M-146 (Michigan highway)

M-146 was a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that initially served as a bypass for traffic going around Port Huron and as a short cut for traffic between U.S. Highway 25 (US 25) and M-21. Later it connected to the Blue Water Bridge before it was truncated to its final form. Segments of M-146 still exist today as state highways as part of Interstate 94 (I-94) and I-69 and the Lapeer Connector.

M-146
M-146 highlighted in red on a modern map
Route information
Length	0.910 mi[1] (1.465 km)
Existed	1933[2][3]–1966[4][5]
Major junctions
South end	M-21 in Port Huron
North end	I-94 / US 25 in Port Huron Township
Location
Counties	St. Clair
Highway system
Michigan State Trunkline Highway System Interstate US State Byways ← M-144 → M-147

Route description

As the highway last existed, its southern end was at an intersection with M-21 (Lapeer Road) in a residential area of Port Huron west of the Black River. Following what is today named the Lapeer Connector, M-146 ran northward for about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) to an interchange with I-94/US 25 where it terminated.[4][6]

History

When the route debuted in 1933 it served as a connector between US 25 in southwest Port Huron and M-21 along the west side of town.[2][3] In 1954 a new approach was built from M-21 to the foot of the Blue Water Bridge, and M-146 was extended northward and easterly, designated along this new route.[7][8] By 1958, this newer segment was converted to freeway specifications,[9][10] and in 1964, with the completion of the I-94/US 25 freeway, M-146 was removed from that portion of the route.[11][12] By the next year, the M-146 designation only remained along the stretch of freeway which now serves as the exit 274 interchange on I-94, and was removed from 24th Street through town.[4][12] The alignment of the freeway stretch of M-146 was shifted slightly as well, allowing for a smoother transition between it and westbound I-94. In addition, the diamond interchange with Water Street along the Blue Water Bridge approach was reconstructed and appropriated into the alignment of I-94.[13] In 1966, with the completion of a new freeway alignment for M-21 between Wadhams and downtown Port Huron, the M-146 designation was removed from the state trunkline system,[4][5] and has not been used since. The connector between Lapeer Street and present-day I-94 is now known as the Lapeer Connector[14] and Connector 69.[15]

Major intersections

The entire highway was in St. Clair County.

Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Port Huron	0.000	0.000	M-21 (Lapeer Road)	Lapeer Road is no longer a state highway
Port Huron Township	0.910	1.465	I-94 / US 25 – Detroit	Now exit 274 on I-94/I-69
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

•  Michigan Highways portal

References

1. Michigan Department of Transportation & Michigan Center for Shared Solutions and Technology Partnerships (2009). MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
2. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (May 1, 1933). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. Port Huron inset. OCLC 12701053. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2016 – via Archives of Michigan.
3. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (September 1, 1933). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. Port Huron inset. OCLC 12701053.
4. Michigan Department of State Highways (1966). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan Department of State Highways. §§ K13–K14. OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
5. Michigan Department of State Highways (1967). Michigan Water-Winter Wonderland: Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan Department of State Highways. §§ K13–K13. OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
6. Google (March 31, 2015). "Overview Map of the Former M-146" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
7. Michigan State Highway Department (April 15, 1954). Michigan Water Wonderland: Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. Port Huron inset. OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
8. Michigan State Highway Department (October 1, 1954). Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. Port Huron inset. OCLC 12701120.
9. Michigan State Highway Department (October 1, 1957). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § K14. OCLC 12701120, 367386492.
10. Michigan State Highway Department (1958). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § K14. OCLC 12701120, 51856742. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1958)
11. Michigan State Highway Department (1964). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § K14. OCLC 12701120, 81213707. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
12. Michigan State Highway Department (1965). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § K14. OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
13. "Freeway Interchange Takes Shape Here". Port Huron Times Herald. October 2, 1963. p. 18. Retrieved July 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
14. Michigan Department of Transportation (2014). Pure Michigan: State Transportation Map (Map). c. 1:221,760. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Port Huron inset. OCLC 42778335, 900162490.
15. Staff (May 1, 2009). "Appendix C: State Trunkline Connector Routes" (PDF). Michigan Geographic Framework. Michigan Department of Information Technology. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 8, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2009.

External links

• M-146 at Michigan Highways