U.S. Route 45 in Michigan
Encyclopedia
US Highway 45 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Mobile, Alabama
, to the Upper Peninsula
(UP) of the US state of Michigan
. The highway forms a part of the state trunkline highway system
that is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT). It enters the state from Wisconsin
south of Watersmeet, ending at Ontonagon
. In between, the roadway crosses the UP running through the Ottawa National Forest
and running along the Ontonagon River
.
The highway dates back to the 1930s in Michigan. At the time it was extended into Michigan, it replaced sections of M-26
and M-35
. Some realignment changes in the 1970s moved the path of US 45 around before it was returned to the original alignment.
area of the Ottawa National Forest
. The highway angles northeast from the state line before curving around to the north toward Watersmeet, where it intersects US 2
. Watersmeet is home to the northern section of the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation
. Continuing north across the Gogebic
–Ontonagon
county line, US 45 crosses the boundary between the Central and Eastern
time zones. In southern Ontonagon County, the highway runs west of the Bond Falls
Flowage near Paulding
. North of here is Bruce Crossing
and the junction with M-28
. The trunkline runs northward parallel to the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River
. US 45 crosses the river near a roadside park south of Rockland. East of Rockland, US 45 meets the southern terminus of M-26
and turns northwesterly parallel to the Ontonagon River and a branch of the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad
(ELS).
US 45 enters the south side of Ontonagon
on Rockland Road near the Holy Family Cemetery. The roadway turns due north and crosses the ELS rail line, still running parallel to the course of the river. South of downtown, the highway crosses an intersection that serves as the joint termini of M-38
and M-64
. M-64 crosses the river from the west on a bridge built in 2006 and ends at the intersection. M-38 comes into town from the east and also ends at the same intersection. US 45 continues north on Rockland Road and turns northwest on River Street along the eastern river bank through downtown. The northern terminus of US 45 is at Ontonagon Street, about 1000 feet (304.8 m) from Lake Superior
.
between the state line north toward Rockland, and then M-35
between Rockland and Ontonagon. The Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD) built a new bridge over the Ontonagon River in late 1959. Along with this bridge, the last 8 miles (12.9 km) of US 45 in the country were paved, connecting the Gulf of Mexico
with Lake Superior with a hard-surfaced road. A rerouting in late 1971 moved the US 45 designation along M-26 between Rockland and Greenland. From Greenland, US 45 followed Ontonagon–Greenland Road to Ontonagon. In late 1973, MDOT reversed the rerouting. US 45 was restored to its previous routing on Rockland Road between Rockland and Ontonagon. M-26 was re-extended south from Greenland to Rockland. M-38 was extended west along Ontonagon–Greenland Road.
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, to 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...
(UP) 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"....
. The highway forms a part of the state trunkline highway system
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 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation
Michigan 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). It enters the state from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
south of Watersmeet, ending at Ontonagon
Ontonagon, Michigan
Ontonagon is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 1,769. It is the county seat of Ontonagon County....
. In between, the roadway crosses the UP running through the Ottawa National Forest
Ottawa National Forest
The Ottawa National Forest is a 1.0 million acre national forest in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It includes much of Gogebic and Ontonagon counties, as well as slices of Iron, Houghton, Baraga, and Marquette counties. The forest is under the jurisdiction of the U.S...
and running along the Ontonagon River
Ontonagon River
The Ontonagon River is a river flowing to Lake Superior on the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. The main stem of the river is 25 mi long and is formed by a confluence of several longer branches, portions of which have been collectively designated as a National Wild...
.
The highway dates back to the 1930s in Michigan. At the time it was extended into Michigan, it replaced sections of M-26
M-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...
and M-35
M-35 (Michigan highway)
M-35 is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. Running for in a general north–south direction, it connects the cities of Menominee, Escanaba and Negaunee. The southern section of M-35 in Menominee and Delta counties carries two additional designations...
. Some realignment changes in the 1970s moved the path of US 45 around before it was returned to the original alignment.
Route description
US 45 crosses from Wisconsin to Michigan near Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin, east of the Sylvania WildernessSylvania Wilderness
Sylvania Wilderness is an protected area located a few miles west of Watersmeet, Michigan. Sylvania is located entirely within the bounds of the Ottawa National Forest, and is currently being managed as a wilderness area as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System by the U.S. Forest...
area of the Ottawa National Forest
Ottawa National Forest
The Ottawa National Forest is a 1.0 million acre national forest in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It includes much of Gogebic and Ontonagon counties, as well as slices of Iron, Houghton, Baraga, and Marquette counties. The forest is under the jurisdiction of the U.S...
. The highway angles northeast from the state line before curving around to the north toward Watersmeet, where it intersects US 2
U.S. Route 2 in Michigan
US Highway 2 is a component of the United States Numbered Highway System that connects Everett, Washington, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan, with a separate segment that runs from Rouses Point, New York, to Houlton, Maine...
. Watersmeet is home to the northern section of the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation
Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation
Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation located in Watersmeet Township of southeastern Gogebic County, in the western part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It is the landbase for the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The reservation has a total land area of...
. Continuing north across the Gogebic
Gogebic County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,370 people, 7,425 households, and 4,581 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 10,839 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
–Ontonagon
Ontonagon County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,818 people, 3,456 households, and 2,225 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 5,404 housing units...
county line, US 45 crosses the boundary between the Central and Eastern
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
time zones. In southern Ontonagon County, the highway runs west of the Bond Falls
Bond Falls
Bond Falls is a waterfall on the middle branch of the Ontonagon River, a few miles east of Paulding in Haight Township in southern Ontonagon County, Michigan. The site is near U.S. Highway 45 in the western portion of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The waterfalls are listed by the state of...
Flowage near Paulding
Paulding, Michigan
Paulding is an unincorporated community in Ontonagon County, Michigan, United States. Paulding is located in Haight Township along U.S. Route 45, southeast of Ontonagon. The Paulding Light, part of the area's folklore, is visible in a valley near Paulding....
. North of here is Bruce Crossing
Bruce Crossing, Michigan
Bruce Crossing is an unincorporated community in Ontonagon County, Michigan, United States. Bruce Crossing is located in Stannard Township at the junction of U.S. Route 45 and M-28, south-southeast of Ontonagon. Bruce Crossing has a post office with ZIP code 49912.- History :Bruce Crossing was...
and the junction with M-28
M-28 (Michigan highway)
M-28 is an east–west state trunkline highway that almost completely traverses the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan, from Wakefield to near Sault Ste. Marie in Bruce Township...
. The trunkline runs northward parallel to the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River
Ontonagon River
The Ontonagon River is a river flowing to Lake Superior on the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. The main stem of the river is 25 mi long and is formed by a confluence of several longer branches, portions of which have been collectively designated as a National Wild...
. US 45 crosses the river near a roadside park south of Rockland. East of Rockland, US 45 meets the southern terminus of M-26
M-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...
and turns northwesterly parallel to the Ontonagon River and a branch of the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad
Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad
The Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad is a privately held shortline railroad that operates in Northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The ELS has expanded from the original 65 miles that was purchased in 1978 to over 235 miles as of 2005....
(ELS).
US 45 enters the south side of Ontonagon
Ontonagon, Michigan
Ontonagon is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 1,769. It is the county seat of Ontonagon County....
on Rockland Road near the Holy Family Cemetery. The roadway turns due north and crosses the ELS rail line, still running parallel to the course of the river. South of downtown, the highway crosses an intersection that serves as the joint termini of M-38
M-38 (Michigan highway)
M-38 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Its west end starts in Ontonagon and runs east to Baraga, some apart. The highway crosses streams and rivers in forest lands and provides access to a casino...
and M-64
M-64 (Michigan highway)
M-64 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs for through the western part of the state in land that is part of the Ottawa National Forest. The highway connects with County Trunk Highway B at the state line near Presque Isle, Wisconsin....
. M-64 crosses the river from the west on a bridge built in 2006 and ends at the intersection. M-38 comes into town from the east and also ends at the same intersection. US 45 continues north on Rockland Road and turns northwest on River Street along the eastern river bank through downtown. The northern terminus of US 45 is at Ontonagon Street, about 1000 feet (304.8 m) from 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...
.
History
US 45 debuted in Michigan by 1935 on maps of the time. The highway replaced 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...
between the state line north toward Rockland, and then M-35
M-35 (Michigan highway)
M-35 is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. Running for in a general north–south direction, it connects the cities of Menominee, Escanaba and Negaunee. The southern section of M-35 in Menominee and Delta counties carries two additional designations...
between Rockland and Ontonagon. The Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD) built a new bridge over the Ontonagon River in late 1959. Along with this bridge, the last 8 miles (12.9 km) of US 45 in the country were paved, connecting the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
with Lake Superior with a hard-surfaced road. A rerouting in late 1971 moved the US 45 designation along M-26 between Rockland and Greenland. From Greenland, US 45 followed Ontonagon–Greenland Road to Ontonagon. In late 1973, MDOT reversed the rerouting. US 45 was restored to its previous routing on Rockland Road between Rockland and Ontonagon. M-26 was re-extended south from Greenland to Rockland. M-38 was extended west along Ontonagon–Greenland Road.