michigan highway state trunkline highway designation lower_peninsula state michigan highway designation decommissioned section converted freeway present day interstate time extended highway near northwesterly south sections route followed freeways lane highway connect routing city bypassed initially redesignated bus highway ran mixed fields forests bypassing towns region designated initially terminated later extended north west 1920s second disconnected segment added highway 1930s early 1940s disconnected section added converted stages freeway late 1960s early 1970s segment completed number removed highway freeway added route description time designation decommissioned overall highway converted freeway started southwest interchange southern freeway ran northward fields junction turned northwesterly passed southwest sterling tributary freeway approaches forested area trunkline ran south west continued area met southeastern end business loop ran north downtown freeway bypassed town southwest passed interchange met northwestern end business loop active highway designation second business loop junction marked end freeway area turned west merging run concurrently lane highway ran west highways separated junction helen road turned north south town highway met county road junction roads ran concurrently town east end lake helen near airport town turned northwesterly washington street parting process highway ran northeastern shore lake helen near continued entered town trunkline passed conservation airport followed street northwest track middle village joined center town turned parallel county line northeast highway transitioned freeway freeway ran northwest terminated junction south partial interchange marked point resumed course north state traffic directly access southbound northbound northbound access southbound history july initial routing connected path sterling extended north west construction later routing present day lake state railway route followed present day saint helen road present day roads county line followed present day westerly short non segment opened near empire extending eastward county road late early truncated segment near empire redesignated beginning michigan constructed segments portions incorporated route portions completed designated segments portion signed entire stretch rebuilt freeway redesignated temporary connecting designation followed different path starting early 1970s rebuilt interstate standards stages freeway segment completed mile stretch southwest segments freeway completed south miles freeway southern end completed segment south west northern southern sections freeway extended south west present day exits north west present day exits final mile segment freeway completed entire designation decommissioned segment freeway opened final segment completed segments freeway completed portions turned local control portions near parts designations places old portions referred old route southeast line designated county road portion community segment old unsigned state highway major intersections business loop bus business loop running called highway portion current southernmost portion cook road interchange old built new roadway section built freeway completed far north cook road new roadway allowed connect alignment south year freeway completed current interchange west town routing cook road redesignated bus section completed connecting end freeway end near completely decommissioned bus changes total length highway miles major intersections entire highway
M-76 (Michigan highway)