M-54 (Michigan highway)

M-54
M-54 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length:	27.19 mi[1] (43.76 km)
Existed:	1962 – present
Major junctions
South end:	I-75 near Grand Blanc
	I-69 at Flint I-475 in Flint M-57 near Clio M-83 near Birch Run
North end:	I-75 / US 23 in Birch Run
Location
Counties:	Genessee, Saginaw
Highway system
Michigan State Trunkline Highway System Interstate • US • State ← M-53 M-55 →

M-54 is a state trunkline highway approximately 27 miles (43 km) long in the US state of Michigan that bypasses the city of Flint. It is named "Dort Highway" in much of its length, in honor of Flint carriage and automobile pioneer Josiah Dallas Dort, the business partner of General Motors founder William C. Durant. One portion (the north end of Dort Highway to Clio Road) is part of the historic Saginaw Trail, and was also part of the old Dixie Highway.

Route description

M-54 starts at I-75 exit 109. Dort Highway ends when it intersects with Saginaw Road just north of Mount Morris, then M-54 runs along Saginaw Road. M-54 then becomes part of Clio Road at the Saginaw Road/Clio Road intersection. When it crosses the Saginaw county line it becomes known as Gera Road. At Birch Run Road it turns west and runs concurrently with M-83. This highway technically ends at the so-called "Birch Run spur" or Birch Run Road, ending at the I-75/US 23 junction. Gera Road continues on northward as M-83.

History

Previous designations

The first version of M-54 began at M-16 (later US 16) near Grand Rapids and ran northerly along the current M-37 corridor to M-20 (later US 10). This version of M-54 was replaced by an extension of M-37 by 1927. The second incarnation of M-54 was designated in Ironwood along the former US 2 routing through downtown in 1938. This was replaced by the current BUS US 2 around 1945. ^[1]

Current designation

The current M-54 was designated in 1962 for a former routing of US 10 through the Flint area. US 10 was moved after the completion of the I-75 freeway, and the M-54 designation was applied to the Saginaw Road/Dort Highway routing of US 10 from I-75 in Grand Blanc to M-83 in Clio. At the same time, BUS US 10 became BUS M-54 through Flint. An extension of Dort Highway in 1987 relocated the southern end of M-54 in Grand Blanc to end at exit 109 on I-75. ^[1]

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Destinations	Notes
Genesee	Grand Blanc Township	0.000	I-75 – Detroit, Flint	Exit 109 on I-75
	Flint		I-69 – Lansing, Port Huron	Exit 138 on I-69
			I-475 – Flint	Exit 9 on I-475
	Vienna Township		M-57 (Vienna Road) – Clio, Otisville
Saginaw	Birch Run Township		M-83 north (Birch Run Road) – Frankenmuth	Eastern end of M-83 concurrency
	Birch Run		I-75 / US 23 – Flint, Saginaw	Western end of M-83 concurrency; both end together at exit 136 on I-75/US 23
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

References

Michigan Highways portal

1. ^ ^{a b c} Bessert, Christopher J.. "Michigan Highways: Highways 50 through 59". Michigan Highways. http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/MichHwys50-59.html#M-054. Retrieved October 28, 2006. 

External links

• M-54 endpoint photos