M-3 (Michigan highway)

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This article is about the state highway in Michigan; for other uses, see M3
M-3
Gratiot Avenue
Length: 27.2 mi[1] (43.8 km)
Formed: 1972
south end: M-10/BS I-375 in Detroit
Major
junctions:		 M-59 near Mount Clemens

Metropolitan Parkway in Clinton
I-696 in Roseville
M-102 at Eastpointe
I-94 near Hamtramck
north end: I-94/M-29 near New Baltimore
Counties: Wayne & Macomb
Michigan highways
< US-2 M-4 >

M-3 is a north-south state highway in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Detroit metropolitan area. For most of its length, M-3 is known as Gratiot Avenue. Locals pronounce the street name "grashet" [græ'ʃət]. It is named after engineer Charles Gratiot.

Contents

[edit] Route description

Gratiot is one of five major avenues (along with Woodward, Michigan, Grand River, and Jefferson) planned by Judge Augustus Woodward in 1805 that extend from downtown Detroit in differing directions. Gratiot runs northeast from downtown and extends into Macomb County.

The total length of the route is approximately 29 miles (46 km). The road passes through Detroit, Eastpointe, Roseville, Clinton Township, Mount Clemens, and Chesterfield Township. For much of the way it runs more or less parallel with M-97 to the north and with Interstate 94 to the south.

[edit] History

View of Gratiot Avenue from Detroit People Mover station in Detroit.
View of Gratiot Avenue from Detroit People Mover station in Detroit.

Before 2001, the southern terminus of M-3 was at exit 47A (Clark Avenue) of I-75 in the southwest side of Detroit, linking to the Ambassador Bridge, providing an international connection to Ontario's Highway 3. Due to exchanges between the Michigan Department of Transportation and the city of Detroit, M-3 was broken into discontinuous segments, and the former Fort Street portion of M-3 was transferred to an extended M-85. Now M-3 extends from Gratiot Avenue to Randolph Street south to end at the intersection with Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit. The northern terminus is at exit 243 of Interstate 94 in Chesterfield Township about two miles (3.2 km) west of New Baltimore. (M-29 connects to the junction from the east.)

[edit] Major intersections

County Location Mile Roads Notes
Wayne Detroit 0.0 BS 375
M-10
Jefferson Avenue		 Southern terminus
0.8 I-375  
3.3 East Grand Boulevard  
X.X M-53
Van Dyke Ave		 Southern terminus of M-53
4.8
I-94 West - Detroit

I-94 East - Port Huron		  
6.1 M-97
Gunston Street		 Southern terminus of M-97
Macomb Eastpointe 9.3 M-102
8 Mile Road		  
Roseville 12.6 2.5px
I-696 West - Southfield
2.5px
I-696 East - Roseville
Walter P. Reuther Freeway		  
15.3
I-94 West - Detroit		 No direct access to East
Mount Clemens 23.0 M-59  
Chesterfield Township 27.2
I-94 West - Detroit

I-94 East - Port Huron
M-29
23 Mile Road		 Northern terminus
Legend
Crossing, no access Concurrency terminus Deleted Unconstructed Closed

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bessert, Christopher J. (2006-04-23). Michigan Highways: Highways 1 through 9. Michigan Highways. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.

[edit] External links

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Washington Boulevard • Woodward Avenue • Griswold Street • Congress Street • Michigan Avenue • Shelby Street • Lafayette • Larned Street • State Street • Grand River Avenue • Adams Street • Jefferson Avenue • Randolph Street • Gratiot Avenue
See also: List of tallest buildings in Detroit
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See also: Metro Detroit