M-34 (Michigan highway)

M-34 marker

M-34

M-34 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length: 28.938 mi[1] (46.571 km)
Existed: c. July 1, 1919[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: M-99 at Osseo
 

US 127 in Hudson

M-156 in Clayton
East end:
Bus. US 223 / M-52 at Adrian
Location
Counties: Hillsdale, Lenawee
Highway system
← M-33M-35 →

M-34 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the southeastern region of the US state of Michigan. It has a western terminus near Osseo on M-99 and runs through forest and farm lands to its eastern terminus at Business US Highway 223 (BUS US 223) and M-52 in Adrian. The highway serves a number of smaller communities in the area and intersects two US Highways while carrying between 4,200 and 11,300 vehicles on a daily basis.

M-34 was designated and signed with the beginning of the state highway system around July 1, 1919, along a route that extended to either end of its current routing. These western and eastern extensions were added to other highways during the 1920s, shortening M-34 to roughly its current length. A few more changes were made in the mid-1950s and 1960s resulting in the modern routing. M-34 has a short, unsigned sibling, Connector 34, which is better known as Industrial Drive in the Adrian area.

Route description

M-34 begins at an intersection with M-99 just west of Osseo. M-99 approaches Osseo from the west along Hudson Road and where M-99 turns south along Pioneer Road, M-34 continues east along Hudson Road. The highway turns to the southeast to the south of Osseo near Deer Lake and continues towards Pittsford. Hudson Road runs through a mix of forests and local farms. The trunkline passes to the south of the main business district in Pittsford. East of town, the highway turns east and intersects US Highway 127 (US 127) at the Hillsdale–Lenawee county line in Hudson. The trunkline continues eastward through the city of Hudson as Main Street. On the eastern edge of town, it becomes Carleton Road and passes through more farmland. Just south of Clayton, M-34 has a junction with the northern terminus of M-156, a connector highway that runs south into Ohio and US 20.[3][4]

M-34 eastern terminus, Adrian

Approximately four miles (6.4 km) east of that junction, M-34 turns north for about two miles (3.2 km) along Benner Highway and passes through the community of Cadmus. At the end of its course along Benner Highway, M-34 turns east towards Adrian on Beecher Road. There are some residential subdivisions along the road on the southwest side of Adrian. M-34 intersects Industrial Drive and crosses US 223 and Beecher Road becomes Beecher Street in town. The trunkline continues east and terminates at the intersection of Beecher and Main streets where it meets BUS US 223/M-52.[3][4]

M-34 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) like other state highways in Michigan. As a part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the roadways under its jurisdiction. These volumes are expressed using a metric called annual average daily traffic, which is a statistical calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway. MDOT's surveys in 2010 showed that the highest traffic levels along M-34 were the 11,302 vehicles daily immediately east of the BUS US 223/M-52 junction in Adrian; the lowest counts were the 4,166 vehicles per day between Hudson and the M-156 junction.[5] No section of M-34 has been listed on the National Highway System,[6] a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.[7]

History

When the state highway system was signed around July 1, 1919, M-34 started in Jonesville at an intersection with M-23 along the present-day alignment of M-99. The highway ran to Adrian along its present route and continued southeasterly along present-day US 223 through Blissfield, where it terminated at the Ohio state line near Sylvania, Ohio.[2] In 1924, the western terminus of the highway was extended to Homer where it terminated at M-60.[8][9] Just a few years later, in 1926, the western terminus was truncated, to end at Hillsdale, with the remainder to Jonesville becoming an extension of the M-64 of the day. At the same time, the eastern segment of M-34 from Adrian to the border was assumed into the US 127 corridor, therefore, scaling the terminus back to US 127 (now US 223).[10]

Industrial Drive
Connector 34
Location: Adrian
Length: 0.366 mi[1] (0.589 km)
Existed: 2003–present

In 1954, a new US 223 bypass was built around Adrian, resulting in the relocation of M-34 to end at BUS US 223/M-52.[11][12] Finally, in 1966, when a new alignment of M-99 highway was opened, the western terminus of M-34 was scaled back to end at the new highway near Osseo.[13][14] In 2003, the short connector between M-34 and US 223 was abandoned and obliterated. Industrial Drive, which is known internally at MDOT as Connector 34, is a new connector between the two highways that was assumed into the state trunkline system at the same time.[15][16]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
HillsdaleJefferson Township0.0000.000 M-99 – Hillsdale, Pioneer
Hillsdale–
Lenawee		Hudson10.63117.109 US 127 – Jackson
LenaweeClayton17.01827.388 M-156 south – MorenciNorthern terminus of M-156
Adrian27.78344.712Industrial DriveIndirect access to US 223 via Industrial Drive (unsigned Connector M-34)
28.93846.571
Bus. US 223 / M-52 – Downtown Adrian
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Michigan Department of Transportation & Michigan Center for Shared Solutions and Technology Partnerships (2009). MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Michigan State Highway Department (July 1, 1919). State of Michigan (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. Lower Peninsula sheet. OCLC 15607244.
  3. 1 2 Michigan Department of Transportation (2011). State Transportation Map (Map). [c. 1:975,000]. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. §§ N11–N12. OCLC 42778335 and 786008212.
  4. 1 2 Google (October 27, 2011). "Overview Map of M-34" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  5. ↑ Bureau of Transportation Planning (2008). "Traffic Monitoring Information System". Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  6. ↑ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006). National Highway System, Michigan (PDF) (Map). Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  7. ↑ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  8. ↑ Michigan State Highway Department (May 15, 1924). Official Highway Condition Map (Map). [c. 1:823,680]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department.
  9. ↑ Michigan State Highway Department (October 1, 1924). Official Highway Condition Map (Map). [c. 1:823,680]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department.
  10. ↑ Michigan State Highway Department (December 1, 1926). Official Highway Condition Map (Map). [c. 1:823,680]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department.
  11. ↑ Michigan State Highway Department (April 15, 1954). Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § N12. OCLC 12701120.
  12. ↑ Michigan State Highway Department (October 1, 1954). Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § N12. OCLC 12701120.
  13. ↑ Michigan Department of State Highways (1966). Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of State Highways. § N11. OCLC 12701120.
  14. ↑ Michigan Department of State Highways (1967). Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of State Highways. § N11. OCLC 12701120.
  15. ↑ Michigan Department of Transportation (2003). Truck Operator's Map (Map). 1 in≈3.5 mi / 1 cm≈2 km. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Adrian inset.
  16. ↑ Michigan Department of Transportation (2004). Truck Operator's Map (Map). 1 in≈3.5 mi / 1 cm≈2 km. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Adrian inset.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

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