- M-216 (Michigan highway)
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M-216
M-216 highlighted in redRoute information Maintained by MDOT Length: 9.379 mi[2] (15.094 km) Existed: 1935[1] – present Major junctions West end: 
M-40 in MarcellusEast end: 
US 131 near MooreparkLocation Counties: Cass, St. Joseph Highway system Michigan State Trunkline Highway System
Interstate • US • State← 
M-215M-217 
→M-216 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that serves as a connector route between M-40 at Marcellus and US Highway 131 (US 131). The highway runs through a rural area of the southwestern part of the state. It has been a part of the highway system since 1935; the current form of the roadway was finalized in 1939. Between 2,400 and 3,900 vehicles use the highway each day on average.
Contents
Route description
M-216 begins at a junction with M-40 in the village of Marcellus to the southwest of Kalamazoo.[3] The highway follows Main Street eastward in the village,[4] crossing a branch line of the Canadian National Railway.[5] East of town, M-216 passes through farm fields and jogs to the south around Lewis Lake. The highway runs along Marcellus Road through the rural landscape that is a mix of farm fields and woods. The trunkline crosses the Cass – St. Joseph county like before running through the unincorporated community of Howardsville in Flowerfield Township. After passing by the Pine View Golf Club, the road comes to its end at US 131.[3][4]
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) maintains M-216 like other state highways in Michigan. As a part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the roadways under its jurisdiction. These volumes are expressed using a metric called annual average daily traffic, which is a statistical calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway. MDOT's surveys in 2009 showed that the highest traffic levels along M-216 were the 3,853 vehicles daily in the village of Marcellus; the lowest counts were the 2,421 vehicles immediately east of town.[6] No section of M-216 has been listed on the National Highway System,[7] a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.[8]
History
M-216 has existed in its current location since its creation in 1935.[1] Two sets of changes to the roadway were made in the late 1930s. The first came in late 1938 when a new 0.7-mile (1.1 km) long segment was newly built to replace an 0.9-mile (1.4 km) segment which contained sharp turns.[9][10] In 1939, the road paving was completed.[11][12] Since then, the road has existed on its current alignment.[3]
Major intersections
County Location Mile[2] Destinations Notes Cass Marcellus 0.000 M-40 – Paw PawSt. Joseph Park Township 9.379 US 131 – Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi References
- ^ a b Michigan State Highway Department (May 15, 1935). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally. Section N8–N9.
- ^ a b Michigan Department of Transportation (2009). MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application (Map). Cartography by Michigan Center for Geographic Information. http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/prfinder/. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ a b c Michigan Department of Transportation (2010). Official Department of Transportation Map (Map). 1 in:15 mi/1 cm:9 km. Section N8–N9.
- ^ a b Google, Inc. Google Maps – Overview Map of M-216 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=E+Main+St&daddr=M-216+W%2FMarcellus+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FdpHgQIdVpDi-g%3BFbpJgQIdnEvl-g&mra=ls&sll=42.024686,-85.80893&sspn=0.029903,0.029097&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=12. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 2009) (PDF). Michigan's Railroad System (Map). http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_Official_Rail_130897_7.pdf. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (2008). "Traffic Monitoring Information System". Michigan Department of Transportation. http://mdotnetpublic.state.mi.us/tmispublic/. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006) (PDF). National Highway System, Michigan (Map). http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_NHS_Statewide_150626_7.pdf. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
- ^ "The National Highway System". Federal Highway Administration. August 26, 2010. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/nhs/. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
- ^ Michigan State Highway Department (May 1, 1938). 1938 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Spring ed.). Section N8–N9.
- ^ Michigan State Highway Department (December 1, 1938). 1938 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Winter ed.). Section N8–N9.
- ^ Michigan State Highway Department (April 15, 1939). 1939 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Summer ed.). Section N8–N9.
- ^ Michigan State Highway Department (December 1, 1939). 1939 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Winter ed.). Section N8–N9.
External links
Categories:- State highways in Michigan
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