U.S. Route 23 in Michigan

U.S. Route 23 is a major north-south highway in the U.S. state of Michigan.

Route description

US 23 enters Michigan on a freeway north of Toledo, Ohio, concurrent with US 223; it is a more direct route than I-75, providing a bypass around Detroit. US 23 is freeway past Dundee, Milan, Ann Arbor (junction I-94 and M-14), Brighton (junction I-96) and Fenton. The freeway portion between I-475 near Toledo, OH and Flint has many substandard bridge clearances (in Interstate standards terminology), but it lets travelers to and from northern Michigan bypass the urban I-75 in the Metro Detroit area.

Just south of Flint, US 23 joins I-75 (US-23 mile marker 90, I-75 mile marker 115), staying with it past Saginaw and Bay City before splitting at Standish; M-13 provides a number for part of the old route. From Standish to US-23's north end at Mackinaw City, US 23 follows the shoreline of Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron, serving such lakeside communities as Au Gres, East Tawas, Oscoda, Harrisville, Alpena, Rogers City, and Cheboygan. I-75 is a much more direct route for long-distance travel between Standish and Mackinaw City.

In 2004, US 23 between Standish and Mackinaw City was designated as the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway.

A segment of freeway between Standish and Alpena (later scaled back to just Tawas City) was proposed to relieve traffic congestion on the mostly two-way, two-lane segment of US 23. Wetland concerns and local resistance are the main reasons for the dormancy or termination of this freeway project. There were alternative tactics to traffic congestion relief in and around the area. Some intermittent passing relief lanes were added to the existing US 23 corridor, which is a gateway to some popular tourist centers in Michigan.

Exit list

#	Destinations	Notes
	I-475 / US 23 south – Toledo, Maumee	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	SR 51 east (Monroe Street) / SR 184 – Sylvania	South end of US 223 overlap
1	Sterns Road	Bedford Township
3	Ottawa Lake, Lambertville	Consear Road
5	US 223 north – Blissfield, Adrian	North end of US 223 overlap. St. Anthony Road
9	Summerfield Road
13	Ida, Petersburg	Ida West Road
15	Lloyd Road	Northbound exit and southbound entrance via Dixon Road
17	M-50 – Dundee, Monroe
22	Cone Road - Azalia
25	Plank Road - Milan
27	Carpenter Road	Milan
31	Willis Road
34	US 12 – Saline, Ypsilanti	Michigan Avenue
35	I-94 – Detroit, Chicago	South end of I-94 Bus. overlap
37A	M-17 east – Ypsilanti	Washtenaw Avenue EAST
37B	I-94 Bus. west, US 23 Bus. north - Ann Arbor	North end of I-94 Bus. overlap. Washtenaw Avenue WEST
39	Geddes Road
41	Plymouth Road
42	M-14 east – Plymouth, Livonia	South end of M-14 overlap
45	M-14 west, US 23 Bus. south - Downtown Ann Arbor	North end of M-14 overlap
49	North Territorial Road
50	6 Mile Road - Whitmore Lake
52	Barker Road	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
53	Hamburg, Whitmore Lake	8 Mile Road
54	M-36 – South Lyon, Pinckney, Hamburg	Signed as exits 54A (east) and 54B (west) northbound. 9 Mile Road
55	Silver Lake Road
58	Lee Road - Brighton
60	I-96 – Detroit, Brighton, Lansing	Signed as exits 60A (east) and 60B (west)
67	M-59 – Howell, Pontiac
70	Clyde Road - Hartland
75	Center Road
77	White Lake Road
78	Owen Road - Fenton
79	Silver Lake Road - Linden
80	Torrey Road, North Road
84	Thompson Road
88	Rankin, Grand Blanc
90	Hill Road	Connector to I-475
	I-75 south	South end of I-75 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance