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| M-28 (Michigan highway) | |
|---|---|
| State | MI |
| Route | 28 |
| Length mi | 290.8 |
| Direction a | West |
| Terminus a | Wakefield |
| Direction b | East |
| Terminus b | Sucker Creek Township |
| Counties | Ontonagon County, Houghton County, Baraga County, Marquette County, Alger County, Schoolcraft County, Chippewa County |
M-28 (Michigan highway) is a state trunkline highway traversing Michigan's Upper Peninsula, extending approximately 290.8 miles from Wakefield on the western end to Sucker Creek Township near Ishpeming and Sault Ste. Marie on the eastern end. The route links industrial centers, tourist destinations, and rural communities along corridors adjacent to Lake Superior, Huron Bay, and numerous state and national forests. M-28 serves as a primary east–west arterial connecting U.S. Route 2, U.S. Route 41, and Interstate 75 with ports, railheads, and recreation areas.
M-28 begins near Wakefield at an intersection with U.S. Route 2 and proceeds eastward through Ontonagon toward Silver City, skirting the southern shore of Lake Superior. The highway continues through Houghton County adjacent to Keweenaw Bay, passing near L'Anse and Baraga before meeting U.S. Route 41 at Covington and Baraga County communities. East of Marquette, M-28 threads through riparian corridors and boreal tracts in Yellowdog Plains, providing access to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, and the Hiawatha National Forest.
Along its alignment, M-28 intersects multiple trunklines and connectors including M-95, M-123, and M-553, while serving towns such as Ishpeming, Negaunee, Gwinn, and Munising. The corridor crosses rail lines owned by Canadian National Railway and Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad near Marquette County industrial districts. Scenic vistas include overlooks of Lake Superior near Au Train and geological exposures at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
The corridor was developed as part of Michigan's early 20th-century trunkline system, contemporaneous with improvements on U.S. Route 2 and the expansion of Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad freight service. M-28 designation replaced older county routes and logging roads as communities like Marquette, Ishpeming, and Sault Ste. Marie industrialized during the iron ore and timber booms. During the Great Depression, federal programs such as those inspired by Works Progress Administration projects funded paving and bridge work along the route, improving connections to ports used by American Steamship Company and ore haulers.
Post-World War II economic shifts, influenced by companies like Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and Kennecott, required upgrades to accommodate heavier truck traffic serving mines and pulp mills. In the late 20th century, coordination with agencies such as the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration produced bypasses and realignments near Marquette and Ishpeming to improve safety and freight flow. Winter storms periodically necessitated emergency repairs coordinated with local governments including Marquette County and Alger County road commissions.
M-28's major junctions provide connections to regional and national routes: the western terminus at U.S. Route 2 near Wakefield; intersections with U.S. Route 41 near Baraga and Ishpeming; junctions with M-95 near Negaunee; a concurrency with M-553 approaching Marquette; and an eastern connection toward Interstate 75 corridors servicing Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace. These intersections link M-28 to ferry terminals such as those serving Mackinac Island and industrial facilities in Escanaba.
Traffic volumes on M-28 vary seasonally, with peak flows during summer tourism tied to destinations like Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, and winter recreational usage related to snowmobiling trails managed by clubs affiliated with Michigan Snowmobile Association. Freight tonnage reflects shipments by companies including Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and regional logging firms, with heavy-haul patterns near Marquette and mining centers. Maintenance responsibilities are administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation in partnership with county road commissions; routine activities include snow clearance, pavement rehabilitation, and bridge inspections under standards promulgated by the Federal Highway Administration and state statutes. Emergency responses coordinate with agencies such as Michigan State Police and local fire departments during incidents like lake-effect blizzards or flooding from tributaries to Lake Superior.
Planned and proposed projects affecting M-28 encompass pavement rehabilitation programs funded through state transportation budgets and federal grants administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration. Studies by regional planning organizations including the Marquette County Transportation Planning Committee evaluate safety improvements, passing lanes, and potential realignments near environmentally sensitive areas administered by the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Economic development initiatives by entities such as Michigan Economic Development Corporation and local chambers of commerce influence corridor upgrades to support tourism, mining supply chains, and intermodal freight connections with Canadian National Railway and Great Lakes shipping partners.
M-28 traverses landscapes central to Upper Peninsula identity, connecting cultural sites like the Marquette Maritime Museum, the Iron Ore Heritage Trail, and historic districts in Ishpeming and Negaunee tied to figures such as mining entrepreneurs and labor movements documented in regional archives. The highway provides access to Indigenous communities of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and lands tied to treaty histories involving Ojibwe bands. Geographically, M-28 parallels glacial features, copper district geology associated with the Keweenaw Peninsula, and ecological zones including boreal forests and Great Lakes shoreline habitats that support species studied by institutions like Michigan Technological University and conservation programs run by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Category:State highways in Michigan Category:Upper Peninsula of Michigan