Sturgis
Sturgis, Michigan
Sturgis, is a city in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,994 at the 2010 census. The city is located at the northeast corner of Sturgis Township and at the intersection of US 12 and M-66....
in St. Joseph County
St. Joseph County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,422 people, 23,381 households, and 16,600 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 26,503 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
. East of Sturgis, US 112 turned northeasterly to Coldwater
Coldwater, Michigan
Coldwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County....
and a major intersection with US 27.
East of Coldwater, US 112 ran northeastward to Jonesville
Jonesville, Michigan
Jonesville is a village in Fayette Township, Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,337 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
northwest of Hillsdale
Hillsdale, Michigan
Hillsdale is a city in the state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,305. It is the county seat of Hillsdale County, and is run as a council-manager government....
where it met M-99
M-99 (Michigan highway)
M-99 is a state highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from the Ohio state border, where it connects to SR 15, north to Lansing where it terminates at a junction with I-496...
. In Jackson County
Jackson County, Michigan
As of the census of 2000, there were 158,422 people, 58,168 households, and 40,833 families residing in the county. The population density was 224 people per square mile . There were 62,906 housing units at an average density of 89/sq mi...
it passed near the Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn, Michigan
Brooklyn is a village in Jackson County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,176. It is located just off U.S. Highway 12 Brooklyn (formerly Swainsville) is a village in Jackson County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village...
. It runs along the Lenawee
Lenawee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 98,890 people, 35,930 households, and 26,049 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 39,769 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
/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...
county line before turning northeast to 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...
and Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
. Here it formed Michigan Avenue the rest of the way to 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...
, where it ended.
History
In 1925, US 112 was originally proposed to run from OshkoshOshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
to Fremont, Wisconsin
Fremont, Wisconsin
Fremont is a village in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States, within the town of Fremont. The population was 666 at the 2000 census. Fremont is often referred to as the "White Bass Capital of the World."-Geography:...
on what later became U.S. Route 110.
In 1926, between Edwardsburg and Adamsville, it made a sharp turn to the southwest along what was first US 112S and later until 2002 M-205
M-205 (Michigan highway)
M-205 was a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route was turned back to local control in October 2002 by the Michigan Department of Transportation after the completion of M-217/Michiana Parkway...
in Michigan, then Indiana's State Road 19 and former State Road 112 to connect to US 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
west of Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, northwest of Fort Wayne, east of Chicago, and north of Indianapolis...
.
In 1961, Michigan completed I-94 between New Buffalo and Ypsilanti along the corridor of the old, more northerly and urban US 12 to the north and removed signs for US 12 parallel to and along the freeway. Michigan redesignated the intrastate US 112 as US 12, which has been little altered since 1961 except to give access to new freeways.
Michigan designated this highway the Pulaski Memorial Highway in honor of the Polish Count Kazimierz Pułaski, a hero of the American War of Independence.
Major intersections
Suffixed routes
U.S. Route 112S or US 112S was a spur route of US 112 in the 1930s. Originally, it had been part of US 112 before the latter route was relocated to go through MichiganMichigan
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"....
's southwestern most counties. When US 112 was relocated to New Buffalo
New 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:...
, the former US 112 going into Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
became US 112S. This would continue only a couple of years or so, when the Michigan portion of US 112S would become M-205
M-205 (Michigan highway)
M-205 was a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route was turned back to local control in October 2002 by the Michigan Department of Transportation after the completion of M-217/Michiana Parkway...
. In December 2003, the M-205 designation was removed, and today it is a county road.
See also
- M-112 (Michigan highway)M-112 (Michigan highway)M-112 was the state trunkline highway designation given to segments of what is now Interstate 94 in the Metro Detroit area of the US state of Michigan.-Route description:...
, a loop route in the Metro DetroitMetro DetroitThe Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
area and the initial designation for the Willow Run Expressway and Detroit Industrial Freeway