M-81 (Michigan highway)

M-81
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length:	45.64 mi[1] (73.45 km)
Existed:	1920 – present
Major junctions
West end:	M-13 in Saginaw
	I-75 near Saginaw M-15 near Reese M-24 in Caro
East end:	M-53 near Cass City
Location
Counties:	Saginaw, Tuscola, Sanilac
Highway system
Michigan State Trunkline Highway System Interstate • US • State ← M-80 M-82 →

M-81 is a state trunkline in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan that travels from the city of Saginaw at the junction with M-13 and ends at the junction with M-53 east of Cass City over the county line in Greenleaf Township in northwestern Sanilac County.

Route description

M-81 starts at a junction with M-13 and runs east out of Saginaw running through an interchange with I-75. This is exit 151 along I-75. On the way, M-81 passes through the village of Reese and then makes a northeastern curve towards the city of Caro going northeast until it reaches Cass City Road, where it turns and runs directly east again into the village of Cass City. The slant to M-81 through the city of Caro creates a rather strange experience for visitors as they arrive. The roads that intersect with M-81 are not aligned in the proper grid-like structure found in most other cities.^[1] All of M-81 is a two-lane highway, except for in the city of Saginaw, where it is a four-lane highway with a center turn lane.

History

When originally formed around 1920, M-81 ran from Reese to Caro. It was extended eastward through Cass City to M-53 in 1922. The initial extension to Saginaw was made in 1926. M-81 would be completely paved in 1946, completing a section between Ellington and Elmwood in Tuscola County.

Prior to 1971, M-81's western terminus formerly ended at M-47 in western Saginaw Charter Township. When I-675 was completed through the city, M-81 was scaled back to its present day terminus at M-13.^[1]

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile[2]	Destinations	Notes
Saginaw	Saginaw	0.00	M-13
			I-75 – Bay City, Flint	Exit 151 on I-75
	Reese	8.40	M-15 – Bay City, Vassar
Tuscola	Caro	27.59	M-24 – Unionville, Lapeer
Sanilac	Greenleaf Township	45.64	M-53 – Bad Axe, Imlay City
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

Michigan Highways portal

1. ^ ^{a b c} Bessert, Christopher, J.. "Michigan Highways: Highways 80 through 89". Michigan Highways. http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/MichHwys80-89.html#M-081. Retrieved October 28, 2006. 
2. ^ "Control Section/Physical Reference Atlas". Michigan Department of Transportation. 2001. http://mdotwas1.mdot.state.mi.us/public/maps/pr/. Retrieved February 2, 2008. 

External links

• M-81 Endpoint Photos