M-22 (Michigan highway)

This article is about the state highway in Michigan; for other uses, see M22 (disambiguation)

M-22
M-22 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length:	116.651 mi[2] (187.732 km)
Existed:	ca. July 1, 1919[1] – present
Tourist routes:	Lake Michigan Circle Tour, Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route
Major junctions
South end:	US 31 near Manistee
	M-115 at Frankfort M-72 at Empire M-204 near Lake Leelanau M-201 at Northport M-204 at Suttons Bay M-72 in Greilickville
North end:	US 31 / M-37 / M-72 in Traverse City
Location
Counties:	Manistee, Benzie, Leelanau, Grand Traverse
Highway system
Michigan State Trunkline Highway System Interstate • US • State ← M-21A US 23 →

M-22 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. It is 116.651 miles (187.732 km) long and follows the Lake Michigan shoreline of the Leelanau Peninsula, making up a portion of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. It also passes through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The highway is U-shaped as it rounds the peninsula running through tourist areas in Leland and Suttons Bay in addition to the national park.

M-22 is an original trunkline designation dating back to the 1919 designation of the system. Reroutings have moved the highway closer to the water between Suttons Bay and Traverse City. A section of the highway used temporarily even was used for another highway, M-109. The highway was also named a Michigan Heritage Route. The route marker shield is used in marketing by a local business as a symbol of the region.

Route description

Marker at Good Harbor, south of Leland

The southern terminus is 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Manistee and the northern terminus is in Traverse City. In between the trunkline loops north along Lake Michigan to Northport before turning south along the West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay. The road itself comprises numerous turns and hills, making it a very popular drive for tourists visiting the area from areas such as Chicago and Detroit, especially during autumn. The road runs north to the village of Onekama running east and north of Portage Lake before returning north to Arcadia. M-22 turns northeasterly to curve around the north shore of Crystal Lake after passing through Elberta and Frankfort. South of the Platte River, the highway crosses into the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. East of Platte Lake, M-22 turns northward again toward Empire, headquarters of the national park. M-22 takes the inland route between Little and Big Glen lakes, losing the Lake Michigan Circle Tour designation to M-109 until the two meet again in Glen Arbor. The roadway follows the shoreline of Pyramid Point and passes east out of the national park before turning north to Leland.^[3]

Leland is home to Fishtown, and the ferries to the Manitou Islands off the coast of the Leelanau Peninsula. Continuing northward, M-22 reaches its northernmost extent in Northport before turning south. It passes through the reservation of the Grand Traverse Band of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians in Peshawbestown, home to one of the tribe's two casinos. Further south is the community of Suttons Bay located on the small bay of the same name. From here south, the highway runs just off the shore of the Grand Traverse Bay south to Greilickville. Just south of Greilickville, M-22 enters a section of the city of Traverse City that's located in Leelanau County, Michigan formed by an acquisition of a neighborhood of Greilickville. Here is the eastern junction between M-22 and M-72. The two highways run concurrently along Grandview Parkway to Division Street. There they meet US 31/M-37 and M-22 ends.^[3] A portion of this road has been designated a scenic heritage route by the state of Michigan.^[4]

History

M-22 is an original trunkline, dating to the 1919 signing of the system.^[1] In 1929, the highway was rerouted along the west side of Big Glen Lake, using the modern M-109 around the lake.^[5] M-22 would be rerouted back around to the present routing and M-109 formed on the west side of the lake.^[6]

Until 1936, M-22's route was on Cherry Bend and Center Rds. in Leelanau County to Suttons Bay. At that time, M-22 was relocated along the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay onto Center Rd. up to Crain Hill Rd.^[7][8] In 1949, M-22 was relocated the rest of the way to Suttons Bay, and the former M-22 on Cherry Bend and Center Rds. became County Rd. 633.^[9][10] and in 1945, the last gravel stretch of M-22 from Leland to Northport was paved.^[11]

In Traverse City, M-22 originally started at Front and Union Sts. going west on Front to Elmwood, turning north onto Elmwood, then west on Bay St. to Greilickville. It was relocated onto the newly built Grand View Parkway in 1952, from Greilickville to Division St. (relocated US 31).^[12]

Cultural references

Broneah Kiteboarding, a company based in Traverse City, has adopted the M-22 shield as a logo, and sells merchandise such as hooded sweatshirts, T-shirts, and bumper stickers featuring the shield. As such, it has become a popular symbol for the company as well as a cultural symbol for the western Grand Traverse Bay area.^[13]

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile[2][14]	Destinations	Notes
Manistee	Manistee Township	0.00	US 31 south / LMCT – Manistee, Traverse City	Southern end of LMCT concurrency
Benzie	Elberta	27.793	M-168 west	Eastern terminus of M-168
	Frankfort	20.006	M-115 east	Western terminus of M-115
Leelanau	Empire	51.849	M-72 east – Traverse City	Western terminus of M-72
	Empire Township	53.911	M-109 north – Glen Haven	Southern terminus of M-109
	Glen Arbor	59.576	M-109 west – Glen Haven	Eastern terminus of M-109
	Leland Township	76.021	M-204 east – Lake Leelanau	Western terminus of M-204
	Northport	89.283	M-201 north	Southern terminus of M-201
	Suttons Bay	100.765	M-204 west – Lake Leelanau	Eastern terminus of M-204
	Traverse City	116.071	M-72 west – Empire	Northern end of M-72 concurrency
Grand Traverse		116.651	US 31 / M-37 / M-72 east / LMCT north	Southern end of M-72 concurrency; northern end of LMCT concurrency
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} Michigan State Highway Department (1919). State of Michigan (Map). Cartography by MSHD. http://maps.lib.msu.edu/miroadmaps/mirm5.htm. Retrieved March 2, 2008. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Michigan Department of Transportation (2009). Control Section/Physical Reference Atlas (Map). http://mdotwas1.mdot.state.mi.us/public/maps/pr/. Retrieved July 26, 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Michigan Department of Transportation (2008). Official 2008 Department of Transportation Map (Map). 1 in:15 mi/1 cm:9 km. http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9622_11033_11151---,00.html. 
4. ^ "Scenic Heritage Routes". Michigan Heritage Routes. Michigan Department of Transportation. November 8, 2007. http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9621_11041_11209-22895--,00.html. Retrieved September 11, 2008. 
5. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (1929). Official Highway Service Map (Map). Cartography by H.M. Gousha. 
6. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (January 1, 1930). Official Highway Service Map (Map). Cartography by H.M. Gousha. 
7. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (June 1, 1936). Official Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally. 
8. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (1936/7). Official Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Winter ed.). 
9. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (July 1, 1949). Official Highway Map (Map). 
10. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (April 15, 1950). Official Highway Map (Map). 
11. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (October 1, 1945). Official Highway Map (Map). 
12. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (April 1, 1952). Official Highway Map (Map). 
13. ^ "M-22 Clothing and Accessories". Broneah Kiteboarding. 2008. http://www.m22online.com/#. Retrieved September 11, 2008. 
14. ^ "MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application". Michigan Department of Transportation. 2009. http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/prfinder/. Retrieved April 9, 2010. 

External links

• M-22 at Michigan Highways
• M-22 at Michigan Highway Ends
• M-22 Autumn Color Tour
• Michigan Highway M-22 Flickr Photo Group