M-17 (Michigan highway)
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| M-17 |
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| Washtenaw Avenue Maintained by MDOT |
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| Length: | 6.39 mi[1] (10.28 km) | ||||||||
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| Formed: | Current route, 1956[1] | ||||||||
| West end: |  US 23 at Ann Arbor |
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| East end: |  US 12 near Ypsilanti |
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| Counties: | Washtenaw | ||||||||
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M-17 is a short, 6.39-mile (10.28 km) long highway in the U.S. state of Michigan, connecting the cities of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County.
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[edit] Route description
Except for a portion around downtown Ypsilanti, M-17 is a 5-lane arterial for its entire length. It traverses a highly urbanized area between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. It is known as Washtenaw Avenue from downtown Ypsilanti to its western terminus.
The western terminus is at exit 37 off US 23 on the east side of Ann Arbor. M-17 does not actually enter the city of Ann Arbor, but Washtenaw Ave continues west designated as BUS US 23/BL I-94. Going east, M-17/Washtenaw Ave. pass through northeast Pittsfield Charter Township and northwest Ypsilanti Township. In downtown Ypsilanti, M-17 is routed over several streets, including Hamilton St and Michigan Ave to Ecorse Rd. The eastern terminus is the junction with US 12 just west of Willow Run Airport. [1]
[edit] History
Before the U.S. Highway system came into place, M-17 extended across the entire Lower Peninsula of Michigan, from Watervliet in Berrien County to downtown Detroit. Much of the route was supplanted by the Old U.S. 12 (itself later supplanted by I-94) west of Ann Arbor and by US 112 east of Ypsilanti. M-17 started in 1920 at M-11 in Watervliet. M-11 was later US 31 and now M-140. Between Watervliet and Ann Arbor, M-17 was replaced by US 12. US 112 replaced M-17 between Ypsilanti and Detroit. M-17 replaced M-23 along Ecorse Road between Ypsilanti and Lincoln Park and along US 25 to Detroit. The Willow Run Expressway, built to serve the Willow Run Plant during World War II, was completed in 1944. M-17 was routed along the expressway built over Ecorse Road. A section of the expressway was BYP US 112/M-17 that would later be used as part of I-94. The former routing of M-17 in Ypsilanti was redesignated as BUS M-17. In 1956, M-17 was rerouted back through the city of Ypsilanti over BUS M-17 as US 12 and US 112 were rerouted over BYP US 112/M-17. The western end was truncated to US 23 between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. The US 23 freeway project moved the western terminus of M-17 to the new freeway in 1962 at exit 39. The eastern terminus was moved to M-39/Southfield Highway in 1968 and then to US 12 in 1969.[1]
