M-553 (Michigan highway)

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M-553 marker

M-553
M-553 is a north–south highway in the Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan
M-553 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length: 19.618 mi[2] (31.572 km)
Existed: October 1, 1998[1] – present
Major junctions
South end: M-35 near Gwinn
 

M-94 near K.I. Sawyer

CR 480 in Sands Township
North end: US 41 / M-28 in Marquette
Location
Counties: Marquette
Highway system

Michigan State Trunkline Highway System
Interstate • US • State • Heritage Routes

← I-496 I-675 →

M-553 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of the US state of Michigan. The trunkline was originally County Road 553 (CR 553) in Marquette County. It is the main highway connection between its southern terminus with M-35 near Gwinn, the Sawyer International Airport, and the Marquette area. The northern terminus is at an intersection along the Marquette Bypass, an expressway carrying US Highway 41 (US 41) and M-28. In between, the highway runs to the west of the airport, a former military base, in the Sands Plains area of Marquette County. The intersection with CR 480 in Sands Township is known locally as the Crossroads, and it is the site of several businesses. North of this location, M-553 runs through some hilly terrain around a local ski hill.

CR 553 dates back to the 1930s and was fully paved in the 1940s; a segment of the roadway was relocated in the 1950s. During the early 1990s, the City of Marquette extended one of their streets, McClellan Avenue, southward to connect to CR 553. The county road was transferred by the Marquette County Road Commission (MCRC) to the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) on October 1, 1998. MDOT assigned most of the former county road the M-553 designation after the transfer was complete. One section that was less than a mile (about 1.3 km) was given the M-554 designation. This related trunkline was unsigned by the state with only city street signs to indicate its existence. In 2005, control of various roadways was exchanged between the City of Marquette and MDOT, and M-553 was extended through the city. At the same time, M-554 was decommissioned and turned over to the city's jurisdiction.

Contents

[edit] Route description

M-553 begins as a two-lane rural highway east of Gwinn at an intersection with M-35 in the New Swanzy neighborhood. From there it runs north through some commercial properties into the Sands Plains. The highway runs through an intersection with M-94 near the west gate of the former K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base.[3][4] In this area, the trunkline is parallel to a line of the Canadian National Railway that connects mines of the Marquette Iron Range to Escanaba. M-553 crosses over the rail line west of the runway complex at the Sawyer International Airport located at the former air force base.[5] On the north side of the airport, M-553 intersects Kelly Johnson Memorial Drive, the airport access road named for Clarence "Kelly" Johnson[6] who was a noted aviation engineer at Lockheed.[7] The trunkline continues farther through woodlands and turns to the northwest. M-553 passes the Marquette County Fairgrounds and reaches CR 480 at the Crossroads area just north of the Sands Plains; the area around the intersection has several businesses.[3][4]

Photograph showing a
Sign guiding motorists outside of Sawyer International Airport

North of the intersection, M-553 passes some residential subdivisions in Sands Township. As the highway continues northward, the landscape transitions into hilly, wooded terrain. The trunkline descends through a series of curves, first to the northwest and then a steep downhill curve northeasterly alongside the Marquette Mountain ski area. The highway enters the city of Marquette and runs past the front of the ski resort's chalet before crossing the Carp River. North of the river, the roadway ascends part of the west side of Mount Mesnard before leveling off near the intersection with Division Street. Past that intersection, M-553 follows McClellan Avenue as a four-lane boulevard divided by a center turn lane through a residential area on the south side of the city. The trunkline passes between the Superior Hills Elementary School to the east and the Marquette Golf and Country Club to the west. With few exceptions, the adjacent properties in this area do not have direct access to the highway. M-553 descends one last hill and terminates at the Michigan left intersection with the US 41/M-28 expressway; McClellan Avenue continues north of the terminus through a business district to a residential area.[3][4]

Photograph looking
Downhill headed northbound by Marquette Mountain

Like other state trunkline highways, M-553 is maintained by MDOT. 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, on average, 3,615 vehicles between the M-35 and M-94 junctions, and 10,021 vehicles north of Division Street, used the highway daily.[8] No section of M-553 has been listed on the National Highway System,[9] a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.[10]

[edit] History

[edit] County road era

County Road 553
Location: Gwinn–Marquette
Length: 18.524 mi[2] (29.811 km)
Existed: c. 1936[11]–October 1, 1998[1]

The first roadway along the route of the modern M-553 was a county road; it was first shown on maps by 1936. At the time, the northern half of this county road was "improved", meaning it was gravel or stone, while the southern half was an earthen road.[11] The northern half and a segment immediately north of Gwinn were paved during World War II,[12][13] and the remainder was done by the middle of 1946. At the time, CR 553 ran north from Gwinn and turned northeasterly to a terminus on the south side of Marquette at Pioneer Road and Division Street.[14] In 1953, the county relocated CR 553 near the county airport so that the road spanned above the railroad on an overpass in a different location from the previous at-grade crossing.[15] In 1975, residents of the trailer park on Pioneer Road and officials at the city asked the county road commission to reconfigure the intersection between the county road, Division Street and Pioneer Road to reduce accidents.[16]

The City of Marquette started planning an extension to McClellan Avenue southward to CR 553 in the 1970s. When the projects were started in the 1990s, the goal was to reroute traffic and relieve congestion in town. By April 1994, the street had been extended south from the retail corridor along the business loop north of the Marquette Bypass to the Superior Hills Elementary School. Funding at that time was in place for the extension only as far as Pioneer Road.[17] The last segment between Pioneer Road and CR 553 was held up over environmental clearances and funding; there were some wetlands in the path of the proposed construction. Congress approved funding for this section of the McClellan Avenue project later in 1994 while the environmental assessments were being reviewed.[18]

In 1993, the federal government announced plans to close K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in 1995.[19] This base closure was the impetus for a 1996 study by UP counties on the designation of a north–south highway corridor in the region to help fuel redevelopment at the base; the study would help MDOT and the counties prioritize transportation funding.[20] While this study was in progress, the city and county continued to improve CR 553 and McClellan Avenue. The county closed the road between the Carp River and the Crossroads starting in June 1996. During the closure, they built a 1.6-mile-long (2.6 km) passing lane for southbound traffic headed uphill near Marquette Mountain;[21] the project was completed on November 1, 1996.[22] By the end of that month, the city had the necessary environmental approvals and cleared the land needed for the last southward extension of McClellan Avenue. Construction crews were working on blasting rock, drainage and other earthworks.[23]

Local business owners near the intersection between McClellan Avenue and the Marquette Bypass petitioned the city and MDOT to reconfigure the intersection, calling it "confusing", "dangerous" and "inconvenient"; transportation planners defended the design, saying that the Michigan left intersection was actually safer than several others in the city, even if its unique status made it unfamiliar to local drivers. (Michigan left intersections are common in the Lower Peninsula, but this intersection was the first in the UP built that way.)[24]

When the local study group completed its report in June 1997, CR 553 was included with M-35 and US 41 as part of the primary north–south traffic corridor in the Central Upper Peninsula. The group cited the redevelopment efforts at the former air force base for the designation.[25] The McClellan Avenue extension was finished the following September, and CR 553 was realigned to flow into the south end of McClellan. Instead of curving to the northeast in the area, the county road turned northward and a T-shaped intersection was built to reconnect CR 553 with the remainder of its routing into South Marquette, requiring the county road to make a right-angle turn.[26]

[edit] State trunkline period

Photograph of the
Guide sign directing M-553 traffic through a Michigan left at the highway's post-2005 northern terminus

As part of Governor John Engler's "Build Michigan II" plan in the late 1990s, about 9,200 miles (14,800 km) of roadway were investigated as part of the Rationalization plan as potential candidates for state maintenance. Included in these queries were county roads 553, 460 and 462; the latter two roadways connected east–west across the former base. Traffic to and from the base was increasing as a byproduct of economic redevelopment at K.I. Sawyer, and if the state took control of the roadways, they would be marked on the state map like other state trunklines, further benefiting redevelopment.[27] The three county roads were transferred to state jurisdiction on October 1, 1998.[1] MDOT renumbered the two roads across K.I. Sawyer as an extension to M-94, and designated M-553 along most of CR 553. That latter highway designation stopped at the intersection with McClellan Avenue in the city of Marquette;[28] the remainder of CR 553 was given the M-554 moniker by the state.[29] The city and local residents expressed safety issues concerning pedestrians at Marquette Mountain in 2000, and improved crosswalk signage was installed.[30]

In April 2005, the City of Marquette agreed to exchange jurisdiction over a number of roadways with MDOT. These transfers placed former Business US 41 and M-554 under city jurisdiction; at the same time, the state would take over a section of McClellan Avenue to extend M-553 to its current northern terminus at the Marquette Bypass;[31] the transfers were made official on October 11, 2005.[32] Because of the transfer, MDOT initiated a speed study to determine what speed limits should apply on the extension. The McClellan Avenue section of M-553 was placed under a temporary traffic control order leaving the 35 mph (56 km/h) limit in place. A school zone was considered near the Superior HIlls Elementary school.[33]

[edit] Major intersections

The entire highway is in Marquette County.

Location Mile[2] Destinations Notes
Forsyth Township 0.000 M-35 – Palmer, Gladstone
2.843 M-94 east – Skandia Southern access to Sawyer International Airport and K.I. Sawyer
Sands Township 7.023 Kelly Johnson Memorial Drive Northern access to Sawyer International Airport and K.I. Sawyer
13.256 CR 480 – Negaunee, Skandia
Marquette 17.672 Division Street Former M-554; former northern terminus of M-553
19.618 US 41 / M-28 / LSCT (Marquette Bypass) – Escanaba, Munising, Baraga
McClellan Avenue		 Current northern terminus; roadway continues north as McClellan Avenue
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

[edit] Related trunkline

Street sign for M-554

M-554
Location: Marquette
Length: 0.852 mi[2] (1.371 km)
Existed: October 1, 1998[1]–October 10, 2005[32]

M-554 was a short state trunkline highway in the city of Marquette. The southern terminus was at the intersection with M-553 and McClellan Avenue. From there, the highway ran just under a mile (1.4 km) within Marquette in a section of the city that is relatively flat with trees; the roadway that carried the M-554 designation has a few gentle curves. At the intersection with Pioneer Road and Division Street, the M-554 designation ended, and the roadway continued as Division Street.[34] The only signage present along the route to indicate the highway number was the street signs erected by the City of Marquette Department of Public Works;[35] MDOT never posted the standard reassurance markers along the road, leaving M-554 as an unsigned highway.[31]

When CR 553 was transferred from the county to the state on October 1, 1998,[1] one segment was not included in the routing for M-553; that section between the McClellan Avenue and Pioneer Road intersections was numbered M-554 by MDOT.[29] The City of Marquette approved a plan to accept jurisdiction of M-554 from MDOT in April 2005; the plan also affected two other roads.[31] On October 10, 2005, the city and the state exchanged jurisdiction of the three roadways in Marquette. The signage was changed on November 9, 2005, reflecting the changeover of M-554 and BUS US 41 to the city's control and McClellan Avenue to the state's control. This change ended the existence of M-554.[32] Since the transfer, the former M-554 is now part of an extended Division Street.[34]

Major intersections

The entire highway was in Marquette, Marquette County.

Mile[29] Destinations Notes
0.000 M-553 (McClellan Avenue) Former northern terminus of M-553
0.852 Pioneer Road
Division Street		 Road continues as Division Street
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi


[edit] See also

Portal icon Michigan Highways portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Truscott, John (September 24, 1998). "MDOT Accepts Responsibility for 120 Miles of Local Roads" (Press release). Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 15, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070315030216/http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9620_11057-94859--,00.html. Retrieved August 26, 2008. 
  2. ^ a b c d Michigan Department of Transportation (2009). MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application (Map). Cartography by Michigan Center for Geographic Information. http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/prfinder/. Retrieved April 9, 2010. 
  3. ^ a b c Michigan Department of Transportation (2011). State Transportation Map (Map). 1 in:15 mi / 1 cm:9 km. Section C6. 
  4. ^ a b c Google, Inc. Google Maps – Overview Map of M-553 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=County+Road+553+%26+M-35,+Gwinn,+Marquette,+Michigan+49841,+United+States&daddr=US-41+%26+McClellan+Ave,+Marquette,+MI+49855&hl=en&sll=46.409931,-87.41684&sspn=0.475332,0.465546&geocode=FX0dwgId-CTK-inhtZizcgJOTTHuJHiqBvr-Ug%3BFXMyxgIdNhTK-ilzbO_tat9RTTFGvMBnHvWNkg&vpsrc=0&mra=pr&t=h&z=11. Retrieved August 26, 2008. 
  5. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (January 2011) (PDF). Michigan's Railroad System (Map). http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_Official_Rail_130897_7.pdf. Retrieved February 1, 2011. 
  6. ^ Staff. "Come Home to Sawyer Airport". Sawyer International Airport. http://www.comehometosawyerairport.com/ckjohnson.html. Retrieved January 14, 2012. 
  7. ^ Staff (January 20, 1975). "Science: A Farewell to Kelly Johnson". Time: 64–5. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,912716,00.html. Retrieved January 14, 2012. 
  8. ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning‎ (2008). "Traffic Monitoring Information System". Michigan Department of Transportation. http://mdotnetpublic.state.mi.us/tmispublic/. Retrieved January 4, 2012. 
  9. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006) (PDF). National Highway System, Michigan (Map). http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_NHS_Statewide_150626_7.pdf. Retrieved October 7, 2008. 
  10. ^ Adderly, Kevin (August 26, 2010). "The National Highway System". Planning, Environment, and Realty. Federal Highway Administration. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/nhs/. Retrieved January 1, 2011. 
  11. ^ a b Michigan State Highway Department (June 1, 1936). 1936 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally. Section C6. 
  12. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (July 1, 1941). 1941 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Summer ed.). Section C6. 
  13. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (June 1, 1942). 1942 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Summer ed.). Section C6. 
  14. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (July 1, 1946). Michigan Official Highway Map (Map). Section C6. 
  15. ^ Biolo, Bob (1953). "County's Primary Road System Soon Will Be One of Finest Highway Networks in Michigan". The Daily Mining Journal (Marquette, MI). 
  16. ^ "City Seeks Quick Action To Slow '553' Traffic". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): p. A2. May 28, 1975. 
  17. ^ Harris, Wendy (April 27, 1994). "Major Marquette North–South Thoroughfare Nearly Complete". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): pp. A5–6. 
  18. ^ Harris, Wendy; Grassmuck, Karen (May 19, 1994). "McClellan Extension Money OK'd". The Mining Journal. Thompson News Service (Marquette, MI): p. A1. 
  19. ^ "Sawyer Planes To Fly Elsewhere". The Argus-Press. Associated Press (Owosso, MI): p. 7. June 25, 1993‎. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b1AiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H60FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1244,5173379&dq=ki+sawyer+afb+closure&hl=en. Retrieved January 17, 2012. 
  20. ^ Sargent, Bud (December 13, 1996). "Highway Options Weighed: Sawyer Will Loom Large in North–South Corridor Vision". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): p. A1. 
  21. ^ Williams, Matthew (June 7, 1996). "Drivers Face New Detour: CR 553 Closing for 5 Months". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): p. A1. 
  22. ^ Williams, Matthew (November 1, 1996). "CR 553 Opens Today". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): p. A1. 
  23. ^ Williams, Matthew (November 29, 1996). "City Gets Head Start on McClellan Work". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): p. A1. 
  24. ^ Williams, Matthew (November 11, 1996). "Intersection Under Attack". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): p. A1. 
  25. ^ Sargent, Bud (June 22, 1997). "North–South Corridor Chosen". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI). 
  26. ^ Williams, Matthew (September 7, 1997). "553 Changes: McClellan Ave. Extension Should Be Finished Soon". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): p. A1. 
  27. ^ Hollands, Heather (July 18, 1998). "State May Take Over 3 Roads at Sawyer". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): p. A1. 
  28. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (1999). Official 1999 Department of Transportation Map (Map). Cartography by MDOT. Section C6. 
  29. ^ a b c Michigan Department of Transportation (2001). Control Section/Physical Reference Atlas (Map). Cartography by MDOT. 
  30. ^ Lake, James (August 1, 2000). "M-553 Safety Focus of Meeting". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): pp. A1, A9. 
  31. ^ a b c "Road Shift with State Well-Planned". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI): p. A6. April 27, 2005. 
  32. ^ a b c Garner, Dawn (November 9, 2005). "MDOT and City of Marquette Complete Jurisdictional Transfer" (Press release). Michigan Department of Transportation. http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9620_11057-129975--,00.html. Retrieved July 31, 2008. 
  33. ^ Moeller, Miriam (November 9, 2007). "McClellan Ave. Speed Could Go Up or Down". The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI). Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. http://www.miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/501377.html. Retrieved January 20, 2008. 
  34. ^ a b Google, Inc. Google Maps – Overview Map of the Former M-554 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=S+McClellan+Ave+%26+M-553,+Marquette,+MI+49855&geocode=&dirflg=&daddr=M-553+%26+Pioneer+Rd,+Marquette,+MI&f=d&sll=46.516646,-87.413557&sspn=0.009391,0.014334&ie=UTF8&t=p&z=15. Retrieved July 31, 2008. 
  35. ^ Staff (October 1998). M-554 and McClellan Avenue (Street sign). Marquette, MI: City of Marquette Department of Public Works. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M-554.jpg. Retrieved January 10, 2012. 
    • Staff (October 1998). M-554 and Pioneer Road (Street sign). Marquette, MI: City of Marquette Department of Public Works. 

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