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| US 112 | |
|---|---|
| State | MI |
| Type | US |
| Route | 112 |
| Maint | MDOT |
| Established | 1926 |
| Decommissioned | 1970s |
| Direction a | West |
| Terminus a | near Niles |
| Direction b | East |
| Terminus b | near Ypsilanti |
| Counties | Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph, Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee, Washtenaw |
US 112
US 112 was a United States Numbered Highway corridor in southern Michigan that connected communities across Berrien County, Cass County, St. Joseph County, Branch County, Hillsdale County, Lenawee County and Washtenaw County. Originally designated in the United States Numbered Highways plan of 1926, the route linked corridors near Niles and Ypsilanti and paralleled rail lines such as the Michigan Central Railroad and the Pere Marquette Railway. The alignment influenced regional travel patterns through connections with US 12, US 23, US 25, and state trunklines like M-60 and M-50.
The corridor passed through downtowns and rural townships, beginning near Niles and proceeding southeast through Buchanan, Dowagiac, Cassopolis, Three Rivers, Coldwater, Hillsdale, Adrian, and Ypsilanti. Along its length the road intersected regional routes including M-60, M-62, M-66, and M-34 while crossing watercourses such as the Paw Paw River, St. Joseph River, and River Raisin. The corridor paralleled freight and passenger lines like the Michigan Southern Railroad and provided access to facilities including Benton Harbor and St. Joseph Railway stations, county courthouses, and industrial sites tied to the automotive industry supply chain and Willow Run Airport area logistics.
Designated in 1926 under the United States Numbered Highways establishment, the corridor followed preexisting state roads improved in the Good Roads Movement era and aligned with early Lincoln Highway feeder routes and Port Huron – Mackinac Trail connections. During the 1930s and 1940s realignments accommodated increased traffic from wartime production centers tied to Willow Run, Ford Motor Company, and suppliers in Detroit, prompting bypasses around Coldwater and Three Rivers. Postwar federal programs including the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and state projects by the Michigan Department of Transportation led to upgrades and partial transfers to US 12 and Interstate 94, and during the 1960s and 1970s systematic renumbering resulted in decommissioning segments as the United States Numbered Highway System adjusted to the Interstate Highway System footprint.
The corridor intersected major radial and cross-state routes such as US 12, US 23, US 25, M-60, M-62, M-66, M-34, and provided junctions with county roads leading to St. Joseph Township facilities, Buchanan municipal centers, and Adrian industrial parks. Key railroad grade crossings connected to carriers like Grand Trunk Western Railroad, Penn Central Transportation Company, and later Conrail corridors, placing the highway at multimodal nodes serving Perrigo Company suppliers and regional agricultural markets tied to the Michigan State University extension networks.
Associated alignments and spurs included predecessor and successor designations tied to M-139, M-60, M-52, and post-decommissioning segments incorporated into US 12 and various state trunklines. The corridor connected to historic auto trails such as the Lincoln Highway and to US 112 Alternate alignments and business loops serving downtowns like Dowagiac and Three Rivers. Adjacent federal corridors like US 20 and US 31 provided longer-distance continuity for freight movements originating from ports such as Benton Harbor and industrial complexes in Toledo and Detroit.
Traffic patterns reflected agricultural shipments from Cassopolis and Hillsdale counties, commuter flows to Ann Arbor and Detroit, and seasonal tourism toward lakefronts at Lake Michigan and inland recreation areas like Silver Lake State Park. Freight flows tied to suppliers for General Motors and Chrysler used portions of the corridor until diversion to the Interstate Highway System and rail carriers such as CSX Transportation reduced through-traffic. Safety studies conducted by the Michigan Department of Transportation and regional planning bodies addressed intersections near Adrian and Coldwater amid changing vehicle volumes.
Following decommissioning, proposals by regional planners and the Washtenaw County Road Commission considered improvements to remaining state and county segments, including capacity upgrades analogous to projects on US 12 and corridor enhancements financed through state transportation packages and federal aid under programs like the Surface Transportation Program. Local economic development initiatives linking Ypsilanti and Niles have explored multimodal investments with Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority coordination, transit-oriented development near former intersections, and freight resiliency tied to Great Lakes shipping and intermodal terminals.
Category:Former United States Numbered Highways