M-94 (Michigan highway)

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This article describes a Michigan state trunkline highway numbered M-94. For the Interstate Highway with the same number, see Interstate 94 in Michigan.
A road sign bearing a diamond enclosing a block M and the number 94
M-94
Maintained by MDOT

M-94 highlighted in red
Length: 87.0 mi (140.01 km)
Formed: By 1927[1]
West end: M-553 at K. I. Sawyer
Major
junctions:		 Airport Sign.svg Sawyer International Airport

US 41 near Skandia
M-67 at Chatham
M-28 in Munising
M-28 in Shingleton
South end: US 2 in Manistique
Counties: Marquette, Alger, Schoolcraft
Michigan highways
< I-94 M-95 >

M-94 is a state trunkline in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan It runs for 89.156 miles (143.483 km) from K. I. Sawyer to Manistique. The highway is part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour during a concurrency with M-28. M-94 crosses the Siphon Bridge in Manistique, unique for the fact that the bridge roadway is below water level.

M-94 has been realigned several times. It has had its own roadway between the M-28 junctions in Munising and Shingleton. Other changes have flip-flopped M-94 with M-28 between Harvey and Munising and extended it across the former K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base.

Contents

[edit] Route description

Hiawatha National Forest road sign on M-28/M-94 in Alger County west of Shingleton

M-94 begins at an intersection with M-553 and crosses the former K. I. Sawyer AFB. Then it overlaps US 41 for a little over a mile near Skandia. East of Skandia, M-94 runs through forest lands and serves the communities of Sundell and Rumely before entering Eben Junction. There M-94 intersects the southern section of H-01. Further east is Chatham where there are junctions with the northern section of H-01 and M-67. M-94 turns southerly briefly before returning to an east–west direction to head to the community of Forest Lake and ultimately Munising. There M-94 joins a concurrency with M-28 and the Lake Superior Circle Tour from Munising to Shingleton. Until the turn at Shingleton, the route is more decidedly east–west than north–south. Between Shingleton and Manistique, M-94 is more north–south.[2]

South of Shingleton, M-94 runs through forest lands as a part of the Great Manistique Swamp. Along the way are national forest campgrounds located near Steuben. South of Crooked Lake, M-94 curves to the east before turning almost due south to the Manistique area.[2] In Manistique, M-94 enters town on North 5th St before turning to follow Deer Street and River Street. On River Street, the trunkline uses the Siphon Bridge to cross the Manistique River and then uses Elk and Maple streets before terminating at US 2 at Lakeshore Drive.[3]

[edit] Siphon Bridge

In Manistique, M-94 crosses the Manistique River on the "Siphon Bridge". Built as a part of a raceway flume on the river, the water level is actually higher than the road surface. This produces a siphon effect, giving the bridge its nickname. The Manistique Pulp and Paper Company was organized in 1916 and needed a dam on the Manistique River to supply their mill. This dam would need to flood a large section of the city. The shallow river banks meant difficulties in any bridge construction. Instead of expensive dikes, a concrete tank was built lengthwise in the river bed. The sides of this tank provided man-made banks higher than the natural banks. The Michigan Works Progress Administration described the bridge as having, "concrete bulkheads, formed by the side spans of the bridge, [that] allow the mill to maintain the water level several feet above the roadbed."[4] The Manistique Tourism Council stated: "At one time, the bridge itself was partially supported by the water that was atmospherically forced under it," and that the Bridge has been featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not![5][6]

[edit] History

The December 1927 Michigan State Highway Department Official Highway Service Map shows M-94 routed from Au Train west to Munising and further along its current routing to Manistique.[1] In 1928 or 1929, M-94 was rerouted to run along Munising-Van Meer-Shingleton Road (now H-58 and H-15) and southerly to Shingleton.[7] This routing was abandoned on November 7, 1963.[8] It was later extended westward to Harvey in 1939.[9][10] In 1941, the portion of M-94 west from Munising to Harvey was made a part of M-28, and M-94 was extended along its current routing from Munising to US 41.[11][12] M-94 was extended for the last time in 1998 over US 41 and through the old K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base to end at a newly designated M-553.[13][14]

[edit] Major intersections

County Location Mile Roads intersected Notes
Marquette K. I. Sawyer 0.00 M-553 – Gwinn, Marquette  
Skandia 10.79 US 41 north – Marquette North end of US 41 concurrency
11.88 US 41 south – Rapid River South end of US 41 concurrency
Alger Eben Junction 23.80 H-01 south – Traunik West end of H-01 concurrency
Chatham 25.97 H-01 north – Deerton East end of H-01 concurrency
27.03 M-67 south – Trenary Northern terminus of M-67
Forest Lake 30.61 H-03 north – Au Train Southern terminus of H-03
Stillman 34.04 H-05 south Northern terminus of H-05
Munising 42.65 M-28 west – Munising West end of M-28 concurrency
Wetmore 44.55 H-13 / FFH 13 – Nahma  
Shingleton 52.11 M-28 east – Seney, Newberry
H-15 north – Van Meer		 East end of M-28 concurrency
Schoolcraft Manistique 87.0 US 2 – Escanaba, St. Ignace Southern terminus

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Michigan State Highway Department. Official Highway Service Map [map]. Cartography by MSHD. (December 1, 1927)
  2. ^ a b Michigan Department of Transportation. Official 2008 Department of Transportation Map [map], 1 in:15 mi/1 cm:9 km. (2008) Retrieved on August 4, 2008.
  3. ^ Google, Inc. Google Maps [map]. Cartography by Tele Atlas. Retrieved on August 4, 2008.
  4. ^ Hunt, Mary and Hunt, Don (2007). "Manistique — Siphon Bridge and Water Tower". Hunt's Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Albion, MI: Midwestern Guides. http://hunts-upguide.com/manistique_siphon_bridge_and_water_tower.html. Retrieved September 15, 2006. 
  5. ^ Wood, Vivian. "Recreation and Attractions in the Manistique Michigan Area". Exploring the North. http://www.exploringthenorth.com/manistique/rec.html. Retrieved August 28, 2008. 
  6. ^ "Road & Highway Facts". Michigan Department of Transportation. February 13, 2007. http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9620_11154-129683--,00.html. Retrieved August 28, 2008. 
  7. ^ Michigan State Highway Department. Official Highway Service Map [map]. Cartography by MSHD. (1929)
  8. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation. Right of Way Map for Alger County, Sheet 56 [map]. Retrieved on May 8, 2008.
  9. ^ Michigan State Highway Department. 1939 Official Summer Michigan Highway Map [map]. Cartography by MSHD. (April 15, 1939) Section B6.
  10. ^ Michigan State Highway Department. 1940 Official Winter Highway Map of Michigan [map]. Cartography by MSHD. (December 1, 1939) Section B6.
  11. ^ Michigan State Highway Department. Official Michigan Highway Map [map]. Cartography by MSHD. (March 21, 1941) Section B1–B11.
  12. ^ Michigan State Highway Department. Official Michigan Highway Map [map]. Cartography by MSHD. (December 1, 1941) Section B1–B11.
  13. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (September 24, 1998). "MDOT Accepts Responsibility for 120 Miles of Local Roads". Press release. http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9620_11057-94859--,00.html. Retrieved August 26, 2008. 
  14. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation. Official 1999 Department of Transportation Map [map]. Cartography by MDOT. (1999) Section C6.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-94_(Michigan_highway)"