M-553 (Michigan highway)
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| M-553 |
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| Maintained by MDOT | |||||||||
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| Length: | 19.57 mi[1] (31.49 km) | ||||||||
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| Formed: | 1998-10-31 | ||||||||
| South end: |  M-35 near Gwinn |
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| Major junctions: |
 M-94 near K.I. Sawyer
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| North end: |   US 41/M-28 in Marquette |
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| Counties: | Marquette | ||||||||
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M-553 is a north-south state highway route in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It was originally Marquette County Road 553. It is the main highway connection between the US 41/M-28 corridor and both the Sawyer International Airport and Gwinn.
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[edit] Route description
M-553 begins as a two-lane rural highway east of Gwinn in the New Swanzy neighborhood. From there it runs north through the Sands Plains, past the access road to the west gate of the former K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base. M-553 reaches CR 480 at the "Crossroads" area of Marquette County just north of the Sands Plains. There it passes into hilly, wooded terrain. It descends a steep curve alongside the Marquette Mountain Ski Area before crossing the Carp River.
On the south side of the City of Marquette, M-553 takes McClellan Ave, a four-lane boulevard divided by a center turn lane. The northern terminus of M-553 is a signalized intersection along the Marquette Bypass portion of US 41/M-28, a four-lane divided expressway that bypasses downtown Marquette. The intersection is designed as a "Michigan Left". Traffic wishing to make a left turn at the intersection must instead use a median cross-over lane to complete the turn.
[edit] History
As part of Governor Engler's Rationalization plan, County Road 553 was transferred to state jurisdiction in 1998.[2] The Michigan Department of Transportation designated the highway M-553 based on the former county designation. A portion of CR 553 was numbered M-554 but not signed. The highway designation stopped at the intersection with M-554 and McClellan Ave in the City of Marquette until 2005.[3]
In 2005, the City of Marquette agreed to a "route swap" with MDOT. This swap placed former BUS US 41 and M-554 under city jurisdiction in exchange for the extension of M-553 to its current northern terminus at the Marquette Bypass. M-553 was extended northward along McClellan Ave.[4] MDOT has initiated a speed study to determine what speed limits should apply on the extension. The McClellan Ave portion of M-553 was placed under a temporary traffic control order leaving the 35 mph limit in place. A school zone may be placed near the Superior HIlls Elementary school.[5]
[edit] Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile | Roads | Notes |
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| Marquette | Forsyth Township | 0.0 | M-35 |
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| 2.8 | M-94 |
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| Sands Township | 7.0 |  Kelly Johnson Memorial Drive |
Access to Sawyer International Airport | |
| 13.1 |  CR 480 |
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| Marquette | 19.6 | US 41/M-28 |
| Legend | |||||
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| Crossing, no access | Concurrency terminus | Deleted | Unconstructed | Closed | |
[edit] References
- ^ Bessert, Christopher J. (2005-10-11). Michigan Highways: Highways 250 through 696. Michigan Highways. Retrieved on 2006-08-22.
- ^ Michigan Department of Transportation. Official 1999 Department of Transportation Map [map]. Cartography by MDOT. (1999) Section C6.
- ^ Michigan Department of Transportation. Official 2006 Department of Transportation Map [map]. Cartography by MDOT. (2006) Section C6.
- ^ Garnell, Dan (2007-11-25). Michigan Highway Ends - Michigan Route 553. Michigan Ends. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ^ Moeller, Miriam (2007-11-09). McClellan Ave. speed could go up or down. Mining Journal. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
