M-42 (Michigan highway)

M-42 is a rural state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of the state. Along its route, M-42 begins in Manton and ends north of Lake City, some 10.356 miles (16.666 km) apart. The highway used to run much farther. Former termini included the Traverse City area from 1919 until 1940 and Mesick from 1940 until 2007.

M-42
M-42 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length	10.339 mi[1] (16.639 km)
Existed	c. July 1, 1919[2]–present
Major junctions
West end	Bus. US 131 in Manton
Major intersections	US 131 in Manton
East end	M-66 near Lake City
Location
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Counties	Wexford, Missaukee
Highway system
Michigan State Trunkline Highway System Interstate US State Byways
← M-41 → M-43

Route description

M-42 cosigned with Bus. US 131 just west of the interchange with US 131 at Manton

M-42 is a rural, two-lane highway connecting Manton and Lake City.^[3] It runs through wooded terrain on gently rolling hills. Between the western terminus at Michigan Avenue and the US Highway 131 (US 131) freeway in Manton, M-42 runs concurrently Bus. US 131 along Seventh Street. It runs east along Seventh Street to a folded diamond interchange at exit 191 on US 131 east of downtown. Continuing east, it is known as North 16+1⁄2 Road until it crosses the Wexford–Missaukee county line at Seeley Road approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of the freeway. Here the road name changes to Mike and Tony Road before M-42 curves southeasterly crossing Morrisy Creek on West Walker Road. East of the unincorporated community of Arlene the highway turns ninety degrees to the south off Walker Road before angling southeasterly skirting the edge of some hills near Dyer Lake just west of M-66. The road turns back due east between Al Moses Road and M-66, where it ends north of Lake City.^[4] No section of the trunkline is part of the National Highway System.^[5]

History

M-42 is an original state trunkline dating back to the 1919 signage of the highway system in Michigan. The original highway routing started at M-13 in Manton and ran due west to Mesick. From there the highway turned north and met M-11 at Chums Corners. M-11/M-42 ran concurrently northward into the City of Traverse City where M-42 ended.^[2] By May 1929, M-42 was extended east to connect to Lake City.^[6] The highway was further extended before 1936 up the Old Mission Peninsula north of Traverse City.^[7] In the latter half of 1940, the M-37 designation replaced M-42 north of Mesick through Traverse City to Old Mission.^[8][9] The last sections of highway were paved in late 1951 and early 1952.^[10][11]

In 2007, the stretch of M-42 between M-37 and US 131 along 16 Road was transferred to the Wexford County Road Commission.^[12] This change shortened the highway from 25.255 miles (40.644 km) to 10.356 miles (16.666 km).^[1] The section of transferred highway in Wexford County was labeled as "flexible pavements" on the 2006 MDOT Truck Operators Map. This classification meant truck traffic on the roadway was subject to weight and load restrictions during spring. This classification is unlike the other highways in the county and surrounding area which were marked as "all-weather highways" and would not carry such restrictions.^[13]

Major intersections

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Wexford	Manton	0.000	0.000	Bus. US 131 north	Western terminus; western end of Bus. US 131 concurrency
		0.842	1.355	US 131 / Bus. US 131 – Petoskey, Cadillac	Exit 191 on US 131; southern terminus of Bus. US 131
Missaukee	Lake City	10.339	16.639	M-66 – Kalkaska, Lake City
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

See also

• Michigan Highways portal

References

1. Michigan Department of Transportation (2021). Next Generation PR Finder (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
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. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
3. Michigan Department of Transportation (2008). Michigan: Official Department of Transportation Map (Map). c. 1:975,000. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. § H9. OCLC 42778335.
4. "Overview Map of M-42" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
5. Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006). National Highway System, Michigan (PDF) (Map). Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 20, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2008.
6. Michigan State Highway Department (May 1, 1929). Official Highway Service Map (Map). [c. 1:810,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. OCLC 12701195, 79754957.
7. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (June 1, 1936). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § G9. OCLC 12701143.
8. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (July 15, 1940). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map) (Summer ed.). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. §§ G9–H19. OCLC 12701143. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
9. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (December 1, 1940). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map) (Winter ed.). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. §§ G9–H9. OCLC 12701143.
10. Michigan State Highway Department (July 1, 1951). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § H9. OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
11. Michigan State Highway Department (April 15, 1952). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § H9. OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
12. Wexford County Road Commission (December 31, 2007). "Financial Statements and Supplementary Information" (PDF). Michigan Department of Treasury. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
13. Michigan Department of Transportation (2006). Truck Operator's Map (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. § H9.

External links

Template:Attached KML/M-42 (Michigan highway)

KML is from Wikidata

• M-42 at Michigan Highways