M-71 (Michigan highway)

M-71 is a state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It serves as a connector between M-21 in Owosso to Interstate 69 (I-69) near Durand. The highway runs along a rail line in a northwest-to-southeast direction in rural Shiawassee County connecting a few small towns along its path.

M-71
M-71 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length10.530 mi[1] (16.946 km)
Existedc. July 1, 1919[2]–present
Major junctions
West end M-21 at Owosso
East end I-69 near Durand
Location
CountiesShiawassee
Highway system
← M-70→ M-72

The highway dates back to the start of the state highway system in 1919. There were some changes made to the routing in the 1930s which increased its length. Two adjacent highways have been rerouted which affected the locations of M-71's termini. The last such change was made in the 1960s when the M-78 freeway (now I-69) was completed near Durand.

Route description

M-71 starts in downtown Owosso at the corner of Main Street (M-21) and Water Street. It follows Water Street southeasterly until it reaches Washington Street. The highway follows Washington Street south and over the Shiawassee River and turns southeasterly on Corunna Avenue.[3] M-71 runs parallel to, and in between, the river and a branch line of the Huron and Eastern Railway.[4] Corunna Avenue continues this way through the community of Middletown and into Corunna. M-71 turns south through downtown Corunna on Shiawassee Street to McNeil Street.[3] It is along this stretch of the highway that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) measured the highest traffic volumes for M-71. In their 2009 survey, MDOT calculated that 10,577 vehicles used this section of roadway in a measurement called average annual daily traffic (AADT).[5] This value is a count for the average traffic in a day for any average day of the year.

From that junction, M-71 turns easterly and then southeasterly out of town. The highway continues to run alongside the rail line through farmland to the outskirts of Vernon. M-71 crosses the Shiawassee River for a second time. The rail line and the highway diverge and run on opposite sides of town; the highway rounds the northeast side and the rail line runs along the southwest side.[3] This section of trunkline through Vernon had the lowest AADT value in 2009 with 4,371 vehicles.[5] M-71 continues to the interchange with I-69 at exit 118 northwest of Durand, where the highway designation terminates.[3][6] No part of M-71 has been listed on the National Highway System (NHS).[7] The NHS is a system of roads important to the nation's economy, defense and mobility.[8]

History

M-71 was formed by July 1, 1919 as a spur route from M-21, which ran along Lytle Road, southerly to Durand.[2] Around 1925, a realignment of M-21 produced changes in M-71. M-21 was rerouted to its current alignment between Owosso and Lennon, and M-71 took over the roadway between Owosso and Corunna. At the same time, M-71 was shifted to run through Vernon.[9] The section of M-71 between Durand and M-78 was transferred to M-78 and M-71 was shortened by 1934.[10] This transfer was reversed in 1935 when M-78 construction was completed.[11] A new section of M-71 was built parallel to the Ann Arbor Railroad between Durand and Corunna in 1938. This construction paved the last remaining unpaved segment of M-71.[12][13] The section of M-71 south of M-78 into Durand was turned back to local control in early 1939,[14] and M-71 was shortened one final time with the completion of the M-78 freeway (now I-69) in the area in late 1960 or early 1961. At that time, the eastern terminus was shifted to the freeway interchange instead of the old route of M-78 along Lansing Road.[15][16]

Major intersections

The entire highway is in Shiawassee County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Owosso0.0000.000 M-21 – Grand Rapids, Flint
Vernon Township10.53016.946 I-69 – Lansing, FlintExit 118 on 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 December 13, 2010.
  2. Michigan State Highway Department (July 1, 1919). State of Michigan (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. Lower Peninsula sheet. OCLC 15607244. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  3. Google (December 12, 2010). "Overview Map of M-71" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  4. Michigan Department of Transportation (April 2009). Michigan's Railroad System (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  5. Bureau of Transportation Planning (2008). "Traffic Monitoring Information System". Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  6. Michigan Department of Transportation (2010). Uniquely Michigan: Official Department of Transportation Map (Map). c. 1:975,000. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. §§ K11–L12. OCLC 42778335, 639960603.
  7. Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006). National Highway System, Michigan (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 21, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  8. Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  9. Michigan State Highway Department (May 15, 1926). Official Highway Condition Map (Map). [c. 1:823,680]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. OCLC 65182204.
  10. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (September 1, 1934). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § L12. OCLC 12701143.
  11. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (December 1, 1935). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § L12. OCLC 12701143.
  12. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (May 1, 1938). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map) (Spring ed.). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § L12. OCLC 12701143. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  13. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (December 1, 1938). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map) (Winter ed.). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § L12. OCLC 12701143. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  14. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (April 15, 1939). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map) (Summer ed.). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § L12. OCLC 12701143.
  15. Michigan State Highway Department (1960). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § L12. OCLC 12701120, 81552576. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1960)
  16. Michigan State Highway Department (1961). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § L12. OCLC 12701120, 51857665. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1961)

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  • M-71 at Michigan Highways
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