M-153 (Michigan highway)

M-153 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the Metro Detroit area of the US state of Michigan. It is also known as Ford Road for nearly its entire length, except for its westernmost portion where the highway follows a short expressway to M-14. Named for William Ford, father of Henry Ford, Ford Road runs from near Dixboro to the Dearborn–Detroit border. The M-153 designation continues along Wyoming Avenue where it terminates at a junction with Interstate 94 (I-94) and US Highway 12 (US 12) on the city line.

"M-153" redirects here. For the weapons platform, see M153 CROWS II.

M-153 marker

M-153

Ford Road
M-153 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length25.127 mi[1] (40.438 km)
ExistedDecember 2, 1930 (1930-12-02)[2]–present
Major junctions
West end M-14 near Ann Arbor
Major intersections
East end I-94 / US 12 at Detroit western city line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountiesWashtenaw, Wayne
Highway system
← M-152→ M-154

Ford Road has been a part of the state highway system since December 2, 1930. Since the state has maintained the roadway as M-153, it has been extended westward from Wayne County into Washtenaw County and upgraded in sections to expressway conditions. The first of these improvements were made in the 1930s with additional upgrades in the 1960s and 1970s. The last change was made by 1980 to create the modern routing.

Route description

M-153 starts at a trumpet interchange with M-14's exit 10 in Superior Township east of Ann Arbor. The highway starts as a four-lane divided expressway curving southeasterly to meet Ford Road near Frains Lake Road. Ford Road continues as a local road west of here to end at Plymouth Road south of the M-14 freeway. At Frains Lake Road, M-153 narrows to a two-lane undivided road, passing through rural areas until the Washtenaw–Wayne county line at Napier Road, where it enters Canton.[3][4]

In Canton, M-153 initially runs through a residential area, widening to five lanes west of Beck Road. Retail stores line the corridor by the time it reaches Canton Center Road. The segment of M-153 between Canton Center and I-275 is Canton's main commercial corridor, and one of the busiest corridors in Detroit's western suburbs. Numerous strip malls and retail stores line the corridor, and it widens to seven lanes near Haggerty Road. M-153 meets I-275 at the east end of Canton, at a partial cloverleaf interchange built over the western crossing of Willow Creek, a tributary of the River Rouge. M-153 then narrows back to five lanes as it crosses into Westland between Lotz and Hix roads.[3][4]

Just after entering Westland, an overpass carries M-153 over a railroad track, flanked on either side by an at-grade frontage road.[4] Ford Road continues east, forming a section of the Garden City boundary near Venoy Road. The trunkline crosses into Dearborn Heights at Inkster Road. It forms the boundary between Dearborn and Dearborn Heights between Gulley and Evergreen roads, crossing US 24 (Telegraph Road) in between. East of Telegraph Road, M-153 is built to expressway standards complete with interchanges at Edward N. Hines Drive, Evergreen Road, M-39 (Southfield Freeway) and Greenfield Road. The highway crosses the River Rouge north of the Dearborn Country Club west of Evergreen Road. Ford Road ends at Wyoming and McGraw avenues. M-153 turns south along Wyoming Avenue to cross I-94 at exit 210. This interchange is also the location where I-94 and US 12 (Michigan Avenue) cross, marking the eastern end of M-153 at Michigan Avenue.[3][4]

Ford Road serves as the zero-mile line for the Detroit area's Mile Road System,[5] though it is rarely referred to as such, nor is any other road south of 5 Mile on the grid. From the Canton Center Road intersection eastward, all of M-153 is a part of the National Highway System,[6] a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.[7] M-153 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) like other state highways in Michigan. As a part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the roadways under its jurisdiction. MDOT's surveys in 2010 showed that the highest traffic levels along M-153 were the 64,956 vehicles daily between the River Rouge and the Southfield Freeway in Dearborn, on average; the lowest counts were the 10,380 vehicles per day between Plymouth Road and the end of the expressway in Superior Township.[8]

History

Ford Road was named for William Ford, father of automobile pioneer Henry Ford. The elder Ford was born in Ireland and settled in Dearborn Township in 1847. William's carpentry business lead him around to regional businesses and neighbors, traveling the area until he took up the family business of farming after marriage to Mary Litogot. They settled on a farm near the intersection of modern-day Ford Road and Greenfield Avenue; this farm was Henry's birthplace in 1863. Settling into his family life, William started serving the local community. He was a road commissioner, school board member and a justice of the peace. In honor of his accomplishments, Ford Road was named in his honor before his death in March 1905.[2]

Ford Road remained in township jurisdiction until August 29, 1924, when it was transferred to Wayne County control. It was transferred to state control on December 2, 1930. The Michigan State Highway Department designated it M-153 upon transfer to their responsibility.[2] The highway designation was determined to continue west of the county line into Washtenaw County as a northerly bypass of Ann Arbor, but the segment between Canton Center Road and US 12 on Plymouth Road was not built at the time.[9] The first extension west was finished in 1933 from the county line to Napier Road.[10] The road was widened into a major thoroughfare between Detroit and Ann Arbor in 1934, to relieve congestion on Michigan Avenue.[2] The highway bypass of Ann Arbor was cancelled by 1935, leaving the western terminus at US 12 (Plymouth Road).[11]

Intersection of M-153 and M-14, facing west viewed from intersection at Plymouth Road

Construction of a northerly freeway bypass of Ann Arbor along M-14 to M-153 was completed by 1965. A second freeway section was built between Ford Road at Frains Lake Road to the contemporary end of the M-14 freeway. This second freeway was assigned as part of M-153 and the former routing along Ford Road west to Plymouth Road was removed from the state trunkline highway system.[12][13] A reconstruction project along M-153 in Dearborn in 1973 was completed, bringing that section of the highway up to expressway standards. Several interchanges were built along the segment including Hines Drive, Evergreen Road, M-39 (Southfield Freeway) and Greenfield Road.[14][15] The last extension moved the western terminus in early 1980 when the M-14 freeway was completed, and M-153 was extended along a section of freeway used to connect the previous end of the M-14 freeway to Plymouth Road.[16][17]

Major intersections

All exits are unnumbered.

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
WashtenawSuperior Township0.0000.000 M-14 – Ann Arbor, DetroitExit 10 on M-14
WayneCanton10.33716.636 I-275 – Flint, ToledoExit 25 on I-275
Dearborn14.00522.539 US 24 (Telegraph Road)
15.40424.790Edward N. Hines Drive northWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
15.96725.696Evergreen RoadInterchange
19.01230.597 M-39 (Southfield Freeway)Exit 7 on M-39
17.96328.909Greenfield RoadInterchange
Dearborn–Detroit city line25.050–
25.127		40.314–
40.438		 I-94 – Detroit, Chicago
US 12 (Michigan Avenue)		Exit 210 on I-94
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References
  1. Michigan Department of Transportation (2021). Next Generation PR Finder (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  2. Barnett, LeRoy (2004). A Drive Down Memory Lane: The Named State and Federal Highways of Michigan. Allegan Forest, MI: Priscilla Press. p. 84. ISBN 1-886167-24-9.
  3. Michigan Department of Transportation (2011). Pure Michigan: State Transportation Map (Map). c. 1:158,400. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Detroit Area inset. §§ F5–F11. OCLC 42778335, 786008212.
  4. Google (November 4, 2008). "Overview Map of M-153" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  5. Gavrilovich, Peter; McGraw, Bill (2000). The Detroit Almanac: 300 Years of Life in the Motor City. Detroit: Detroit Free Press. pp. 20–1. ISBN 978-0-937247-34-1.
  6. Michigan Department of Transportation (2005). National Highway System, Detroit Urbanized Area (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  7. 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.
  8. Bureau of Transportation Planning (2008). "Traffic Monitoring Information System". Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  9. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (May 15, 1931). Official Highway Service Map (Map). [c. 1:840,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. §§ M12–M13. OCLC 12701053.
  10. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (July 1, 1933). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:840,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. §§ M12–M13. OCLC 12701053.
  11. Michigan State Highway Department & Rand McNally (May 15, 1935). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:850,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. § M12. OCLC 12701143.
  12. Michigan State Highway Department (1964). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. §§ M12–M13. OCLC 12701120, 81213707. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  13. Michigan State Highway Department (1965). Official Highway Map (Map). [c. 1:918,720]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. §§ M12–M13. OCLC 12701120. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  14. Michigan Department of State Highways (1972). Michigan, Great Lake State: Official Highway Map (Map). c. 1:158,400. Lansing: Michigan Department of State Highways. Detroit and Vicinity inset. § E7. OCLC 12701120.
  15. Michigan Department of State Highways (1973). Michigan, Great Lake State: Official Highway Map (Map). c. 1:158,400. Lansing: Michigan Department of State Highways. Detroit and Vicinity inset. § E7. OCLC 12701120, 81679137. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  16. Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation (1979). Michigan, Great Lake State: Official Transportation Map (Map) (1978–1979 ed.). c. 1:158,400. Lansing: Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation. Detroit and Vicinity inset. § E3. OCLC 12701177. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  17. Michigan Department of Transportation (1980). Michigan, Great Lake State: Official Transportation Map (Map) (1980–1981 ed.). c. 1:190,080. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Ann Arbor inset. OCLC 12701177, 606211521.
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